Grant Directories

The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation is a grant making foundation that give grants to small and medium sized local organisations in the UK with a demonstrable track record of success working to address local issues in communities of extreme urban deprivation and deprived rural districts. Through the small grants programme the foundation provides funding of between £2,000 and £10,000 to charitable organisations with an income of less than £250,000 for projects that focus on Community Support. Examples of the kind of projects that can be funded include: CommunityServices; CommunityCentres; Alternative Education; Training, mentoring, employment and volunteering opportunities; Youth; Counselling; Family Support Services; Substance Misuse.

The Newby Trust funds local, regional or national charities registered and operating in the UK within the broad categories of education, health and social welfare.  Through the Social Welfare programme the Trust provides grants of up to £10,000 to improve people’s quality of life in disadvantaged communities. 

The Allen Lane Foundation is a grant-making trust with a focus is on funding unpopular causes. The overall aims of the Foundation are to make a lasting difference to people’s lives; reduce isolation, stigma and discrimination; and to encourage or enable unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community.  The Foundation is keen to support work that raises awareness of the issues Gypsy and Traveller communities face, and work to combat hate crime, stigma, discrimination and inequalities, including the lack of appropriate accommodation or other service provision.

The Scottish Government's International Development Small Grants Programme supports the work of small international NGOs in Scotland who might not otherwise be funded through the larger mainstream funding rounds. The Programme was established to help grow the international development sector in Scotland whilst enabling them to help some of the world's most vulnerable communities. Grants of up to £60,000 are made available for Scottish NGOs for capacity building, feasibility studies, and development projects. Eligible projects must contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the alleviation of poverty and economic growth in one of the Scottish Government's seven priority countries. These are: Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Indian states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.

The Alan Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund Grant provides grants to registered charities that focus on: arts and education projects which help young people to achieve their potential, particularly within Southwark, from where proposals are particularly encouraged; support for UK charities which defend civil liberties and human rights; projects in the developing world, especially Africa, which maximise educational and employment opportunities for young people; areas of scientific and medical research on Type 1 diabetes. The funding amount is discretionary and applications can be submitted at any time.

The Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust provides grants of up to £5,000 to promote horticulture; the conservation of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity; the creation, development, preservation and maintenance of gardens (preference will normally, but not exclusively, be given to gardens accessible to the public); and the advancement of horticultural education. The type of activities funded include restoring gardens of historic interest; developing new gardens for public access and enjoyment; and gardeners' training schemes run by appropriate organisations; etc.

JRCT is concerned that the rights of vulnerable and marginalised communities in the UK are being eroded, particularly Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, migrants and refugees. The Trust believe that equality and human rights play a vital role in reducing racism and discrimination for the most vulnerable and in turn benefit the whole of society. The programme aims to grow public support and empathy for the rights of vulnerable racial and ethnic minorities, to hold governments to account and to strengthen the hand of those advocating with and for these communities.

The Irish Youth Foundation is an independent charitable trust which funds innovative grass roots projects run by passionate professionals who want to build a brighter future for children living in adverse and extreme circumstances on the island of Ireland. For many years IYF has been particularly interested in supporting after school and homework clubs and youth empowerment programmes.  

UnLtd is the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in the UK and supports individuals who have their social ventures firmly rooted in delivering positive social change. It operates a unique model by investing directly in individuals and offering a complete package of resources; from awards of funding to ongoing advice, networking and practical support. UnLtd resource community entrepreneurs to start-up; support those with more established social ventures to scale up; and are committed to developing an eco-system of support to make it easier for those who need help to find it. UnLtd offers a number of programmes with varying levels of funding and support. Please refer to the funder's website for details.

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.

Voluntary and community groups, schools, community and town councils and health bodies can apply for grants of between £300 and £20,000 for projects which help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need. Projects must meet at least one of their three aims: bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities; improve the places and spaces that matter to communities; help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage. Funding is available for activities including: putting on events, activities or performances; buying equipment; running training courses; starting a new group; educational toys and games; volunteer's expenses or professional fees; transport costs and refurbishment.

Foundation Scotland (formerly Scottish Community Foundation) is one of the largest funders of the voluntary sector in Scotland and last year was responsible for distributing over £9million on behalf of their donors. The foundation runs a diverse range of funding programmes for organisations across Scotland who work to benefit a range of interests, causes and communities, and they are particularly interested in supporting organisations where a grant will have a significant impact and enable them to achieve their objectives. The Foundation Scotland website enables you to search for grants available in each area of Scotland; funding amounts vary for each programme and start from as little as £250.

The Barrow Cadbury Trust is an independent charitable foundation, committed to supporting vulnerable and marginalised people in society. The Trust promotes social justice through grant making, research, influencing public opinion and policy and supporting local communities.  Their work is divided into three programme areas: Criminal Justice - building evidence of effective interventions, primarily for young adults and women, at all stages of the criminal justice process; Migration - promoting an immigration system that is fair to both migrants and established residents; Economic Justice - supporting effective approaches to reducing economic and social injustice and assisting in building resilient communities. There is a particular focus on projects located in Birmingham and the Black Country.