Grant Directories

The BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme supports children and young people who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances, and is delivered by Family Fund Business Services. The programme can provide the following kinds of items: Cookers; Furniture; Kitchen equipment and small appliances; Children’s beds and bedding (including cots); Washing machines and tumble dryers; Fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers; Baby equipment; Clothing for an emergency/crisis. Applications can only be made by a registered referrer.

The Holy Rood Trust was established in 1973 to support those communities of monks and nuns wishing to give their lives to praising God and interceding for His people. Grants, loans and bursaries are available to these communities in line with the objects of the charity, which are the relief of poverty amongst the communities and to promote the education of the individual members for the furtherance of contemplative life. Grants and loans, usually up to a maximum of £10,000, are available to assist with significant capital expenditure. Bursaries, usually up to a maximum of £300, are made for the benefit of individual members attending courses, retreats, meetings and counselling.

The Lloyds Bank Foundation is an independent charity that aims to help people, communities and Britain prosper. The Foundation provides support to small and local charities that help people overcome complex social issues and rebuild their lives. Through the Deaf and Disabled people's organisations fund the foundation provides grants totalling £75,000 over three years to registered charities and CIC's which are led by and working with Deaf and disabled people to support them to have more choice and control over their lives, access their rights and entitlements and challenge the barriers they face.

The Community Awards provide a total of £50,000 in funding to local groups, charities or good causes. The donations of up to £1,000 per store help food pantries provide essential food and other supplies to people in need. 50 winning causes will be selected by a panel of judges.

The Individual and Families Fund provides eligible applicants with a grant of up to £1,500 to clear outstanding arrears with their energy supplier. Unlike some other funds, eligibility is not limited to British Gas customers. However, customers of Eon, Eon Next, EDF, Scottish Power, and Octopus should apply to their respective funds instead.

UK charities and non-profit organisations can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 per year, for up to three years from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation's SOCIAL ACTION: Championing Change funding scheme.  The aim of the scheme is to help create an inclusive society by supporting organisations that work to create positive changes at a systems-wide level benefitting wider society.

The Cosaraf Charitable Foundation Hardship Grant provides funding of up to £500 to help with the following: Household items (white goods and occasionally other items i.e. sofas, wardrobes etc.); Basic Living Expenses (Utilities or food); Work- or education-related expenses (interview clothes, school uniforms, laptops); Rent arrears and Council tax arrears, but only where there is a clear and obvious risk of homelessness (for rent arrears involving a social landlord please outline what support has already been offered to the tenant); Contribution to immigration-related costs, where the current immigration status directly causes financial hardship to the applicant. Applications will only be accepted from recognised social organisations such as charities, housing associations, schools and social services acting on behalf of a family or individual in need.

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.

Grants are available for registered charities involved in medical research, the arts and various educational activities in the UK.

The Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation funds sustainable community projects throughout England, Scotland and Wales by making grants to support charities and community interest companies. The Foundation, has teamed up with Crowdfunder to make £100,000 in funding available. Organisations can apply for up to 50% of their crowdfunding target, up to a maximum of £5,000, to support projects that match one or more of the following themes: the environment and conservation; health and wellbeing; and the prevention or relief of poverty. Projects could include rewilding projects, community gardens, social inclusion and mental health projects, sports projects, community food banks, money management and budgeting skills, and educational projects for communities to reduce their carbon footprint. No deadline given.

The Royal British Legions Crisis Grant aims to support serving and ex-serving armed forces personnel and their families with unexpected expenses. The grant does not provide cash, but can provide essentials for applicants and their family in times of need. A grant might help you cover the costs of something like:  Vouchers to buy food; Funds for accommodation when someone is street homeless; Help to buy essentials; like clothing; Support with short notice travel costs (bus fare, petrol costs, etc). The RBL carefully consider the individual circumstances and needs, so don't hesitate to get in touch. However, help is not available for repayment of business debts, loans, legal expenses, medical care or where state assistance or statutory services are available.

