Community development

Question:
Community development
Answer:

Aviva Foundation – Financial Futures and Communities Funds

The Financial Futures Fund is for organisations delivering bold, long-term solutions to help people build financial resilience. It is open to larger charities with an income of £1 million or more.

The Communities Fund is a match-funding grant that supports projects and organisations that help people to take control of their financial wellbeing or protect the places they love in a changing climate. It is open to small, local organisations with an annual income of up to £1 million.

Eligibility

Charitable, non-profit organisations and social enterprises that deliver public benefit may apply.

Funding amounts

Under the Financial Futures Fund, the minimum grant is £100,000. There is no upper limit.

Under the Communities Fund, recipients can receive up to £25,000 in match funding per calendar year.

Closing date

The Financial Futures Fund is open for applications twice a year:

  • Round one deadline: 15 April 2026 
  • Round two deadline: 7 October 2026 

Applications for the Communities Fund are accepted throughout the year until the annual cap is reached, at which point the fund will close to applications.

More information

Visit Aviva Foundation for more information on each of the grant programmes.


 AB Charitable Trust Open Programme

The AB Charitable Trust (ABCT) supports work that promotes human dignity and defends the human rights of the most marginalised and excluded people. Organisations can apply under the following priorities:

Eligibility

UK registered charities with annual income between £150,000 and £1.5 million

Funding amount

Open Programme grants are usually between £10,000 to £30,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years.

Closing date

Upcoming closing dates are:

  • 24 April 2026

For information

Please visit the ABCT Open Programme webpage.


 

Leathersellers’ Foundation Small and Main Grants

Grants are available to support the work of registered charities in the UK.

The foundation operates two grant programmes for UK registered charities:

  • Small Grants Programme – one-off grants for small projects.
  • Main Grants Programme – targeted funding rounds, with grants available towards core costs to support charities working within the focus area of the active round.

Eligibility

The Leathersellers’ Foundation accepts applications from UK registered charities.

Funding amount

Small Grants Programme grants of up to £5,000.

Main Grants Programme unrestricted grant (core costs) of between £20,000 and £25,000 per year for a period of up to four years.

Closing date

There are 8 application windows throughout the year.

The next Small Grants round will open on 7 April 2026.

The next deadline for Main Grant expressions of interest is 30 April 2026 at 5.00pm.

More information

Visit the The Leathersellers Foundation for more information about each grant programme.


Screwfix Foundation

Screwfix provides grants to UK registered charities and not-for-profit organisations for projects that improve, fix, and repair buildings, homes and facilities specifically used by people in need across the UK.

Screwfix will give priority to projects:

  • Where Screwfix is funding the project in full.
  • That will directly benefit people in need and will have a lasting impact.

Eligibility

Small, local, constituted voluntary and community organisations, including registered charities, with an annual income of less than £25,000 in the last financial year can apply.

Community interest companies (CICs) can apply if they have been in operating for two years with an asset lock.

Closing date

Upcoming applications windows are:

  • 11 February to 10 May for a decision by 30 July.
  • 11 May to 10 August for a decision by 30 September.
  • 11 August to 10 November for a decision by 30 December.

More information

Visit the Screwfix Foundation webpage for more information and to apply.


Canary Wharf Group – Community Grant Programme

Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups for community-based projects which bring benefit to residents of Tower Hamlets.

Funding is intended to support community initiatives which create positive impact in one of the following areas:

  • Education
  • Skills and Employment
  • Wellbeing.

Eligibility

Not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of less than £2 million can apply. 

Funding amount

Grants of £500 to £10,000 are available.

Closing date

There are three funding rounds in 2026. The next deadline is 25 May 2026 at 12.00pm (noon).

More information

Visit the Community Grant Programme - CWG webpage for more information.


The Charles Hayward Foundation Social & Criminal Justice Fund

This fund is for projects which help to prevent people entering the criminal justice system, and which support those in contact with the system to rebuild their lives.

The trustees look for projects which:

  • address multiple and complex needs with a range of appropriate interventions
  • are tailored to individual needs and local situations involving families and communities; these can be designed and delivered in partnership
  • are of appropriate duration and intensity, have a clear rationale, and are properly monitored and evaluated
  • have a plan for the future, including an ‘exit strategy’.

The Foundation is also open to creative and specialist approaches and trialling new solutions.

Eligibility

UK registered charities with annual income between £350,000 and £4,000,000.

Funding amount

The Foundation will support projects over one to three years, with grants of £15,000 – £25,000 per annum.

Closing date

The upcoming deadlines for application are:

  • 22 May 2026
  • 18 September 2026

More information

For full details and to apply, visit the Charles Hayward Foundation website.


Wise Music Foundation

Wise Music supports small organisations in the UK who work with people experiencing hardship, distress and illness in the UK. There is emphasis of initiatives that support children, and people living in poverty and/or homelessness. However, a range of other worthy causes activities are also supported (e.g. education, cultural activities and arts & heritage, overseas famine relief, food banks).

Eligibility

Charitable groups, voluntary and community organisations, and other not-for-profit groups in the UK.

Funding amount

The average grant is £1,500.

