Grant Directories

Established by the Scottish Government, the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is a capital fund designed to help support projects that will deliver nature restoration, safeguard wildlife, and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss due to climate change.

The Scottish Building Society Foundation funds local projects that help strengthen communities across Scotland by making grants to support relevant charitable or community organisations, which make a difference within their local area. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for initiatives that help to ensure future sustainability for vulnerable individuals and communities. The Foundation particularly welcomes applications that support community facilities, transport, open spaces, affordable housing, community development, poverty reduction, care for the elderly, events, youth education, and support for vulnerable people. The funding can be used to support costs such as equipment, running costs, staff or sessional workers, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and capital costs to purchase or develop community assets. The funding is provided in partnership with Foundation Scotland.

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 International Tree Foundation (ITF) was founded in Kenya in 1924 as ‘Watu wa Miti’ (People of the Trees), by Richard St Barbe Baker and 50 volunteers. ITF’s mission is to plant, protect and promote trees in partnership with local communities. The UK Community Tree Planting Programme aims to support community projects that will: Create and conserve indigenous trees and woodlands, forests, habitats and associated biodiversity; Foster community engagement in tree planting to promote reforestation and to increase awareness of the importance of trees and forests to environmental and human well-being; Encourage social cohesion and inclusion.

Rewilding Britain's Challenge Fund offers £100,000 yearly for rewilding projects in England, Scotland and Wales. The fund supports initiatives aimed at restoring natural woodland and habitats and promoting the benefits of rewilding to communities and biodiversity. The fund supports innovative projects that have potential for upscaling rewilding efforts.

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.

Sea Changers is a UK charity, through the Innovation Fund Sea Changers provides up to £30,000 of funding to support ideas that are new and/or experimental solutions in the field of marine conservation. This includes any innovation that may: Address the root causes of marine conservation threats and challenges in the UK; Prevent or reduce negative impacts on UK coastal and marine environments and/or species;  Add to the body of knowledge about marine conservation threats and challenges in the UK and ways to overcome them.

The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF) 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. Through the Small Grants Programme, the PWCF will award grants of up to £5,000 to not-for-profit organisations with an income of up to £1 million. The average award is £1,500. Priority will be given to organisations of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron. Applications can be made at any time and will be considered by the Small Grant committee at their quarterly meetings.

The HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust was originally created by the late Sir David Wills MBE. The Trust is an independent grant-making charity that supports general, environmental and wildlife charities. Through the Martin Wills Wildlife Maintenance grant programme the charity provides grants of between £1,000 and £2,000 to support the conservation and maintenance for the benefit of the public of the natural environment and its indigenous woodland flora and fauna with particular reference to the conservation and maintenance of the character and amenity of rural areas.

Sea Changers is a UK charity that aims to provide grants of up to £500 to UK based, marine conservation charities and not for profit organisations. The projects funded will achieve one or more of the following objectives: To address the root causes of marine conservation threats and challenges in the UK; To prevent or reduce negative impacts on UK coastal and marine environments and / or species; To add to the body of knowledge about marine conservation threats and challenges in the UK. Sea-Changers is particularly interested in supporting grassroots projects which galvanise community action and in projects which increase the number of people taking action for marine conservation.  

The John Spedan Lewis Foundation supports UK registered charities with natural history, wildlife conservation, entomology, ornithology and horticulture among their stated charitable aims. The Foundation awards small grants at their bi-annual meetings.

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 Ernest Cook Trust is an educational charity who aim to help the nation better understand the environment. The Outdoor Learning Officer Grant programme will provide funding of up to £15,000 per year (estimated as 50% of a full time salary) to charities and non-profit organisations that want to employ learning officers/outdoor educators who can: encourage others to create deep lasting connections with the natural environment; Engage people to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature; Educate communities; Enable society to understand the damaging effects of activities that harm the environment; Extend participation to hard to reach groups; Embed an understanding of environmental issues and promote sustainable behaviour.

Grants of up to £200,000 are available from the National Grid to help reduce the visual impact of high voltage power lines in the 30 Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB’s) and the National Parks.  The funding can be used to reducing the visual impact at public viewpoints through localised tree planting; gapping up and/or changes in management of hedgerows or other field boundaries; changes to trails, cyclepaths, footpaths, riding routes or other access routes;  and enhancing landscape around pylons, transmission lines and substations through enhance biodiversity by improved management of existing habitats or by creation or restoration of habitats.

Established in 2010 by Glasgow Airport, the FlightPath Fund was set up with the sole intention of providing financial support to charities and community groups committed to improving the facilities and services available to local people affected by the airports operation. Since launching, the total sum granted to 750 projects and activities has amounted to over £1,700,000. Investment is focused in three key areas: Employment – breaking down barriers to employment through skills development; Environment – protecting and enhancing the natural environment; Education – social and educational projects that bring positive benefits to the local community.