The One Stop Community Partnership Programme provides grants of up to £1,000 to local community groups that are situated within 2 miles of a One Stop Store. Funding is available for community groups or organisations working in the following areas: Tackling food poverty; Supporting the vulnerable; Supporting the elderly; Supporting low-income families; Supporting a healthier lifestyle, such as Youth sports teams. Once funding has been agreed, alongside a grant of up to £1,000, a long-term tailored programme of support is created for successful applicants by the One Stop Community team and One Stop Store team. Grant recipients then work in partnership with the One Stop Store team at their local shop to deliver this programme.

The Artemis Charitable Foundation makes donations to charities operating in the UK and internationally primarily in four key areas; health; education; poverty; and the environment.

The Community Foundation Wales 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 Hawarden & District Relief in Need Fund the foundation provides grants of up to £750 to help individuals with limited resources or those considered to be in crisis. Funding is available to: buy equipment and activities for Hawarden-based community groups/charities working with vulnerable people in need; purchase of critical household items e.g. white goods, bedding, carpets etc.; purchase Items essential to alleviating the suffering of food and fuel poverty (e.g. food parcels, blankets, hot water bottles, thermals, boiler repairs); carry out essential repairs and/or redecoration; provide luncheon clubs, food co-ops, activities that promote community cohesion, reduce isolation and alleviate poverty.

The Dischma Charitable Trust provides grants to organisations in England and Wales that require funding for projects that fall into the following categories: Education/training; The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives; Disability; The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty; Overseas Aid/famine Relief; Arts/culture/heritage/science; Animals; Environment/conservation/heritage.

The Fashion & Textile Children's Trust provides education and wellbeing grants to support children (0-18 years) whose parents or guardians work, or have recently worked (within the last 9 years) in the UK fashion and textile industry. Through the Kinship Care Grant progamme the trust provides funding to help families who are raising children of relatives or friends. Grants can help to cover set-up costs for the children or support with ongoing health and wellbeing needs. 

The Fashion & Textile Children's Trust provides education and wellbeing grants to support children (0-18 years) whose parents or guardians work, or have recently worked (within the last 9 years) in the UK fashion and textile industry. Through the Rehousing Grant programme the Trust provides funding to families who are facing unexpected additional rehousing costs as a result of any of the following:Fleeing domestic abuse; Recently offered a house after an unsettled housing situation; Required to move because the property no longer meets the needs of the family, e.g. disability or health needs; Required to move by the landlord or council.

The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund is a grant making organisation which aims to transform lives and build sustainable communities across the UK by funding a wide range of good causes within their core funding themes: Heritage & Conservation, Education, Health & Wellbeing, Social Inclusion, Environment and Countryside. The Major Grants Programme will award grants of over £5,000 to not-for-profit organisations. Organisations can apply for major grants by invitation only.

The welfare grants programme primarily provides grants for essential personal and household needs to assist families and individuals with low incomes, particularly those living on benefits.  In addition funding is available for disability aids that will benefit the applicant in the home and to provide recuperative holidays for women who are resident in greater London.

Friends of the elderly provide support for older people affected by loneliness and grants for those living on a low income. Through the Grants for Older People programme they provide grants of up to £400 to older people who are of/over state pension age and have savings of less than £4,000. Funding is currently being provided through four schemes: Home Essentials to help with the cost of replacing everyday items, small home repairs and mobility adaptations; Digital Connection to help older people get online; Financial Support to help with unexpected bills; and Essential Living Costs including clothing, food, medicines and books. Applications must be made via a third-party Referral Agent such as charities, local authority and social services representatives.

The Bernard Sunley Foundation aims to raise the quality of life in England and Wales, particularly for the young, disadvantaged and older people.  Through the Social Welfare funding strand, the Foundation supports veterans, the elderly, ex-offenders and those in prison and schemes that enable people with mental and physical disabilities to live fuller lives in the community.

The Morgan Foundation is a grant making trust that supports charities across North Wales, Merseyside, West Cheshire and North Shropshire. The foundation specialises in supporting organisations helping children and families as well as the elderly, disabled and socially isolated.  Through the Major Grants programme the Foundation makes grants of over £100,000 including awards for capital projects to organisations helping children and families as well as the elderly, disabled and socially isolated.

