Arts, Culture & Heritage628+ Funders

Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants & Funding

There are 628 UK funders offering grants for arts, culture & heritage charities, with typical awards from £100 to £1,150,000.

The UK has a rich ecosystem of arts, culture, and heritage funding. Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland provide public funding, while a wide network of trusts and foundations supports independent arts organisations and creative projects. Grants range from core funding for established cultural institutions to small project awards for emerging artists and community arts groups. Heritage funding covers historic buildings, archives, museums, oral history, and intangible cultural heritage. The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Garfield Weston Foundation are major arts funders alongside more specialist trusts. Participatory arts — projects where communities actively create rather than just consume culture — have seen strong funder interest. Many grant-makers value arts projects that deliver social outcomes alongside cultural ones: improving mental health, building community cohesion, or engaging marginalised groups. Rural touring, digital arts, and diversity in cultural leadership are current funding priorities.

Quick Stats

Total Funders
628
Grant Range
£100 - £1,150,000
Open to Applications
54%

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Filters use programme details verified from each funder's own published guidance. Funders we haven't verified yet are listed separately below, never hidden.

Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders

21 of 628 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 102 of 628 funders. 526 not yet verified are listed below; 81 that don't fit were excluded.

Anthem. Music Fund Wales

Matching programme: Atsain Fund

Anthem. Music Fund Wales, established in 2020 by the Welsh Government and Arts Council of Wales, is a pioneering endowment designed to transform acces...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £20,000

CPF Trust

Matching programme: Standard Grants

The CPF Trust is a grant-making charity committed to strengthening UK charities by providing flexible financial support for diverse charitable purpose...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £3,000

D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Large Charity Grants

The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, established in 1972 by Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte—granddaughter of theatrical impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte—honour...

Grant Range
£500 - £6,000

Elmley Foundation

Matching programme: Main Programme

The Elmley Foundation is an independent grantmaking charity rooted in perpetuating the historic tradition of arts, crafts, and design from Madresfield...

Grant Range
Up to £2,000

J G Graves Charitable Trust

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The J G Graves Charitable Trust, founded in 1930 by Sheffield businessman and philanthropist John George Graves, is a legacy-driven funder dedicated t...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

John Ellerman Foundation

Matching programme: Main Grants programme (2025-2030 strategy)

The John Ellerman Foundation, established in 1971 by John Reeves Ellerman with wealth from shipping, brewing, and other industries—acknowledging its h...

Grant Range
Up to £180,000

Margaret Davies Charity

Matching programme: Small Grants Fund

The Margaret Davies Charity, officially The Gwendoline and Margaret Davies Charity, was established by trust deed in 1934 to perpetuate the philanthro...

Grant Range
Up to £10,000

Marsh Christian Trust

Matching programme: Grants Programme

The Marsh Charitable Trust (formerly Marsh Christian Trust), established in 1981 by Brian Marsh OBE, is a UK-based funder dedicated to sustaining smal...

Grant Range
£300 - £2,000

Mohn Westlake Foundation

Matching programme: The Mohn Westlake Arts Engagement Fund

The Mohn Westlake Foundation is a family charitable trust driven by dual missions: enhancing lives of children and young people through expanded acces...

Grant Range
£100,000 - £1,000,000

Oakdale Trust

Matching programme: Grant Applications

The Oakdale Trust is a small, family-run charitable foundation established in 1946 by Brandon Cadbury, rooted in the Cadbury family's philanthropic le...

Grant Range
£250 - £3,000

P H Holt Foundation

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The P H Holt Foundation is a legacy-driven grantmaker rooted in over a century of philanthropy aimed at improving everyday life for Merseyside residen...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £10,000

Postcode Neighbourhood Trust

Matching programme: Postcode Neighbourhood Trust Community Grants

Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, a Scottish-registered charity and company limited by guarantee funded exclusively by People’s Postcode Lottery proceeds,...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Postcode Places Trust

Matching programme: Postcode Places Trust Grant Programme

Postcode Places Trust, a Scottish-registered charity (SC049115), channels funds raised through the People's Postcode Lottery to empower small charitie...

