Every month we compile a list of useful funding opportunities for charities and community groups. Take a look at our list for March.
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UnLtd – Awards for Social Entrepreneurs
Funding and specialist support is available for UK social entrepreneurs to help them develop as social leaders, and to start up or grow their idea for a social venture. UnLtd are committed to providing 50% of their awards to Black, Asian and minority ethnic social entrepreneurs, and/or disabled social entrepreneurs.
The following levels of funding are available:
Starting Up – funding of up to £8,000 for social entrepreneurs with an idea for a venture which has not yet been established, or which has been running for less than a year.
Scaling Up – funding of up to £18,000 to grow an existing social enterprise that has been operating for between one and four years.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 24 March
Berkeley Foundation Resilience Fund
Grants are available to local and grassroots charities across London, Birmingham, and the South of England, to invest in organisational development and build resilience for the future, with a focus on organisations promoting mental health in young people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness and multiple layers of inequality. Maximum value: £90,000.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Friday 28 March
The Fore
Question time with The Fore: Summer 2025 Funding Round. As their next funding round opens, The Fore are hosting an online Q&A on Thursday 27 March, 11am to 12 noon, online.
More info and to register for the Q & A here.
Application deadline: Thursday 3 April
Skinners Company – Arts, Heritage and Communities
Grants are available to charitable organisations for arts, heritage and community projects primarily (but not exclusively) in London and Kent. Grants can be used for projects and capital items. Maximum value: £5,000.
Projects can range from one-off events, through to multi-year projects. Arts and heritage projects include local projects which help communities conserve and restore their landmarks, landscape, traditions and culture.
Performing and visual arts work include projects across the arts – from performance and drama to music and art.
Community projects can be broader, bringing together and supporting local people, but must still include an arts or heritage element.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Friday 28 March
The Happiness Fund
Two grants are available each year to support grassroots, neighbourhood-based community projects in the UK which improve mental health and wellbeing, inclusion, and learning and skills development in local communities. Maximum value: £5,000. Funding is intended to build happy, strong, resilient communities by supporting grassroots, not-for-profit projects that enable sustainable outcomes in: mental health wellbeing and happiness; inclusion; and learning and skills development.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Friday 28 March
London Catalyst – Samaritan Grants
Small grants are available to front line agencies, social work professionals, charitable and community groups, that are working directly with people in need in London and that have the expertise to assess need, offer welfare rights advice and distribute hardship grants on the charity’s behalf. Maximum value: £2,000.
The Samaritan grant money is to assist people in severe need. It can be used to alleviate a crisis, improve circumstances and create opportunities.
Funding food banks and delivery services is not a current priority unless the request is to add or improve the provision of advice, promote health activities, or support new co-produced initiatives. Requests for school, after-school, and holiday activities for young people are not a priority and are rarely funded.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Sunday 30 March
Adamson Trust
Grants for voluntary and community organisations and charities to help with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children (aged 3 to 17 years) with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. Maximum value: Discretionary.
Funding is available for the costs associated with holidays and/or respite breaks. The holiday must be taken by the day preceding the child’s 18th birthday.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Bentley Advancing Life Chances Small Grants Programme
The fund aims to support vulnerable, disadvantaged or under-represented communities in areas where Bentley has a corporate presence by providing small grants to charities working with local people. Maximum value: £500.
The programme’s areas of focus are:
Access
Remove the barriers and improve access to services, education and employability.
Empowerment
Development of the life skills that enable people to be more self-confident, successful and thrive in life.
Quality of Life
Provide support to live a healthier life both physically and mentally.
Better Future
Safeguarding the environment, improving nature-deprived areas, drive improvement to ‘place’ and boosting community spirit.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Children’s Alliance
The funding is intended for not-for-profit organisations across the UK to give children and young people under the age of 18 access to water for learning, developing and playing. Maximum value: £15,000.
The objective of the programme is to give essential life skills and build children’s confidence and resilience, both physically and emotionally through water-based activities.
To be eligible, projects must support children under the age of 18 years to have access to water in the form of swimming lessons, transport to lessons, swimwear and water play equipment.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Groundwork – One Stop Community Partnership Programme
Maximum value: £1,000
Grants are available through a partnership programme to support not-for-profit organisations with local community projects that address social welfare and environmental issues.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Innovation for All Foundation
A small number of grants are available to registered charities to deliver projects which use innovative and creative solutions to benefit local communities in the UK. Maximum value: £30,000 (ranging from £10,000 – £30,000).