The Dulverton Trust is an independent grant-making charity that supports UK charities and Charitable incorporated Organisations tackling a range of social issues, protecting the natural world, and preserving heritage crafts.  Through its General Welfare funding strand, the Trust aims to support wide range of activities that benefit disadvantaged people and communities

Hays Travel Foundation was created in 2015. The foundation works with organisations that support people, who for one reason or another need help to achieve their potential. The foundations focus is on the following objectives: Education; Poverty; Health; Art’s and Culture; Sport. Support is provided to registered charities working with young people under the age of 25 in an area where Hays Travel operates.

Armed Forces charities and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to £40,000 for projects and activities supporting serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families.

Localgiving has teamed up with the Postcode Community Trust to provide the Magic Little Grants programme. The fund provides small charities and community groups with grants of £500 for projects that meet either of the following themes: Overcoming barriers to participation in physical activities in creative ways; Increasing social cohesion through developing access to sports and other recreational activities. 

The UK Aid Direct Impact grant programme provides funding for large scale projects designed to bring tangible change to the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people in the developing world, on a large scale. Funding of up to £4 million is available for projects with a duration of 3 - 5 years for medium sized, non-government organisations with an average annual income of less than £10,000,000.

Persimmon Homes Charity Foundation is providing grant funding of up to £1000 to registered charities, clubs, schools and other organisations which have already raised vital funds themselves towards projects to enhance their local community.  The type of projects supported to date have included support for foodbanks; projects within schools; and sports projects; etc.

The Scottish Power Foundation provides support for charities and not for profit organisations across the UK. Funding is available for the following purposes: the advancement of education; the advancement of environmental protection; the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science; the prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those in need by reason of disability or other disadvantage; the advancement of citizenship and community development.

The Henry Smith Charity is one of the largest independent grant making trusts in the UK. The Improving Lives grant programme provides grants to charitable organisations that help people in need when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate, or are simply not available. Funding of between £20,000 and £70,000 per year for a maximum of three years is available to established organisations delivering services directly to beneficiaries. The Henry Smith Charity are looking for services which can demonstrate a track record of success, and evidence the effectiveness of the work.

The Henry Smith Charity is one of the largest independent grant making trusts in the UK. The Strengthening Communities grant programme is designed to support small charitable organisations working at grassroots level and aims to ensure that funding reaches the most disadvantaged areas of the UK. Funding of between £20,000 and £70,000 is available for up to three years to support work that enables: people from across the community to participate in activities which improve connectedness, opportunities and wellbeing; people who are excluded, vulnerable or facing hardship to have access to community-based services that support positive lasting change; a stronger, active, more engaged community. Funding is available for running costs which may include salaries, project costs, and small capital costs needed to support the work.

Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available to schools and not for profit organisations that want to improve childrens health. Funding is provided through themed funding rounds. Funding rounds to date have included access to free drinking water as an alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages such as fizzy drinks, fruit drinks, and sports drinks and holiday food provision to ensure that children do not go hungry during school holidays.

The Warm Homes Fund is a £150million fund administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions (AWS). The fund aims to help make households warmer, healthier and cheaper to heat. Running over 3-years and providing capital funding for the installation of affordable heating solutions in fuel poor households who do not use mains gas as their primary heating fuel. The Fund is open to bids from local authorities, housing associations and their partners and is broadly split in to three categories focusing on urban, rural and health-related solutions. Successful proposals will highlight the number of fuel poor households supported; strategic fit with the Governments Fuel Poverty Strategy; value for money; the benefit created i.e. energy efficiency increases and bill savings; and strength of delivery plans, project management and assurance of delivery.