Closing date

Upcoming deadlines are:

  • End of May for applications reviewed in June
  • End of August for applications reviewed in September
  • End of November for applications reviewed in December

More information

Visit the Wise Music Foundation webpage for more information.


London City Airport Community Fund

He London City Airport Fund supports charities and not-for-profit organisations that improve quality of life in local communities by:

  • building stronger, safer and healthier communities
  • creating more sustainable and greener communities
  • raising aspirations of East Londoners creating pathways into employment

Eligibility

Voluntary and community organisations based in:

  • Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Epping Forest District Council 
  • Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Lambeth, Lewisham 
  • Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest 

Funding amount

Between £300 and £3,000

Closing date

Upcoming submission deadlines are:

  • 26 June 2026 (5pm)

More information

For full details and to apply visit the London City Airport Community Fund website.


 

Groundwork – Grassroots Fund

Grants are available to deliver vital services that benefit local communities. 

This fund aims to support flexible, unrestricted grants for small grassroots organisations that are working to make a positive difference in local communities, particularly those working to support marginalised or vulnerable groups.

Priority will be given to organisations that meet the following criteria:

  • Funding is for work in communities that rank as being within the top 15% on the English Indices of Deprivation.
  • Organisations that work with and support communities that are classed as marginalised or vulnerable.

Eligibility

Small, local, constituted voluntary and community organisations, including registered charities, with an annual income of less than £25,000 in the last financial year can apply.

Funding amount

£2,000.

Closing date

30 September 2026.

More information

Visit the Grassroots Grants - Groundwork webpage for more information.


The Garfield Weston Foundation - Projects/Specific activity grant

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a charitable grant-making foundation. Grants can be used for running costs, for a specific activity, or for capital projects. The Foundation is flexible and funds what charities need the most.

Eligibility

UK registered charities and CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations).

Funding amount

£1,000 to several million pounds, depending on the size and scope of the work.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For information

Please visit the Garfield Weston Foundation website.


Marsh Charitable Trust

The Trust provides grants to UK registered charities working in the fields of social welfare, healthcare, arts and heritage, environmental and animal welfare, education and training.

Eligibility

Small registered charities with annual income of less than £25,000.

Funding amount

Grants of between £300 and £2,000 are available.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Visit the Marsh Charitable Trust website for more information and to apply.


Arnold Clark Community Fund

Grants of up to £2,500 are available to UK charities, community and voluntary organisations and CICs whose work directly supports those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

Applications are particularly welcome from smaller voluntary and community organisations who are working with those most affected by and vulnerable to the increased cost of living. 

Eligibility

Registered UK charities and community groups that are within a 50-mile radius of an Arnold Clark branch.

Funding amount

The following grants are available:

  • Community Support grants up to £1,000
  • Cost of living grants up to £2,500

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling monthly basis, but may be paused due to high demand. Because of this, early applications are recommended.

More information

For full details and to apply, visit the Arnold Clark Community Fund page


AB Charitable Trust Open Programme

The AB Charitable Trust (ABCT) supports work that promotes human dignity and defends the human rights of the most marginalised and excluded people. Organisations can apply under the following priorities:

Eligibility

UK registered charities with annual income between £150,000 and £1.5 million

Funding amount

Open Programme grants are usually between £10,000 to £30,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years.

Closing date

Upcoming closing dates are:

  • 24 April 2026

For information

Please visit the ABCT Open Programme webpage.


Matthew Good Foundation – Grants for Good

Grants for Good is funded by the John Good Group and is designed to direct funding only to small and growing local charities, voluntary groups or social enterprises that are making a big impact on communities, people or the environment.

This programme offers unrestricted funds that can be used for any costs, including core running costs.

Eligibility

UK-based local community groups, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises with income under £50,000.Applicants must have a bank account in the organisation’s name.

Funding amount

£15,000 is shared between five shortlisted projects each quarter.

Closing date

Quarterly application windows.

More information

Visit the Grants for Good webpage for more information.


Esmée Fairbairn: Creative, Confident Communities

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. It supports people and organisations who are doing everything they can to bring about the change they want to see.

The Foundation’s grant funding is focussed on work that will deliver long-term impact and create change for the future. This means that it makes longer-term grants to organisations, rather than short-term or small-scale grants.

The Foundation’s  current priorities under “A Fairer Future” are:

  • Communities working together for change
  • Community driven enterprise and regeneration
  • Community-led art and creativity.

Eligibility

Organisations with an annual turnover of more than £100,000.

Funding Amount

Grants valued from £30,000 (no maximum) are available for core or project costs, including staff salaries and overheads. Unrestricted funding for charities is available. The majority of grants are for three to five years.

Closing Date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More Information

Please visit Creative, Confident Communities priorities | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for more information.


 

BA Better World Community Fund (with Crowdfunding)

Grants are available for charities, community benefit societies and social enterprises in the UK who can raise their initial funding through a crowdfunding campaign to support innovative projects that deliver benefits for climate, communities and nature.

The funding is for projects that align with the BA Better World sustainability programme - including community engagement, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing, climate action, and safeguarding biodiversity and nature.

