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 91 of 704 funders. 613 not yet verified are listed below; 61 that don't fit were excluded.
Action Together CIO
Matching programme: Fix The Digital Divide Fund
Action Together CIO, established in 2016 through the merger of Voluntary Action Oldham and Community and Voluntary Action Tameside, serves as the infr...
Addington Fund
Matching programme: Emergency Relief (Forage Aid)
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...
Benefact Trust Limited
Matching programme: Building Grants
Benefact Trust Limited, formerly Allchurches Trust, is an independent UK-registered charity established in 1972 with roots in 1887, headquartered in G...
Corra Foundation
Matching programme: Boost Fund
Corra Foundation, an independent Scottish grant-maker established in 1985 (originally Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland), drives positive change, opp...
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, ...
E H Smith Charitable Trust
Matching programme: General Charitable Grants
The E H Smith Charitable Trust, family-founded in 1944, embodies community responsibility by reinvesting business profits to uplift local communities ...
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...
Edgar E Lawley Foundation
Matching programme: General Grant Programme
The Edgar E Lawley Foundation, established in 1961, drives a philanthropic mission to advance social welfare and alleviate disadvantage through flexib...
Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company
Matching programme: Student Grant
Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company, established in 2007 by the local Community Council in the Scottish Highlands, is a community-led organ...
Foundation Scotland
Matching programme: Annandale and Nithsdale Community Benefit Company
Foundation Scotland, Scotland's sole community foundation, drives a mission to empower communities by bridging innovative ideas with resources, foster...
Gannochy Trust
Matching programme: Main Grants
The Gannochy Trust, established in 1937 by Scottish philanthropist A.K. Bell, is a major charitable funder anchored in Perth and Kinross with a missio...
Hugh Fraser Foundation
Matching programme: The Hugh Fraser Foundation
The Hugh Fraser Foundation, established in 1960 by Sir Hugh Fraser, advances health, education, citizenship, community development, poverty relief, an...
Kelly Family Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Main Grant Programme
The Kelly Family Charitable Trust, a UK-based family foundation established in 2004 by the Kelly family, is dedicated to strengthening and preserving ...
Lancaster Foundation
Matching programme: Grant Funding (General Programme)
The Lancaster Foundation, established in 1997 by John and Rosemary Lancaster, is a UK charitable trust driven by Christian values, aiming to express G...
Locality (UK)
Matching programme: Locality Awards '24
Locality is a national network and registered UK charity founded in 1994 through the merger of two leading community support bodies, dedicated to empo...
Marketors Trust
Matching programme: Charity Grants Programme
The Marketors Trust, established in 1976 as the charitable arm of the Worshipful Company of Marketors, inspires excellence in marketing while supporti...
Millennium Awards Trust
Matching programme: Millennium Awards Trust Scaling Up Award
The Millennium Awards Trust, established in 2002 with an endowment from the UK government's Millennium Commission and National Lottery, catalyses posi...
Miss E F Rathbone Charitable Trust
Matching programme: National
The Miss E F Rathbone Charitable Trust honors Eleanor Rathbone’s legacy of women’s rights, social equality, and aid to the disadvantaged through grant...
Morrisons Foundation
Matching programme: Grant Funding Programme
The Morrisons Foundation, established in 2015 by Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd, is a UK grant-maker dedicated to creating lasting positive change in co...
Nova Wakefield District Limited
Matching programme: Community Tree Planting Programme
Nova Wakefield District Limited is the local infrastructure charity empowering Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations across ...
People's Postcode Trust
Matching programme: People's Postcode Trust Main Grant Programme
People's Postcode Trust is a registered Scottish charity established in 2009, dedicated to supporting smaller charities and community causes across Sc...
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust
Matching 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...
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, ...
Postcode Innovation Trust
Matching programme: Dream Fund
Postcode Innovation Trust, established in 2016, is an independent funder powered by proceeds from its society lottery linked to People’s Postcode Lott...
Rees Jeffreys Road Fund
Matching programme: Project Grants
The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, established in 1950 by pioneering transport campaigner William Rees Jeffreys, is a UK charity dedicated to enhancing the ...
sportscotland
Matching 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...
Stafford Trust
Matching programme: Stafford Trust Grants
The Stafford Trust, an independent grant-making charitable trust established in 1991 in Scotland, supports UK-registered charities to promote welfare,...
The Prince's Countryside Fund
Matching programme: The Prince's Countryside Fund grants
The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF), formerly The Prince’s Countryside Fund and rebranded in 2023 under King Charles III's approval, was founded in 2010 ...
W F Southall Trust
Matching programme: W F Southall Trust Main Grant Programme
The W F Southall Trust, established in 1937 by Wilfred Francis Southall, is a Quaker-based family grant-making trust dedicated to advancing Quaker val...
William Adlington Cadbury Charitable Trust
Matching programme: United Kingdom (The Religious Society of Friends)
The William Adlington Cadbury Charitable Trust, established in 1923 by Quaker philanthropist William Cadbury—former Lord Mayor of Birmingham—advances ...
613 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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