Stop Hunger is a worldwide Sodexo initiative active in more than 40 countries. Through the initiative, the Sodexo Foundation donate time, skills and money to tackle hunger, support good nutrition and promote life skills in local communities. In the UK and Ireland the Stop Hunger Foundation is a grant giving organisation and its vision is to work with very best charities that exist to tackle hunger and malnutrition; promote healthy lifestyles; and develop life skills such as cooking. Previous grant awards have ranged between £1,500 and £120,000, however first time applicants can only apply for a maximum of £10,000. Organisations who have previously received funding include Fare Share who redistributes surplus food destined for landfill to local charities and community groups across the UK and Focus Ireland who support homeless people in Dublin by providing hot nutritious meals.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) gives one-off or regular grants, and can provide essential household items and disability equipment. For working farmers the RABI could fund relief staff to help in a crisis for example accident, illness, family breakdown, bereavement or animal disease. For retired and/or disabled people RABI can pay towards care home and home-help costs; the Institution also runs two residential homes. The RABI may also be able to help with the cost of funerals or bankruptcy fees, and / or provide an emergency grant to cover the cost of, for example, council tax and utility bill arrears.

The Rhododendron Trust makes grants of £1,000 to £2,000 to registered charities supporting the disadvantaged in the developing world and the UK and to those supporting the arts and wildlife. Smaller Charities are prioritised. In the developing world, the Trust prefers to support charities benefitting people affected by poverty and, for example, disability, age, gender, ethnic status, poor medical, welfare or educational infrastructure. In the UK, support is given to charities working with those disadvantaged by disability or mental illness; prisoners and ex-offenders; drug addiction; homelessness; carers; the elderly; disadvantaged children. Arts and Nature funding is mainly through the National Churches Trust and Fauna and Flora International, however proposals for small theatre and music projects, for the protection of cultural and natural heritage or environmental sustainability are accepted.

The Santander Foundation was created to help disadvantaged people in the UK and people that feel the impacts of financial or digital exclusion.Through the Financial & Digital Empowerment Fund the foundation provides funding to help more people in the UK become digitally and financially empowered. The fund provides support to UK charities to give people the digital confidence, knowledge, and skills to enable then to make better, more informed decisions about money and have access to financial services.

The Chapman Charitable Trust (CCT) is a Grant-giving charity. It concentrates its support in two areas. These are Activity, health and well-being and Culture, the natural environment and heritage. The Trust also makes grants for care, the community and counselling. The Trust mainly support national charities but also support local charities if their beneficiaries or activities are located in North Wales, London or South East England (specifically, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire).

The fund provides £500,000 to support charitable organisations in their response to holiday hunger. Applications are encouraged from organisations delivering projects that offer both short-term interventions to stop holiday hunger and longer term support to help reduce food poverty.

Tesco Community Grants support local projects that benefit children, families, and communities, with a focus on food security, education, and play. Eligible applicants include schools, registered charities, and non-profit organisations. Projects that can apply for funding include breakfast clubs, food-growing areas, and after-school clubs, as well as community-based initiatives like food banks and healthy eating programs. Voting for these projects occurs through Tesco's blue token system in stores, with the charity Groundwork UK administering the funds.

The EDF Customer Support Fund helps those that are vulnerable with electricity or gas bill debts, and can also provide essential white goods such as a fridge or cooker. To be eligible you must be registered with EDF's Priority Services you will also need to have sought independent advice before you apply.

The National Lottery Community Fund has invested £35 million in the Forces in Mind Trust (FIMT), an independent UK-wide Trust. The Trust will invest and spend £35 million over the next 20 years to support the psychological well-being and successful and sustainable transition of veterans and their families into civilian life. FIMT award grants (both reactive and proactive) that aim to improve the transition process for ex-Service personnel and their families.

The Coalfields Community Grants Programme in Wales can award grants from £500 up to £7,000. This programme is for community and voluntary organisations that can demonstrate strongly that a grant will impact positively on people living in the Coalfield communities of Wales.

The Trust makes grants to registered charities, or to hospitals and schools and similar charitable institutions in the areas of Medicine; Education and Welfare. Grants tend to be awarded for capital and fixed term projects.

The Calmcott Trust offers grants to charitable organisations active in the UK, particularly Yorkshire. The Trust supports organisations undertaking projects in the areas of Health; Education; Social welfare; and the arts. Eligible organisations must be based in the UK. Priority is given to organisations operating in Yorkshire.