Eligibility

Charities, community benefit societies and social enterprises in the UK.

Funding amount

Match-funding grants of up to £10,000 are available.

Closing date

Applications are accepted in rolling basis,

Applications are currently open for projects meeting the “Planet” category. Applications for projects meeting the “People” category are due to open soon.

More information

For more information, visit the BA Better World Community Fund webpage.


Sanctuary Housing Community Investment Fund

The Community Investment Fund aims to develop successful and sustainable communities in the areas where Sanctuary Housing operates.

The Fund’s current funding priorities are:

  • ‎Employment, education, skills and training‎
  • Health and Wellbeing‎
  • Community safety and Infrastructure‎
  • Environment‎
  • Financial inclusion.

Eligibility

Charities, community groups, residents’ associations and voluntary organisations operating in areas where Sanctuary Housing works are welcome to make an enquiry. Please note, match funding requirements apply.

Closing Date

Enquiries are currently welcome, with no closing date stated.

More Information

Please visit the Sanctuary Housing website for more information.


The Cooks Charity – Elizabeth Fund

The aim of the Elizabeth Fund is to provide small, one-off grants to deserving food-related and/or cooking projects or good causes, which would not otherwise be supported by the Cooks Charity’s normal annual grant-giving.

Eligibility

Qualifying projects are to be connected with the City of London, to include the City Fringe boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and the City of Westminster in some way.

Funding amount

Up to £1,000.

Closing date

N/A

More information

Visit The Elizabeth Fund webpage for more information.


 Shanly Foundation – Core Grants

The Shanly Foundation aims to support causes that help individuals and benefit the local community, including support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the homeless, those with mental health issues and people with physical disabilities, injury or life-limiting illness.

Eligibility

  • Registered charities, CICs, CIOs, and organisations exempt or excepted under Charity Commission guidance.
  • Funding supports core costs and unrestricted activity for groups assisting disabled individuals, the elderly, and disadvantaged communities.
  • Organisations focused on rehabilitation, homelessness, local sports and social clubs, Scouts and Guides, youth outdoor centres

Funding amount

The foundation typically awards core grants ranging from £1,000 to £25,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Shanly Foundation website.


Trust for London

Trust for London, established in 1891, is the largest independent charity focused on poverty and inequality in London.

The Trust funds organisations and projects working towards Social Justice and/or Economic Justice. Click here for details about the priority areas of work that sit under each of these strategic aims.

Trust for London provides both project funding and unrestricted funding.

Eligibility

The Trust funds:

  • Registered Charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLG)
  • Trusts
  • Unincorporated Associations
  • Cooperative Societies
  • Trade unions

£500 Access Payments are available to those requiring accessibility-related support to apply.

Funding amount

Grants range from £40,000 to £80,000 per year, for up to 5 years.

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please read the Trust’s funding guidelines, then visit the Trust for London website.


Morrisons Foundation

The newly established Morrisons Foundation is looking to award approximately £2 million a year for community projects that improve people’s lives. Funding objectives of this fund are:

  • Tackling poverty and social deprivation.
  • Enhancing Community Spaces, facilities and services.
  • Improving Health & wellbeing.

Eligibility

Registered charities with an income of less than £1m .

Funding amount

Grants are available for up to £10,000 for capital spend or direct project delivery

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Morrisons Foundation website.


 The National Lottery Awards for All England

The funding supports new activities, ongoing ones, or organisational adaptations.

Projects must do at least one of these things:

  • bring people together to 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
  • support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish and community council)
  • community benefit societies.

Funding amount

£300 to £20,000 for up to two years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the National Lottery Awards for All England website.


The National Lottery UK Fund

The fund is for organisations wanting to help communities connect better. Organisations  are encouraged to apply for funding for projects that:

  • strengthen relationships between people whose experiences of life have not been the same. For example, relationships between people of different ethnic backgrounds, generations, occupations, or geographies
  • create connections between online and offline worlds
  • help make sure people from all backgrounds can shape the future of their communities.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish, and community council)
  • community benefit societies

Funding amount

This UK-wide funding offers £500,000 to £5 million for projects tackling national issues over 2-10 years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the The UK Fund website.


The National Lottery Reaching Communities England

This funding supports projects and groups improving their community. The National Lottery defines community as people in the same area or with similar interests or experiences.

Projects or organisations applying for funding must do at least one of these things:

  • bring people together to 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.

This fund is flexible and can respond to your community’s needs, therefore the following funding options are available:

  • for the long or short term
  • for a specific activity, or for broader costs to help your organisation or community
  • for one organisation or to bring organisations together
  • to support people, communities, and organisations most affected by the cost-of-living crisis
  • to help organisations address the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on how they work, now and in the future.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish, and community council)
  • community benefit societies.

Funding amount

£20,001 or more, for up to five years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Reaching Communities England website.


The National Lottery Partnerships

This funding is for organisations working together in partnership to help their community. The National Lottery defines community as people in one area or with similar interests or experiences.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish, and community council)
  • community benefit societies.

Funding amount

£20,001 or more, for up to five years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the National Lottery Partnerships Fund website.