Community Development704+ Funders

Community Development Grants & Funding

There are 704 UK funders offering grants for community development charities, with typical awards from £100 to £4,500,000.

Community development funding supports the organisations and initiatives that strengthen local areas across the UK. This encompasses community centres, neighbourhood projects, civic participation, social cohesion, and place-based regeneration. Many of the UK's largest funders — including the National Lottery Community Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, and local community foundations — prioritise grassroots organisations that are rooted in and responsive to their communities. Funding is available for both capital projects (building renovations, community spaces, equipment) and revenue work (staffing, activities, outreach). Community development grants often favour a participatory approach, where local residents are involved in identifying needs and designing solutions. Rural communities, post-industrial areas, and urban estates with high deprivation frequently receive targeted support. The trend toward devolution and community ownership of assets has also created new funding streams for community land trusts, community energy projects, and social enterprises.

Quick Stats

Total Funders
704
Grant Range
£100 - £4,500,000
Open to Applications
48%

Community Development Funders

704 funders found

1989 Willan Charitable Trust

Open

The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust, established in 1989 and governed by Willan Trustee Limited, is a UK-based funder dedicated to alleviating social and...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

38 Degrees Trust

38 Degrees Trust, a registered charity and charitable company (number 1139325) established on 13 October 2009 in England and Wales, aims to make the U...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £30,000

64 Trust

The 64 Trust is a grant-making charitable incorporated organisation established in August 2020 (charity number 1190683) and based in Liverpool, Englan...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £36,000

A Z H R Charitable Trust

A Z H R Charitable Trust is a registered UK charity established in 1984, governed by trustees David and Philip Goldberg, with a broad mission to relie...

Grant Range
Contact funder

A. Edmonds and Co. Charitable Foundation 2000

Open

A. Edmonds and Co. Charitable Foundation 2000 is an independent grant-making charity established in 2000 and registered with the Charity Commission fo...

Grant Range
Up to £500,000

Access - The Foundation for Social Investment

Open

Access – The Foundation for Social Investment drives systemic transformation in the social investment market, empowering charities and social enterpri...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Action Together CIO

Open

Action Together CIO, established in 2016 through the merger of Voluntary Action Oldham and Community and Voluntary Action Tameside, serves as the infr...

Grant Range
£500 - £25,000

Active Essex Foundation

Open

Active Essex Foundation is an independent charity established in 2016 to tackle health and social inequalities in Essex, Southend, and Thurrock throug...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Addington Fund

Open

The Addington Fund is an independent UK charity established in 2001 in response to the classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth outbreaks, dedicated t...

Grant Range
Up to £3,000

Adenfirst Limited

Adenfirst Limited is a grant-making charitable company established in 1984 and registered with the Charity Commission in 1985, dedicated to advancing ...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Adnams Community Trust

Open

The Adnams Community Trust, established in 1990 by Adnams PLC—a historic brewery based in Southwold, Suffolk—channels at least 1% of the company's ann...

Grant Range
£100 - £2,500

Aeonian Foundation

Aeonian Foundation is a grant-making charitable incorporated organisation established in December 2021 (charity number 1196957), dedicated to distribu...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £250,000

Aimwell Charitable Trust

The Aimwell Charitable Trust is a grant-making foundation registered in England and Wales (charity number 1039415), established in 1994 to advance gen...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Alan and Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund

The Alan and Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund (ABS), established in 1953 by Lord Alan Sainsbury as the oldest Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust, adva...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £40,000

Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust

Open

The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust, established in May 2019 by the Norwich-based independent insurance broker and risk management group, channels...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Alan Edward Higgs Charity

Open

The Alan Edward Higgs Charity embodies a mission to relieve poverty and foster economic and community development for disadvantaged children, young pe...

Grant Range
From £5,000

Alex Ferry Foundation

The Alex Ferry Foundation, established in late 2018 from a landmark surplus of the 1989 35-Hour Week Fund contributed by over 200,000 UK shipbuilding ...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Alfred Williams Charitable Trust

Open

The Alfred Williams Charitable Trust, established in 1973 by Mr. Alfred Williams and governed by trustees with deep Suffolk connections, is a grant-ma...

Grant Range
Contact funder

AlixPartners (UK) Charitable Foundation

The AlixPartners (UK) Charitable Foundation, established in 2010 by the global consulting firm AlixPartners (charity number 1134913), is a grant-makin...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

All Ways Network

All Ways Network (AWN) is a UK-registered charity and the UK's only cross-sector membership network dedicated to empowering small not-for-profits serv...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Alligator Trust

Open

The Alligator Trust is a discretionary grant-making charity embodying a generalist philosophy of flexible, trustee-led support for diverse charitable ...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Amateurs Trust

The Amateurs Trust is a UK grant-making charity established on 2 July 1999, dedicated to improving health, advancing education, and alleviating hardsh...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £30,000

Amelia Chadwick Trust

The Amelia Chadwick Trust, established in 1960 by Henry Percy Bibby with an initial endowment and subsequent gifts, is a longstanding UK charitable tr...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Ammco Trust

Open

The Ammco Trust is a longstanding grant-making charity dedicated to advancing public benefit by empowering local charities delivering essential servic...

Grant Range
£200 - £2,000

An Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge

Open

An Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge is an independent capital development fund dedicated to empowering Irish language communities through strategic invest...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £250,000

Anand & Sethi Family Charity Trust

The Anand & Sethi Family Charity Trust (charity number 1164307), based in Leicester, UK, is a family-led philanthropic entity governed by members of t...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £20,000

Ancaster Trust

Open

The Ancaster Trust is a longstanding grant-making charity registered in England and Wales, established in 1976 and chaired by Baroness Jane Willoughby...