Independence at Home is a national charity that helps improve independence, comfort, safety, dignity and quality of life for people with long-term illness and disability.  The charity does this by helping towards the cost of adaptations, equipment or other things that are not available from public funds. The type of adaptations and equipment funded in the past include the cost of home adaptations for disability, house repairs and other building work, as well as other special equipment for disability such as stair lifts, special beds, riser-recliner chairs etc. as well as help towards the cost of heating their homes across the winter months. 

Grants are available to individuals via the Gardening with Disabilities Trust in order that they may continue to garden, despite advancing illness, age or disability. In order to apply for a grant, individuals must have a written note from their GP, social worker or occupational therapist, describing their disability. The Trust offers a range of support measures such as; adapting private gardens to meet the special needs of the disabled; making grants towards tools, raised beds, paving and greenhouses; providing help with special gardens in hospitals, centres and schools; distributing information on garden aid and techniques; providing a forum for disabled gardeners by publishing the Garden Club's magazine.

The Pink Ribbon Foundation funds breast cancer charities that support people suffering from breast cancer, in the form of financial assistance, care, advice, emotional and practical support. It also seeks to promote awareness and understanding of breast cancer, primarily by funding research into causes, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Priority will be given to; programmes that work to promote a positive view of breast cancer; applications from Black, Minority and Ethnic (BME) communities; groups who support and encourage volunteers; and organisations dealing with exceptional circumstances.

The Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation makes grants to registered charities that benefit children, through education and/or welfare, or the elderly. The type of activities that the Foundation is likely to fund include: Sensory toys and equipment for children with special needs; items to care for isolated and/or vulnerable elderly people; support of specially adapted equipment to be used by people with physical / mental / communication disabilities; apparatus for children with special needs; items or tangible social activities for Community Centres providing a benefit to many in the local community; and provision of tangible and social interaction activities for the vulnerable and/or isolated.

The Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation will consider applications for community based projects which aim to provide relief of suffering, hardship or poverty, or their direct consequences. The Foundation primarily provides funding towards practical items that directly support those in need including those with disabilities, affected by homelessness, or with serious health issues. Donations usually fund items of "capital expenditure".

The Trust provides financial assistance to registered or exempt charities of all sizes with proven track records whose activities fall within the following three categories. These categories are; care of and services for blind people, and the prevention and cure of blindness; care of people with learning disabilities in a way that provides lifelong commitment, a family environment and the maximum choice of activities and lifestyle; care of and services for people suffering from cancer, and their families. Grants vary in size and depend on a number of factors including the total funding requirement, charity size, purpose, and the amount available for distribution.  The Trustees prefer new or capital projects and only rarely fund running costs.

The main objective of Streetsmart is aimed at helping the homeless to make a better life for themselves, focussing on mental and physical health, employability and sustainable independent living. Grants are given to those who support people through the crucial stages in their progress from vagrant to valued community member. StreetSmart supports a wide range of homeless organisations that operate within the cities in which the campaign runs. Every penny raised in each city is spent only in that city. Homeless charities seeking funding from StreetSmart should submit their application in writing during December. If the project meets their criteria, they will then arrange for a StreetSmart representative to visit the project at some point during January and February and report back to the trustees.

The Mohammad Ibrahim Foundation is a private independent grant making foundation. It makes grants to organisations which aim to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, both now and in the future. Grants are awarded twice a year for works that help transform the UK. The grants range from £500 - £10,000. Extraordinary projects may receive grants up to £50,000. The Foundation is particularly interested in: Community Building, Environment (Scotland only), Strengthening Nonprofits and Supporting Families. The Foundation likes to consider work which others may find hard to fund, perhaps because it breaks new ground, appears too risky, requires core funding, or needs a more unusual form of financial help such as a loan. Applications can be submitted at any time.

The South Square Trust Fund awards grants for general charitable purposes and supports a number of schools and colleges offering courses in the fine, performing and applied arts. The Trustees assist individuals through direct scholarships to a number of Schools. Individual awards can be used to help with paying fees or for living expenses but no assistance is given for the purchase of equipment, private lessons or travel outside of the UK.   Preference is given to students who have been mainly educated in the UK, those looking for third year undergraduate or post graduate funding and individuals attending a course in the UK.

