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%
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Clear filtersFilters use programme details verified from each funder's own published guidance. Funders we haven't verified yet are listed separately below, never hidden.
Community Development Funders
30 of 704 match your filtersChecked against verified programme data for 152 of 704 funders. 552 not yet verified are listed below; 122 that don't fit were excluded.
Asda Foundation
Matching programme: Local Community Spaces Fund
The Asda Foundation, an independent charity established in 1988 and funded by Asda Stores, empowers small grassroots community groups across the UK to...
Baywind Energy Community Trust
Matching programme: Main Grant Programme
Baywind Energy Community Trust champions community-owned renewable energy and environmental sustainability, rooted in the pioneering ethos of the UK's...
Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation
Matching programme: Carbon Innovation Fund
The Co-operative Community Investment Foundation, known as the Co-op Foundation, is the charitable arm of the Co-operative Group, established in 2002 ...
Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Brighter Futures
The Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust, an independent grant-making charity founded in 1969 by Sir James Colyer-Fergusson, is dedicated to improving li...
Department for Transport
Matching programme: Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG)
The Department for Transport (DfT), a UK ministerial department established in 2002, provides leadership and strategic frameworks for reliable, safe, ...
Duke of Devonshire's Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Duke of Devonshire's Charitable Trust
The Duke of Devonshire's Charitable Trust is a family-led foundation embodying stewardship, heritage responsibility, and community flourishing through...
Ebico Trust for Sustainable Development
Matching programme: Build. with Ebico
The Ebico Trust for Sustainable Development, established in 2008 from funds of Ebico Limited—a not-for-profit energy provider founded in 1998 to comba...
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Matching programme: Grants
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, established in 1961 by Ian Fairbairn in memory of his wife, is one of the UK's largest independent funders, dedicated ...
Football Foundation
Matching programme: Lionesses HERe to Play Fund
The Football Foundation, established in 2000 by the Premier League, The FA, and the UK Government via Sport England, is the UK's largest sports charit...
Forever Manchester
Matching programme: Comic Relief and Sainsbury's Holiday Activity and Food Programme
Forever Manchester is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to empowering grassroots community activity and building resilient neighbourhoods...
Forever Notts
Matching programme: J N Derbyshire Trust
Forever Notts, formerly Nottinghamshire Community Foundation and established in 1997 as an independent registered charity, serves as a vital broker fo...
Geoffrey Watling Charity
Matching programme: General Grant Programme
The Geoffrey Watling Charity embodies entrepreneurial generosity, local pride, and civic friendship, channeling resources to vitalize communities thro...
Herefordshire Community Foundation
Matching programme: Main Grant Programme
Herefordshire Community Foundation (HCF), established in June 2002, is an independent grant-making charity dedicated to promoting charitable purposes ...
Home Office
Matching programme: Community Engagement Fund 2025/26
The Home Office, the United Kingdom's interior ministry established in 1782, serves as the lead government department for public safety, national secu...
Isle of Wight Foundation
Matching programme: Isle of Wight Foundation Grant
The Isle of Wight Foundation, established in 2014 by a consortium of private sector companies including Island Roads, Meridiam, and Vinci Concessions,...
Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust
Matching programme: Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Grants
The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, founded in 1904 by Quaker philanthropist Joseph Rowntree, advances social justice through bold interventions in demo...
Locality (UK)
Matching programme: Cost of living grants
Locality is a national network and registered UK charity founded in 1994 through the merger of two leading community support bodies, dedicated to empo...
London Marathon Charitable Trust Limited
Matching programme: Active Spaces Fund
London Marathon Charitable Trust Limited, operating as the London Marathon Foundation and founded in 1981 by marathon co-founders, champions the life-...
Mobbs Memorial Trust Limited
Matching programme: General Grant Programme
The Mobbs Memorial Trust Limited, established in 1956 by Sir Noel Mobbs using family endowment funds, is a family-governed grantmaker dedicated to pre...
National Lottery Community Fund
Matching programme: National Lottery Awards for All England - Environment
The National Lottery Community Fund, legally the Big Lottery Fund, is the UK's largest community funder, established in 2004 as a non-departmental pub...
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Matching programme: National Lottery Grants for Heritage £10,000–£250,000
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK's largest dedicated heritage funder established in 1994 (with roots in the 1980 National Heritage Memorial ...
Northern Powergrid Foundation
Matching programme: Energy Resilience Grants Programme
Northern Powergrid Foundation champions energy resilience and social equity for communities ravaged by extreme weather, with a mission rooted in preve...
Oxfordshire Community Foundation
Matching programme: Community Capacity
Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), established in 1995, is an independent charity dedicated to improving lives and tackling inequality in Oxfords...
People's Health Trust
Matching programme: Advice for Health
People's Health Trust is a national UK charity established in 2011, funded initially by The Health Lottery, dedicated to challenging health inequaliti...
Peter Sowerby Foundation
Matching programme: Impact in Healthcare Fund (Strand 1)
The Peter Sowerby Foundation, established in 2011 by Dr Peter Sowerby—a rural North Yorkshire GP and co-founder of EMIS—with a substantial endowment, ...
Point North Community Foundation
Matching programme: Northern Cancer Alliance Living with and Beyond Cancer Fund
Point North Community Foundation, formerly County Durham Community Foundation and established in 1995 by Sir Paul Nicholson and David Grant, is an acc...
Real Farming Trust
Matching programme: LEAP (Loans for Enlightened Agriculture Programme)
The Real Farming Trust, a UK charity established in 2009 by Colin Tudge and Ruth West from the Oxford Real Farming Conference, drives the agroecologic...
Sir James Knott Trust
Matching programme: Rolling Grants Programme
The Sir James Knott Trust, established in 1924 by Tyneside shipowner Sir James Knott following the loss of his sons in World War I, is a cornerstone p...
Steel Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Luton Matters Programme
Steel Charitable Trust advances meaningful change through strategic grantmaking to UK charities, rooted in a dual commitment to place-based regenerati...
Summerfield Charitable Trust
Matching programme: General Grant Programme
Summerfield Charitable Trust advances community resilience, inclusion, creativity, environmental stewardship, and support for disadvantaged population...
552 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 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.
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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
Describe Your Charity
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Which of These 704 Funders Are Right for You?
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