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Margaret Dobson Further Education Trust – General Grants
A small number of grants are available to small UK registered charities working to support people with learning disabilities to lead more independent and fulfilled lives through training, particularly practical and educational skills. Maximum value: £5,000.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Matrix Causes Fund
Grants are available to UK charitable organisations promoting access to justice, equality of opportunity or sustainability. Maximum value: £9,000 (£3,000 per year for 3 years, or one-off grants of £5,000). There is particular interest in organisations whose focus is on supporting needs of vulnerable groups, such as: prisoners, asylum seekers, people with mental health difficulties, people (particularly children) with disabilities, and women in refuges.
Funding may only cover identifiable items or activities such as: publications, staff/volunteer training, publicity, events and equipment which can benefit many people in the long-term.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Shaftesbury Young People (SYP) Trust
Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups for projects which improve the lives of young people (aged 11 to 18) in Greater London. Maximum value: £10,000.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Stef & Philips Foundation
Grants are available for organisations across London to support projects and activities that provide support to people living in temporary or emergency accommodation. Maximum value: £2,000.
Funding can be used for a variety of costs and activities, such as: essential items for home or family life; training and education; recreational trips for children; and community projects that promote social inclusion and welfare.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Vinci UK Foundation Grants
Grants are available for innovative projects across the UK and Ireland which tackle one or more of the Foundation’s areas in the fight against social exclusion: access to employment, insertion through housing, inclusive mobility and building better communities. Maximum value: £10,000.
Projects should benefit a wide range of local community groups and have a long lasting impact. Funding can be used for purchasing tangible goods, such as tools, equipment, vehicles, IT, furniture, building works, that are part of a project (development of new/current activities, refurbishment of premises, improvement of marketing tools, etc) whose total cost does not exceed £100,000.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Woodroffe Benton Foundation – Small Grants Programme
Grants are available to smaller UK registered charities for relief of hardship, care for the elderly, environment and conservation. Maximum value: £2,500.
Funding is available, primarily, for the core operating costs of smaller organisations, as the Trustees prefer to contribute to these rather than to a specific project where the funding will be legally ‘restricted’ or to capital expenditure. However, applications in these latter categories are not excluded.
The focus of the March 2025 application round is on projects that allow young people, aged 18–25, to engage with the natural environment in order to increase employability skills and/or to increase physical health or wellbeing, with particular preference given to those who are precluded from engaging with the natural environment due to disability, disadvantage or location.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation – Small Change Big Difference Fund
Grants to support registered charities and good causes in local communities across the UK to alleviate poverty, improve health and save lives. Maximum value: £2,500.
The Foundation can support applications to fund a specific project or items that will have a positive impact to the beneficiaries e.g. sensory toys for children with special needs, social activities for the vulnerable/isolated elderly or training of charity employees to deliver programmes. The Foundation will assist with specific tangible items rather than donating to general funds or expenses.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Monday 31 March
Oak Trust
Grants are available for registered UK charities that are supporting people who are disadvantaged, plus there is assistance for medical and environmental groups. Maximum value: £4,000.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Tuesday 1 April
Peter Harrison Foundation – Active Lives Grant Programme
Grants are available to UK charities to support grassroots sports projects which provide opportunities for self-development for people living in the most disadvantaged areas in the UK who encounter physical, mental, social, or economic barriers. Maximum value: £30,000.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Tuesday 1 April
Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation – Grants for Community Photography
Grants are available to support the provision of participatory projects in the UK which seek to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people under 25. The use of photography must be a core element of the project. Maximum value: £1,500.
The funding is intended to support children and young adults under the age of 25 to take part in organised activities or workshops that allow them hands-on experience of photographic techniques.
Activities must have the ultimate aim of achieving a beneficial therapeutic effect on the children’s or young people’s physical and/or mental health and wellbeing.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Wednesday 2 April
Big Give, Global Make Some Noise and NCVO – Small Charity Week
Big Give, Global’s Make Some Noise and NCVO champion small charities across the UK, and are running a seven-day online match funded campaign.
Small charities are the heartbeat of communities, tackling social challenges and transforming lives with limited resources.
Small Charity Week match funding campaign will help to build the resilience, skills and profile of the small charity sector whilst helping them raise vital, unrestricted funding to further their impact.
More info and apply here.
