Cornwall Community Foundation
Could Cornwall Community Foundation fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.
- Typical grants
- £500 – £10,000
- Where they fund
- Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall
- Applications
- Accepted
- How to apply
- Online form
Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.
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cornwallcommunityfoundation.comAbout Cornwall Community Foundation
Cornwall Community Foundation, established in 2003, is the community foundation for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Its mission is to combat poverty, social isolation, and deprivation by fostering resilient communities and supporting grassroots organisations. The foundation takes a hyperlocal approach grounded in deep knowledge of Cornish challenges. It focuses on preventing homelessness and rough sleeping, building financial resilience, and addressing mental health, disability, and the needs of elderly and young people. Through flexible grants, it empowers local groups working at the heart of their communities.
What Cornwall Community Foundation funds
The foundation funds activities that prevent homelessness and rough sleeping, including support for people at risk and targeted services for those with multiple vulnerabilities. It also invests in building skills and confidence to reduce future financial hardship. Core costs and project delivery are supported, while capital works are not. Working across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the foundation prioritises causes such as mental health, disability, elderly support, and youth work. Its grants aim to move beyond short-term crisis support, fostering resilience and empowerment.
Who can apply
Registered charities, community interest companies, community groups, and faith groups based in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly can apply for most funds. Individuals can also apply through a separate small grants programme. The foundation prioritises small, volunteer-led grassroots organisations with strong local roots. There are no strict income thresholds, and groups must benefit people within the local area. Beneficiaries include homeless individuals, people facing financial hardship, and the wider community.
What Cornwall Community Foundation doesn't fund
The foundation does not fund capital works, endowment contributions, deficit funding, loan repayments, or grant-making intermediaries. Retrospective grants, regional offices of national bodies without local accounts, and projects that promote political causes or influence religious choices are excluded. Groups whose beneficiaries are not people are also ineligible.
How they like to fund
Grants are typically one-off (multi-year funding is not offered). Core costs and project delivery costs are both eligible. The foundation welcomes unsolicited applications and operates several themed funds with different priorities. Its hyperlocal approach means grants are tailored to the specific needs of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, drawing on local knowledge and donor partnerships.
How much does Cornwall Community Foundation give?
Cornwall Community Foundation runs 3 grant programmes. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.
Last verified 8 August 2026 · 35 sourced facts
- Single-year grants
- Single-year grants
Those are the published figures. What your charity could realistically get — and whether you'd clear their rules on income, location and legal structure — is what the free fit check answers.
What Cornwall Community Foundation funds — and what they won't
The fund aims to move beyond short-term crisis support by investing in activities that build skills, confidence and resilience, reducing the likelihood of future financial hardship.
The full exclusions list (7)
- Contributions to an endowment, payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans
- Grant making organisations or bodies who fundraise or distribute grants on behalf of other organisations
- Retrospective grants
- Regional offices of national bodies that do not have their own local accounts and management committee and benefit local people
- Groups whose beneficiaries are not people
- Projects intended to influence people’s religious choices or to promote a particular belief system.
- The promotion of political causes
Good to know
How to apply to Cornwall Community Foundation
Cornwall Community Foundation takes applications via online form.
- Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.
How it works
- 1Describe your project. Once — used for this funder and others.
- 2See if this could be a fit. Honest check on cause, place, size, and rules.
- 3Draft if yes. From your real data — or move on if not.
See if Cornwall Community Foundation could be a fit. Draft if yes.
Frequently asked questions
How much funding does Cornwall Community Foundation provide?
Cornwall Community Foundation runs 3 grant programmes — Single Homeless and Rough Sleeping Fund: £1,000 – £30,000 · Small Grants (under £5,000): Up to £5,000.
Where does Cornwall Community Foundation fund charities?
Cornwall Community Foundation funds charities operating in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall.
Does Cornwall Community Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Cornwall Community Foundation accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.
What does Cornwall Community Foundation not fund?
Their published exclusions include: Contributions to an endowment, payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans; Grant making organisations or bodies who fundraise or distribute grants on behalf of other organisations; Retrospective grants; Regional offices of national bodies that do not have their own local accounts and management committee and benefit local people; Groups whose beneficiaries are not people. The full exclusions list is further up this page.
How do I apply for funding from Cornwall Community Foundation?
Cornwall Community Foundation takes applications via online form. Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.
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Could Cornwall Community Foundation be a fit?
Check free. Draft if yes, or shortlist better matches.