The Edinburgh Airport Community Board provides a total of £140,000 a year of funding for projects which clearly benefit people in the communities around the airport. Projects are supported in the following areas: Sport, health and wellbeing; Environment – including biodiversity, wildlife and conservation management, the reduction of the carbon footprint of schools, community buildings and organisations; Education – this should not be a replacement for education authority funding; Community - projects which fall outside mainstream local or Scottish government service delivery, but which clearly benefit people in the communities around the airport. Schemes which demonstrate opportunities for social enterprising to allow an organisation or charity to become self-sufficient or fund other improvements are encouraged

The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme promotes land management practices that protect and enhance Scotland's natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change. The scheme will also help to improve public access and preserve historic sites. The funding will help to: support appropriate management for vulnerable and iconic species and habitats; contribute to climate change targets by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and securing carbon stores in peatlands and other organic soils; meet obligations to improve water quality under the EU Water Framework Directive by reducing diffuse pollution; control flooding through natural flood risk management; support organic farming; preserve the historic environment; improve public access.

The Veolia Environmental Trust is a Distributive Environmental Body that awards grants as part of the Landfill Communities Fund. Constituted, not-for-profit groups within the vicinity of a qualifying Veolia site, can apply for grants for projects that support the natural, social and built environment. The type of activities that can be supported include Community buildings and rooms: such as community centres, village halls, community spaces within religious buildings, Scout/Guide buildings; Outdoor Spaces: e.g. public parks, nature reserves, community gardens, footpaths, or cycle-paths; Play and recreation: e.g. play areas, skate-parks, sports facilities.The maximum grant is £75,000 for projects with a total cost of under £250,000.

The Scotmid Co-operative is offering small grants to assist and support community projects and initiatives throughout Scotland. Funding is concentrated on the areas of Children/Youth; Health & Wellbeing; Fair Trade; Social Inclusion; Arts & Culture; Environment; 65+ Groups (age); Active Lifestyles; Community Group; Co-operative.To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a group or individual acting for the wider benefit of the local Community; and live within the geographic boundaries of one of Scotmid Regional Committees.

Tesco Stronger Starts programme supports thousands of schools and  local community projects across the UK, helping to fight holiday hunger, tackle mental health, support young people, host community events and much more. The scheme has supported over 40,000 community groups with more than £90 million in grants. Tesco Community Grants is open to charities and community organisations to apply for a grant of up to £1,500. Every three months, three local good causes are selected to be in the blue token customer vote in Tesco stores throughout the UK.

Action Earth programme in Scotland empowers people to take action and improve their local environment through volunteering. Supported by Scottish Natural Heritage, any group of volunteers can apply for Action Earth grants of between £50-250 to run environmental activities in Scotland’s green spaces. This could include creating or improving wildflower meadows, ponds, woodlands or community gardens. Local Nature Reserve grants of up to £500 are also available for volunteer activities taking place on Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) such as wildlife recording or protecting and enhancing biodiversity.

The Woodland Trust has free tree packs to give away to schools, community and youth groups. The free tree packs are available for planting on one publicly accessible site. Packs will be awarded on a first come first serve basis. All applicants need to do is find a suitable site and supply the volunteer planters and tree protection. Tree packs for schools and communities offer the perfect opportunity to bring people together to plant trees - encouraging local wildlife, protecting our landscape against tree disease and creating beautiful wooded areas that people can enjoy for years to come.

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 People's Trust for Endangered Species UK Mammals grant provides funding for voluntary conservation organisations, scientific researchers, individuals and consortia for work that relates to the conservation of mammals in the British Isles and Eire. Individual awards of £10,000 to £20,000 can be provided for a range of work including scientific research, practical habitat management, reintroduction and monitoring programmes and educational projects. Key research themes are: Monitoring mammals - better methods for estimating distribution and abundance; Habitats for mammals - assessing habitat suitability and connectivity, improving and restoring habitats; Human impacts and mitigation - climate change, roads and other infrastructure, toxic chemicals and pollution, habitat fragmentation, modification and loss.

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 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.

Grants are available to support projects that increase the understanding and appreciation, particularly among young people, of the environmental, social, and economic potential of trees, woodlands and forests and of the link between the tree and everyday wood products. Eligible project costs include hire of people, for example, supply teachers, advice, training hire or purchase of materials, machinery or services and paying for printing and publicity for projects. There is also a special grant for development work. Only Forest Education Initiative Cluster Groups are eligible to apply.

The Foundation is a UK based charity who's main remit is to offer Rufford Small Grants for nature conservation projects in the developing world. The Rufford Small Grants Foundation supports small scale or pilot projects with a nature/biodiversity conservation focus and has a broad scope of interest, as well as the conservation of particular threatened charismatic species, the protection of which is likely to benefit their natural habitat, it is also interested in those often neglected or less well known species. It is also keen to support projects which go beyond a species specific focus to provide habitat protection at a wider scale.

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.