Grant Directories

The Benefact Trust (formerly known as the All Churches Trust) offers grants to Christian charities and organisations across the United Kingdom and Ireland that aim to help communities thrive and tackle social issues such as helping vulnerable families, homelessness and poverty to climate change and cultural cohesion. Through the General Grants Programme the Trust supports the repair, restoration, protection and improvement of churches, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship where changes support wider community use and enable greater impact.

The Milton Keynes Community Foundation 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 Community Grants programme the foundation provides funding of up to £10,000 to  organisations looking to address new, emerging, and/or unmet needs, those working collaboratively or in partnership, and/or those working to improve the efficiency and capacity of the local voluntary sector.

The Nationwide Foundation aims to increase the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the places where they are most needed.  Through the Community-led housing  programme, the Foundation will support communities to build new homes, create homes from empty properties, protect existing decent, affordable homes and provide homes of all types of tenure.

Funding is available to help communities develop Neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood plans can be used in determining planning applications, and ‘neighbourhood development orders' that grant planning permission; and vote them into force in a referendum. Through the programme neighbourhood planning groups will be able to apply for grant of up to £10,000 to pay for events to engage the local community, print leaflets and to pay for specialist planning expertise. In addition groups facing complex issues can apply for additional funding of £8,000 bringing the total to £18,000.  Groups wishing to bring forward Affordable Housing for Sale may be eligible for further grant funding of up to £10,000 to help develop these ideas. In addition, groups wishing to develop a Neighbourhood Development Order for housing may apply for technical support and a project support grant of up to £50,000.

The Quaker Housing Trust supports social housing projects that would find it difficult to find funding elsewhere. The trust supports registered charities and small organisations that are meeting local housing needs for people of any age who are vulnerable and in housing need. The projects are mainly small and generally volunteer-led, often with support from local Quakers. Trustees are particularly interested in housing projects that meet the needs of individuals who are vulnerable at points of transition in their lives. Four specific grants are available: Health Check Service Grant; Feasibility Study Grant; Environmental Assessment Grant; Dissemination of Good Practice Grant. See funder's website for further details.

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".

Community Foundations support community and voluntary sector activity through grants to local groups and organisations. There are 48 Community Foundations of different sizes within the UK. Although all Community Foundations operate according to common criteria, they vary in terms of size and nature of grants available. Some Community Foundations will fund both organisations and individuals whilst other foundations will only fund organisations. Each community foundation covers a specific geographic area and will not normally be able to support work outside its area.