Camden Giving

Camden Giving is an independent charity founded in 2017, dedicated to ending poverty and inequality in the London Borough of Camden by empowering residents with lived experience to lead solutions. As a pioneering participatory funder, it centres community voices through hundreds of diverse panellists—reflecting youth, racialised groups, and disabled people—who shape decisions, receive training and payment, and drive systemic change. Core values of participation, equity, racial justice, accessible funding, and inclusive networks distinguish it, with 70-80% of grants supporting racialised community-led projects addressing life expectancy gaps, child poverty, and social divides.

It prioritises under-represented leaders, youth opportunities (especially 16-25s), food insecurity, equality for disadvantaged groups (women, people of colour, disabled people, care leavers, families), and neighbourhood cohesion. Key programmes include the We Make Camden Kit (seed/growth grants), Equality Fund (unrestricted for systemic barriers), Youth Futures Fund, HS2/KX Funds (infrastructure impacts), and Inclusive Grants (disability access). Funding supports youth clubs, food banks, mental health initiatives, ethnic minority advocacy, and community forums via project, seed, growth, and unrestricted grants.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, Camden-based community groups, or schools with preference for small organisations under £250,000 income, serving Camden residents exclusively—no religious restrictions. Typical grants range £2,000-£10,000. Applications via online form on a rolling basis (e.g., We Make Camden Kit reviewed biweekly by resident panels, decisions in two weeks) or rounds (Equality Fund next in 2025); pre-apply via email or drop-ins advised. Excludes capital projects and emergency relief, uniquely refusing non-Camden work to maximise local impact.