Applications close: Wednesday 2 April
Woodward Charitable Trust – Children’s Summer Play Scheme
Each year the Trustees of the Woodward Charitable Trust set aside funds (£500-£1000) for summer play schemes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds between the ages of 5-16 years.
Apply here.
Deadline: 12 noon on Friday 4 April
Local Impact Fund – Maximus
Maximus Restart London contract is focused on creating sustainable employment within the Restart London Contract Package Area (CPA). As part of Restart London, the Local Impact Fund is available from Maximus to support the communities they operate in. The fund grants can be linked to employment support, training, social change or community enhancement. Grant size: up to £10,000.
Read the guidance document for more information on the programme.
Click to apply here.
Application deadline: 5pm on Friday 4 April
Mayor’s Community Weekend funding programme
The Mayor’s Community Weekend funding programme launched this month.
Communities and voluntary groups are offered the chance to apply for between £500 and £2,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to run events or activities that celebrate and support building strong community relationships.
The National Lottery Community Fund will fund activities that happen: in Greater London – including the City of London and the 32 London boroughs between Friday 12 September and Sunday 14 September 2025.
Applications will open at 10am on Wednesday 9 April 2025
Application deadline: midday, Wednesday 30 April 2025
Further information can be found at The National Lottery Community Fund website
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Lloyds Bank Foundation are asking for Expressions of Interest for funding in their Local collaborations programme. This programme will support collaborations led by small charities seeking to influence and achieve local or regional change around improving the social security system, improving access to suitable accommodation, and support for asylum seekers and refugees. Collaborations can apply for grants of £100,000 over two years.
This funding cannot be used to fund direct delivery of services and is exclusively to support partnerships to influence locally and regionally.
To make an Expression of interest application please visit here.
Expression of Interest deadline: 5pm on Wednesday 30 April
Focus Foundation
Grants are available for charities or community groups that support one of the following three core pillars: mental health initiatives; socially or economically underprivileged children; and community projects.
The grant application must be for a fully funded project that is tangible and has clear and measurable benefits for its recipients. Maximum value: £10,000 (most grants range from £2,000 – £8,000).
The Foundation is currently closed to new applications but expects to open up again soon, either for the April or the July deadline.
Apply here.
Application deadline: Wednesday 30 April or Thursday 31 July
WCIT Charity
The WCIT Charity funds a wide range of non-profit organisations and aims to strengthen communities using the power of technology.
Apply here.
Deadline: 7 May
The Goldsmiths’ Foundation
This foundation supports organisations that focus on vocational skills and training, working with creativity and social change.
Apply here.
Deadline: 5 May
BlueSpark Foundation
This foundation supports the education and development of children and young people by providing grants for educational, cultural, sporting and other projects.
Read more and apply here.
Deadline: ongoing
Cash for Kids Grants
Grants between £1,000 and £3,000 to support children and young people that have a genuine need, are disadvantaged due to poverty, the increase in the cost of living and face food insecurity.
Apply here.
No Deadline.
Hackney Giving
Match My Project is an initiative that connects local businesses to provide resources for community organisations that need them. Find out more.
Deadline: ongoing
Percy Bilton
Percy Bilton provides grants towards furnishings and equipment for charities assisting disadvantaged youth, disabled people, people with mental health problems and older people. Only registered charities in the U.K. whose primary objectives are to assist one or more of the following groups:
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Disadvantaged/underprivileged young people (under 25 years of age)
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People with disabilities (physical or learning disabilities) or mental health problems
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Older people (aged over 60)
Type of grants offered:
Large grants – one off payments for capital expenditure of approximately £2,000 and over (the majority of grants fall within the range of £2,000 to £5,000)
Preference is given to specific items of furniture and equipment (excluding office items) which the Charity can fund in their entirety.
When to apply: Applications may be submitted at any time and will be considered at the next appropriate Board meeting. Applications for Small Grants are considered monthly.
More info here.
Apply here.
Deadline: Ongoing.
City and Guilds Local Community Skills Fund
The Local Community Skills Fund aims to support a wide range of initiatives that will make a positive impact on communities across the UK.
One key focus is to fund innovative local and community-led projects that may not be eligible for traditional funding sources, including anything from setting up a community garden to running a digital skills workshop.
The fund also seeks to help disadvantaged people develop the skills they need to find employment by providing training and support.
Expressions of Interest are currently closed but this is a rolling programme so please sign up for further details.
Deadline: monthly (rolling) the community grants programme is open year-round and submissions will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