Grant Range
£100 - £500

Andre Christian Trust

The Andre Christian Trust, established in July 1966 as a UK-registered charity, is a longstanding faith-led philanthropic organisation dedicated to ad...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Andrew Wemyss Charitable Trust

The Andrew Wemyss Charitable Trust is a Scottish grant-making charity based in Newmills, Dunfermline, dedicated to delivering public benefit primarily...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Anna Rosa Forster Charitable Trust

The Anna Rosa Forster Charitable Trust (charity number 1090028) is a long-established, independent grant-making trust based in Ponteland, Newcastle up...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Anthony (Tony) Lane Foundation

Open

The Anthony (Tony) Lane Foundation, established in 2016 from Tony Lane's bequest after his death, is a grant-making charity dedicated to perpetuating ...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Anthony and Gwendoline Wylde Memorial Charity

Open

The Anthony and Gwendoline Wylde Memorial Charity embodies values of local generosity, practical compassion, and community solidarity, memorializing i...

Grant Range
Up to £1,000

Aquila Family Charitable Trust

The Aquila Family Charitable Trust is a UK-based grant-making Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) dedicated to advancing a just and transformed...

Grant Range
£20,000 - £100,000

Architectural Heritage Fund

Open

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), a UK-registered charity founded in 1976, champions the conservation and sustainable reuse of historic buildings...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £100,000

Arnold Lee Charitable Trust

The Arnold Lee Charitable Trust is a long-established generalist grant-making charity registered in England and Wales since 1972, administered by a sm...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £20,000

Article 11 Trust

The Article 11 Trust, founded in 2020 by members of UK protest rights groups like Netpol, is a specialist charitable organisation dedicated to defendi...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £25,000

Arts Council England

Open

Arts Council England is the national development agency championing arts, museums, and libraries, rooted in a post-war vision to advance creativity fo...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £30,000

Asda Foundation

Open

The Asda Foundation, an independent charity established in 1988 and funded by Asda Stores, empowers small grassroots community groups across the UK to...

Grant Range
£500 - £25,000

Ashkelon Foundation

The Ashkelon Foundation, established in 1989 and chaired by public figures like former mayor Eli Dayan, is an independent Israeli philanthropy dedicat...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Ashley Family Foundation

Open

The Ashley Family Foundation, established in 1986 by Sir Bernard and Laura Ashley, embodies a mission to harness creative enterprise for community ben...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

Astor Community Arts Trust Ltd

Astor Community Arts Trust Ltd, a registered UK charity and company limited by guarantee established in 1998, sustains the historic Astor Theatre in D...

Grant Range
From £3,000

Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust

Open

The Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust champions safer, cohesive communities by preventing crime, reducing anti-social behaviour, and educating ...

Grant Range
£500 - £1,000

Aylesford Family Charitable Trust

The Aylesford Family Charitable Trust, registered charity number 328299, is a private family-led philanthropic entity governed by the Aylesford family...

Grant Range
£250 - £3,000

Backstage Trust

Open

Backstage Trust is an independent grant-making trust established in 2012 with a mission to champion live performing arts and music, enabling them to f...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £50,000

Bala Lake Railway Trust

The Bala Lake Railway Trust, founded in 2013 by railway heritage enthusiasts including Chairman Julian Birley, is a UK charity dedicated to advancing ...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £4,500,000

Ballinger Charitable Trust

Open

The Ballinger Charitable Trust, founded in 1994 by the Ballinger family with deep personal ties to North East England, supports UK-registered charitie...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £20,000

Barbara and Derek Calrow Charitable Foundation

The Barbara and Derek Calrow Charitable Foundation, a grant-making charitable incorporated organisation established in June 2018 by philanthropists Ro...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

Barking and Dagenham Giving

Open

Barking and Dagenham Giving is a place-based funder dedicated to tackling deprivation, inequality, and limited opportunity in one of England's most di...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £10,000

Barratt Family Charitable Trust

The Barratt Family Charitable Trust, established on 12 April 2001 as a registered grant-making charity in England, is a family-led philanthropic entit...

Grant Range
£500 - £2,500

Bathgate Charitable Trust

Bathgate Charitable Trust, established by trust deed on 1 June 1979, is a longstanding regional funder dedicated to enabling UK charities in Merseysid...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Showing 50 of 704 community development funders

Tips for Applying to Community Development Funders

Community development funders want to see that your organisation is genuinely rooted in the area you serve. Demonstrate local knowledge by referencing specific neighbourhood dynamics, community assets, and the relationships you have built over time — not just census data. Describe a participatory needs assessment process: how did residents themselves identify the issues your project addresses, and how will they continue to shape delivery? Partnership working is essential in this space, so detail your collaborations with other local organisations, statutory agencies, and community groups, explaining what each partner brings and how you avoid duplication. Address sustainability explicitly — funders need confidence that your work will continue beyond the grant period through community ownership, income generation, volunteer capacity, or integration into local infrastructure. Include community asset mapping that shows you understand what already exists and how your project builds on strengths rather than starting from scratch. Strong applications demonstrate that the community drives the agenda rather than the organisation imposing solutions. Show how you reach residents who are typically excluded from community engagement processes, and explain your approach to building social capital and civic participation alongside delivering specific project activities.

Frequently Asked Questions about Community Development Grants

What grants are available for community development charities in the UK?

There are 704+ UK funders offering grants for community development 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 community development organisations get?

Grant amounts for community development 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 community development grants?

Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your community development work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 704+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.

How to Find the Right Community Development Funders

1

Describe Your Charity

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

2

Get Matched Instantly

Our AI ranks all 704 community development 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 704 Funders Are Right for You?

Browsing 704 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.

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