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

60 of 704 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 166 of 704 funders. 538 not yet verified are listed below; 106 that don't fit were excluded.

Baywind Energy Community Trust

Verified open

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...

Grant Range
£100 - £5,000

Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust embodies Dame Catherine Cookson's vision to transform lives in North East England communities through enduring ...

Grant Range
£100 - £100,000

Charles Littlewood Hill Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Charles Littlewood Hill Trust Grant Programme

The Charles Littlewood Hill Trust, established in 1978 by Charles Littlewood Hill, pursues a mission of advancing diverse charitable purposes through ...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

Civic Power Fund

Verified open

Matching programme: Alliance for Youth Organising

The Civic Power Fund, launched in 2022 as the UK's first pooled donor fund for grassroots community organising, unites progressive trusts like Unbound...

Grant Range
£2,500 - £20,000

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation

Verified open

Matching programme: Recreational Facilities Development

The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO), established in 1920 with charitable status since 1995, is the UK's sole national charity dedica...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation 2014

Verified open

Matching programme: Recreational Facilities Development

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation 2014 serves as trustee for CISWO, a national charity dedicated to advancing health, relieving poverty and ha...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Community Foundation for Wiltshire & Swindon

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Grants

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation, founded in 1975 as an independent charity (formerly Community Foundation for Wiltshire & Swindon), tackles...

Grant Range
£750 - £5,000

Cumbria Community Foundation

Verified open

Matching 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,...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Derbyshire Environmental Trust Limited

Verified open

Matching programme: Derbyshire Environmental Trust Capital Funding Scheme

Derbyshire Environmental Trust Limited, founded in 1997 as a registered charity in response to the Landfill Communities Fund, channels landfill tax re...

Grant Range
£2,500 - £20,000

Duke of Devonshire's Charitable Trust

Verified open

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...

Grant Range
£250 - £10,000

Earley Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Grants to Organisations – £3,000 and under

The Earley Charity, evolved from historic poor relief traditions, drives its mission to alleviate poverty, hardship, and disadvantage among vulnerable...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

England and Wales Cricket Trust

Verified open

Matching 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...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £50,000

Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Medium Grant

The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust (EKCT), established in 1963 by Ernest and Joan Kleinwort, is a family-led grant-making foundation dedicated to m...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £25,000

Exeter Chiefs Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Project Grant

The Exeter Chiefs Foundation, established in 2011 by Exeter Rugby Club executives and local business leaders including Chairman Tony Rowe CBE, is an i...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Football Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Grass Pitch Creation Grant

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...

Grant Range
£300 - £100,000

Forever Manchester

Verified open

Matching programme: CDL Fund

Forever Manchester is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to empowering grassroots community activity and building resilient neighbourhoods...

Grant Range
£500 - £1,500

Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company

Verified open

Matching 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...

Grant Range
Up to £25,000

Gannochy Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Capital 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...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Geoffrey Watling Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The Geoffrey Watling Charity embodies entrepreneurial generosity, local pride, and civic friendship, channeling resources to vitalize communities thro...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £30,000

Girton Town Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Grants for Organisations

Girton Town Charity is a historic almshouse provider rooted in medieval philanthropy, dedicated to enabling Girton village residents to lead fulfillin...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Grantscape

Verified open

Matching programme: SUEZ Communities Fund - England

Grantscape, established in 1997, is a specialist UK charitable grant-maker dedicated to strengthening local communities and protecting the natural env...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £50,000

Greaves & Withey Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The Greaves & