Grant Directories

A total of £1 million is available to support community groups and schools in deprived areas of the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area. The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund is a crowdfunding initiative that will give £2 for every £1 raised by each project. A wide range of nature projects can be supported. This can include restoring and protecting local habitats, promoting pro-environmental behaviours at the community level and connecting local communities to nature and each other. Applications can be made at any time until all funding has been allocated.

The Swire Charitable Trust makes grants to charities supporting some of the UK’s most vulnerable people to overcome barriers and realise their potential, and to charities who are protecting the  environment and heritage.

The Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund is a registered charity and was established to promote, enhance, improve and protect both the natural and built environment in the local community. Grants of up to £3,000 are available to projects that: Improve, enhance, protect and conserve the natural and built environment; offer heritage conservation; promote or advance social welfare; create a safe habitat for flora and fauna; Demonstrate lasting benefit to the community; Benefit all members of the community regardless of race, gender or religion. 

The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) was first developed in response to the Government’s commitment to provide £10 million for planting both large and small trees in and around England’s towns and cities. The fund is part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund and aims to support the planting of 44,000 large ‘standard’ trees over a two-year period. Urban and peri-urban planting will require public access unless there is a strong rationale against this, such as planting on school grounds.  The funding can be used both for planting and maintaining trees.

The Community Foundation for Merseyside exists to benefit disadvantaged communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference to their local communities. Through the BHP Billiton Endowment Fund the foundation provides grants of up to £2,000 to projects based around enhancing or conserving the local physical environment that also benefit the wider community and improve people’s lives.

The Cumbria Community Foundation exists to benefit disadvantaged people and communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference within their local area.  Through the Broughton Moor Wind Farm Fund, the Foundation provides grants of between £500 to £1,000 to support local communities located in the parish of Broughton Moor.

The Cumbria Community Foundation exists to benefit disadvantaged people and communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference within their local area.  Through the Beck Burn Wind Farm Community Fund, the Foundation provides grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 to support projects which will enhance the health and wellbeing of local communities located close to the Beck Burn Wind Farm, which might include improvements to community facilities, biodiversity and habitat conservation, and projects involving energy conservation and increased use of renewables

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust was established in for the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection or improvement.   Through the Environment programme the Trust aims to protect the countryside, species and habitats as well as well as the UKs heritage and rural crafts and skills.

The Lancashire Environmental Fund's Green Grants programme offer grants of up to £1,000 to not-for-profit organisations, charities, trusts, community groups, parish or community councils or voluntary organisations, for small stand alone projects. Funded projects might include: Energy efficiency measures at community facilities such as insulation, double glazing, water saving, low energy lighting etc; wildflower, tree and bulb planting or community orchards and gardens (but not allotments); pond creation and planting schemes; improvements to access to public parks and gardens; benches and seating; Community Arts with an environmental theme and Health Walk waymarking.

Under this scheme, Biffa look to award grants to projects that provide or improve biodiversity, community spaces, cultural facilities, and places for outdoor recreation. The type of activities that could be funded could be to improve community buildings; site-based projects to protect and enhance a species or habitat; improving an open space such as a park, play area or woodland that needs transforming to benefit local people of all ages.  Between £10,000 and £75,000 is available for projects of less than £200,000. Ten percent of the award needs to be third party sourced.

Artists Project Earth (APE) funds projects that tackle the effects of climate change.  Applications are welcomed from organisations working to prevent the causes of climate change; defend communities and ecosystems against the impacts of climate change; and support and build resilience for communities affected by natural disasters.

The Chestnut Fund is an independent charity, making grants available to encourage and enable community groups to carry out conservation activities. Groups must be part of the BTCV Community Network to qualify. The grants fall into two categories: Start-up grants - these are for groups who have no money when they are first set up and are available to groups in their first year of existence. The grant will enable them to begin practical work and will cover administrative expenses, e.g. postage, publicity, hire of meeting rooms, telephone bills and/or the first year of BTCV Community Network Membership plus Insurance fees. The maximum grant will be £150, and Support grants - these are for groups who have no money for tools, equipment and training. The maximum grant will be £350. Preference will be given to resources selected from BTCV sources. This grant is available to all BTCV Community Network groups, regardless of how long they have been members.

The John Ellerman Foundation's People and Planet funding scheme provides grants to charities that work to promote a healthier environment for both people and nature.  The scheme prioritises projects that enhance ocean health through stronger marine protected areas and on land and in freshwater through sustainable management, habitat restoration, and landscape-scale conservation.  The scheme also aims to address the impact of human activities like climate change and pollution on air, land, and water.