Grant Range
£500 - £25,000

Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Core funding

The Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust embodies a family-founded vision of community wellbeing, prioritizing quality of life enhancements, opport...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Shears Foundation

Matching programme: Small Grants Programme

The Shears Foundation, a family-led charitable foundation established in 1994 by Trevor and Lyn Shears from proceeds of the Go-Ahead transport group f...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £6,000

Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation

Matching programme: Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation Grants

Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation advances educational opportunity for financially needy local city residents through scholarships, bursa...

Grant Range
£50 - £5,000

Simon Gibson Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Simon Gibson Charitable Trust Grant

The Simon Gibson Charitable Trust, established in 1975 by farmer and philanthropist Simon Gibson, embodies a founding mission to provide sustained, pr...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £20,000

Theatre Development Trust

Matching programme: Theatre Development Trust Grants Programme

Theatre Development Trust, the charitable arm of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, advances dramatic and performing arts for public benefi...

Grant Range
Up to £10,000

Triodos Foundation

Matching programme: Triodos Foundation Grant

Triodos Foundation, established in 1996 as an expression of Triodos Bank’s ethos of sustainable, ethical finance, is a UK-registered grant-maker dedic...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Matching programme: Small Grants

Forte Charitable Foundation (formerly Trusthouse Charitable Foundation), established in 1997 from the sale of Trust House Forte plc, is an independent...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £100,000

William Syson Foundation

Matching programme: Small Grants Fund

The William Syson Foundation, established in 2012 by lifelong Scottish arts patron William Syson, advances arts, heritage, and culture exclusively in ...

Grant Range
Up to £5,000
526 funders not yet verified against these filters

We haven't confirmed these funders' programme details yet, so they may or may not fit. Showing the first 10.

Tips for Applying to Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders

Arts and culture funders look for applications that articulate both artistic quality and social impact. Describe the creative excellence of your work — the artistic vision, calibre of practitioners, and cultural significance — alongside the social outcomes it delivers. Avoid reducing arts to a mere tool for social change; instead show how high-quality cultural experiences create transformative engagement. Detail your participatory methods, explaining how communities actively shape creative processes rather than simply attending performances or exhibitions. Demonstrate diversity and inclusion in your programming, governance, and workforce, showing concrete steps you are taking rather than aspirational statements. Present your audience development strategy, particularly how you reach people who do not currently engage with arts and culture, including evidence of barriers and how you address them. If your project involves cultural heritage, articulate its significance using frameworks such as heritage values or cultural asset mapping. Include evidence from previous work — audience feedback, participant testimonials, evaluation reports, or critical reviews — that demonstrates both artistic merit and meaningful engagement. Strong applications show a clear connection between creative ambition and community benefit, with realistic budgets that fairly compensate artists and creative practitioners.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants

What grants are available for arts, culture & heritage charities in the UK?

There are 628+ UK funders offering grants for arts, culture & heritage charities. These range from small community grants under £5,000 to large multi-year funding programmes exceeding £100,000. Use Fundermatcher to find the best match for your organisation.

How much funding can arts, culture & heritage organisations get?

Grant amounts for arts, culture & heritage charities vary widely depending on the funder and project. Typical grants range from £1,000 to over £100,000. Many funders offer multi-year funding for established organisations with a strong track record.

How do I apply for arts, culture & heritage grants?

Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your arts, culture & heritage work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 628+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.

How to Find the Right Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders

1

Describe Your Charity

Tell us what your charity does, who you help, and where you work. Takes 30 seconds.

2

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Our AI ranks all 628 arts, culture & heritage funders by how well they fit your specific work.

3

Write Winning Applications

Our AI assistant helps you draft and refine grant applications tailored to each funder.

Which of These 628 Funders Are Right for You?

Browsing 628 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.

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