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
42 of 704 match your filtersChecked against verified programme data for 156 of 704 funders. 548 not yet verified are listed below; 114 that don't fit were excluded.
Architectural Heritage Fund
Verified openMatching programme: Project Viability Grants (PVG) - Northern Ireland
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), a UK-registered charity founded in 1976, champions the conservation and sustainable reuse of historic buildings...
Baywind Energy Community Trust
Verified openMatching 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
Verified openMatching programme: Young Gamechangers 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 ...
Cumbria Community Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Cumbria Community Foundation Grants
Cumbria Community Foundation, established in 1999, is an independent UK community foundation dedicated to tackling poverty, enhancing quality of life,...
David Brownlow Charitable Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Small Grants Programme
The David Brownlow Charitable Foundation drives positive social change by enhancing lives of disadvantaged individuals and communities through persona...
Devon Community Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Small Grants
Devon Community Foundation, established in 1996 as Devon’s largest independent grantmaker and a registered charity, harnesses local philanthropy to st...
England and Wales Cricket Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Interest Free Loan Scheme (Clubs with Junior Section)
The England and Wales Cricket Trust (EWCT), a registered charity (no. 1112540), promotes community participation in cricket as a means of healthy recr...
Football Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Grass Pitch Maintenance 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
Verified openMatching programme: CDL Fund
Forever Manchester is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to empowering grassroots community activity and building resilient neighbourhoods...
Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company
Verified openMatching programme: Group Grant (standard)
Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company, established in 2007 by the local Community Council in the Scottish Highlands, is a community-led organ...
Foundation Scotland
Verified openMatching programme: Achlachan Wind Farm Community Fund
Foundation Scotland, Scotland's sole community foundation, drives a mission to empower communities by bridging innovative ideas with resources, foster...
Friends Provident Charitable Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Building Resilient Economies programme
Friends Provident Charitable Foundation, an independent UK grant-making charity established in 2004 with a £33 million endowment from Friends Providen...
Grantscape
Verified openMatching programme: Middlemoor Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (Organisations)
Grantscape, established in 1997, is a specialist UK charitable grant-maker dedicated to strengthening local communities and protecting the natural env...
Hackney Council for Voluntary Service
Verified openMatching programme: Hackney Giving Cost of Living programme
Hackney Council for Voluntary Service (Hackney CVS), an independent charity founded in 1997, empowers Hackney’s voluntary and community sector to fost...
Housing Pathways Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Main Grants Programme
Housing Pathways Trust, a historic almshouse charity rooted in seventeenth-century principles, drives community transformation by enabling those in ne...
Janet and Bryan Moore Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Discretionary Grants
The Janet and Bryan Moore Charitable Trust is dedicated to enhancing and uniting rural communities through grants that preserve heritage and foster co...
John Moores Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Grants for Merseyside
The John Moores Foundation, established in Liverpool in 1964 by philanthropist Sir John Moores, is a family-founded independent grant-maker dedicated ...
Len Pick Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Grant Under £1,000
The Len Pick Trust is a community-rooted grantmaker inspired by the philanthropic legacy of local farmer and benefactor Len Pick, dedicated to deliver...
Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Local Grants
The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust is an independent Welsh grant-maker founded to harness the legacy of the Millennium Stadium for enhancing qual...
Mobbs Memorial Trust Limited
Verified openMatching 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
Verified openMatching 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...
North Wales Police and Community Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Small Grant Fund
North Wales Police and Community Trust champions safer, cohesive communities through police-partnered initiatives reducing crime, antisocial behaviour...
Northern Ireland Community Development Health Network Ltd
Verified openMatching programme: Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership (BCPP) Level 1
Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) champions community development to eradicate health inequalities in Northern Ireland, recognizing heal...
Northern Powergrid Foundation
Verified openMatching 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...
Nova Wakefield District Limited
Verified openMatching programme: Community Tree Planting Programme
Nova Wakefield District Limited is the local infrastructure charity empowering Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations across ...
Oakdale Trust
Verified openMatching 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...
Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services
Verified openMatching programme: Port of Milford Haven Community Fund
Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) serves as the County Voluntary Council championing charitable purposes for public benefit throu...
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Community Heritage Grant Fund
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT), an independent Scottish charity established in 1988, is dedicated to protecting, conserving, enhancing, and p...
Quartet Community Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Express Grant Programme
Quartet Community Foundation harnesses local philanthropy to tackle entrenched inequalities, promote inclusion, and build resilient communities throug...
Richmond Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Gateway Funding
Richmond Foundation, an independent charitable foundation established in 1786 from a royal land donation by King George III and Queen Charlotte, rebra...
Salford Community & Voluntary Services
Verified openMatching programme: Salford Centenary Fund – Large Grants
Salford Community & Voluntary Services (Salford CVS), established in 1919 as part of post-WWI social service efforts and independent since 1973, serve...
Sir John Fisher Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Main Grants
The Sir John Fisher Foundation, established in 1980 by shipping leader Sir John Fisher and opera singer Lady Maria Fisher, drives local philanthropy t...
South Yorkshire Community Foundation Limited
Verified openMatching programme: Small Grants Programme
South Yorkshire Community Foundation Limited (SYCF), established in 1986, is an independent charitable funder and the region's largest grant maker, di...
sportscotland
Verified openMatching programme: Club Support Programme
sportscotland, established in 1972 as the Scottish Sports Council by royal charter, serves as Scotland's national agency for sport and an executive no...
Stratford-Upon-Avon Town Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Small Community Grants
Stratford-upon-Avon Town Trust is an endowed grant-giving charity with roots in 13th-century medieval estates, reformed as an independent entity in th...
Sussex Community Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Main Grants Programme
Sussex Community Foundation, established in 2006 by the late 10th Duke of Richmond and Gordon, is an independent UK Community Foundation dedicated to ...
Tendring Community Voluntary Services
Verified openMatching programme: Sector Sustainability Utility Support Grants
Tendring Community Voluntary Services (CVST), founded in 1973 and incorporated in 2005, serves as the longstanding umbrella charity for the voluntary ...
Torbay Community Development Trust Ltd
Verified openMatching programme: Torbay Council Community Fund
Torbay Communities, rooted in asset-based community development, empowers local voluntary, community, and social enterprise organizations to foster in...
Two Ridings Community Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Small Grants Fund
Two Ridings Community Foundation, established in 2000 by former Chief Constable David Kenworthy, inspires local giving and channels philanthropic inve...
W H Smith Group Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Community Grants
The W H Smith Group Charitable Trust, also known as the WHSmith Trust, is an independent grantmaking charity established in 1992 by the UK retailer WH...
Woodsmith Foundation Limited
Verified openMatching programme: Community Grants
Woodsmith Foundation Limited, established in 2012 as the York Potash Foundation and now funded by Anglo American via a unique 0.5% revenue share from ...
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust
Verified openMatching programme: YDMT Grants
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), an independent charity established in 1997 by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, safeguards and enh...
548 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
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