The James Tudor Foundation makes grants, gifts and loans to small to medium sized registered charities within the United Kingdom who have been established for at least two years and that can maximise the effectiveness of its donations. The grants are for charitable purposes across five programme areas: palliative care, medical research, health education, the direct relief of sickness, overseas projects for the relief of sickness and the fulfilment of their charitable objects by other means. The Foundation expects to make donations of up to £1 Million a year. Grants for under £5,000 will be made within one month, grants that exceed £10,000 may take up to four months to process. 

The Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust Grant focuses on projects for the relief of need, particularly those related to youth, old age, welfare and medicine. It is available to Third Sector Organisations throughout the UK, but with a preference for those benefiting the people of Yorkshire. Applications from schools, playgroups, cadet forces, scouts, guides, and churches must be for outreach programmes, and not for maintenance projects. The categories to which monies have been distributed in 2008; all to registered charities were: Social and moral welfare, Medical research, People with disabilities, Children and youth, Cultural and environmental heritage, Medical welfare, Mental health, Hospices and hospitals, Blind people and those who are partially-sighted, Older people and their welfare and Deaf people and those who are hard of hearing or speech impaired. The grant amounts range from £3,000 - £93,000. Applications can be submitted at any time.

The Hedley Foundation wishes to assist and encourage development and change. The main objective is Young people: their education, recreation, support, training, health and welfare. The subsidiary objectives are disabled people and the terminally ill: provision of specialist equipment and support for carers. Most successful grants will be of capital or one-off nature, but the Trustees sometimes agree to help fund the introduction of new and innovative projects with a series of up to 3 annual grants. Few grants exceed £5,000 (the average being £3,000) and most of them go to charities where they can make an impact. Applications can be submitted at any time.

The Holiday Grants for Children programmme by the Henry Smith Charity funds recreational trips and holidays for disadvantaged or disabled children. It supports short holidays, with grants ranging from £500 to £2,750, prioritising organisations in the most deprived areas of the UK. Eligible applicants include schools, youth groups, non-profit organizations, and charities. The focus is on trips that could not happen without the charity's support. Trips can be to countryside or city locations, but must be outside the children’s immediate locality.

The Rayne Foundation offers grants to tackle entrenched social issues through the arts, health, wellbeing, and education. The foundation has a particular focus on connecting communities, building bridges between marginalised groups and mainstream society, and enabling individuals to reach their full potential. The annual grant making programme is in the region of £1.5 million and grants typically fall in the range of £10,000 to £20,000 per annum for up to three years. Funding is available both for capital and revenue expenditure. 

Action Medical Research is a grant giving charity that provides funding for vital medical research in hospitals or research institutions across the UK. The focus is on child health to include problems affecting pregnancy, childbirth, babies, children and young people. A broad spectrum of research is supported with the objective of preventing disease and disability and alleviating physical disability. The emphasis is on clinical research but the research and development of equipment and techniques to improve diagnosis, therapy and assistive technology (including orthoses, prostheses and aids to daily living) can also be funded.

The MS Society has two grant funds available to people with Multiple Sclerosis, and their carers. The Health and Wellbeing Grant fund gives grants to people with MS to pay for things they need as a result of their MS, this includes things such as wheelchairs, riser-recliner chairs and profiling beds. Applicants will also need to provide a letter of support from a health or social care professional and two quotes for the item that is being requested. The Carers Grant fund gives grants to unpaid carers of all ages for a broad range of items and things they can do for leisure or personal development such as gaining new knowledge or skills.

The Tudor Trust is an independent grant-making trust which supports voluntary and community groups working in any part of the UK.  The Trust particularly want to help smaller, community-led organisations which work directly with people who are at the margins of society: organisations which support positive changes in people’s lives and in their communities. The Tudor Trust don't have specific funding programmes designed to advance a particular agenda as they believe that the groups they support are best placed to identify problems and develop solutions.