Grant Directories

The Warburton Foundation funds local projects that help strengthen communities across England, Scotland, and Wales by making grants to support relevant charitable or community organisations that make a difference within their local area. Through the Community Grants scheme, the Foundation provides grants of up to £400 for projects that have a direct and tangible social impact on families and solve significant social issues in local communities. The scheme will support various activities that improve health, place, and skills for families in their community. Funding is administered by the Charities Aid Foundation and can be used to cover specific costs that will benefit the cause (eg. buying equipment to support an employability project).

Foundation Scotland 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 Foresight Kinegar Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (Cockburnspath) the foundation provides grants of up to £5,000 to community organisations providing activities that: Enhance quality of life for local residents; Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities; Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.

Foundation Scotland 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 EDF Renewables Longpark Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (Scottish Borders) the foundation provides grants of up to £12,000 to community organisations providing activities that: Enhance quality of life for local residents; Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities; Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.

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.

Food for Life Get Togethers are part of a bigger movement, led by the Soil Association, to make good food the easy choice for everyone. The  Food for Life Get Together initiative aims to get more people eating healthily, strengthen communities and reduce experience of loneliness and social isolation. Grants of up to £150 are available for ideas that use good food to connect and bring together people of all ages and from different backgrounds.

Alcohol Change UK is a charity that is dedicated to funding work that improves understanding of what causes excessive drinking, how it can be prevented and the best ways of tackling the problems it causes. Through the New Horizons programme the charity aims to explore how people’s experience of alcohol harm is affected by their membership of, identification with, or exclusion from groups and communities, and how constructions of meaning within a community may promote or prevent alcohol harm amongst its members. The charity welcome proposals that address any aspects of alcohol use, harm and treatment services, and how these relate to groups, communities and meaning.

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 aims to fund work benefitting people affected by mental health problems – lessening their isolation and feelings of stigma, improving wellbeing and promoting recovery, and enabling people to feel included in their local communities. The Foundation funds organisations that provide general services and activities to people with mental health conditions; as well as groups working with people affected by specific or particular issues – such as bipolar disorder, or depression, or self-harm, or eating disorders for example.

Grants totalling £250,000 per year are available to registered charities in the UK for projects with a social welfare focus and those working with disadvantaged people. The Directors are particularly interested in supporting the following areas of charitable work: Medical research; care of the elderly; general welfare; hospices; the deaf and blind; care of the physically & mentally disabled; and the Armed Forces.

The Hodge Foundation provides grants of up to £100,000 to UK registered or exempt charities such as special needs schools and universities for projects that address the objectives of the Foundation.  This includes supporting charities working with people who may be vulnerable or disadvantaged and who need assistance to improve their lives;  education and learning, both within formal school settings and practical approaches to learning which support young people to fulfill their potential and thrive including those with special needs; medical related charities specialising in the treatment and support for specific illnesses and research; and providing funds towards projects such as facilities in church buildings and inclusive activities for the wider community.

The Prince's Countryside Fund gives grants to projects that have a positive impact upon rural areas. The Rural Four – Catalyst, collaborate, create and champion grant programme aims to: Reinvigorate community networks by assisting with rebuilding community assets; Improve the health and well-being of 200 socially isolated people through providing access to improved community assets and a network of support; Create a lasting legacy of support and community spirit in the areas where support is provided. The programme will support up to 10 rural communities a year with funding of up to £25,000

The objectives of The Edgar E Lawley Foundation are for general charitable purposes with particular reference to medicine, the needs of elderly persons, and to educational purposes with reference to the arts, commerce and industry. Traditionally the Foundation has given particular assistance to charities in the West Midlands area. The current annual grants programme amounts to approximately £200,000 per annum with a typical grant being in the region of £2,000 per successful applicant. 

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 Sport England Small Grants Programme focuses on using sport and physical activity to bring communities together and tackle inequalities. Projects eligible for funding can include activities that enhance physical health, promote community cohesion, and reduce social disparities. The programme aims to make physical activity accessible to diverse groups, especially those who face barriers to participation.

Reaching Communities provide grants to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need, including hard to reach communities. There is a small revenue and a capital scheme and a larger buildings only fund. All projects must address one or more of the following outcomes. People have better chances in life, with better access to training and development to improve their life skills;  Stronger communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems;  Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy; and Healthier and more active people and communities.

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.

Heart Research UK (HRUK) provide grants of up to either £5,000 or £10,000 to new, original and innovative projects that actively promote Heart Health and help to prevent, or reduce, the risk of heart disease in specific groups or communities. Funding is only available for non- profit making organisations and can pay for equipment, travel costs, contributions to staff salaries or consultant fees. In the past grants have been awarded to fund cooking sessions, theatre workshops, multi-sport activities, classroom based learning, circus skills, and tandem biking, etc.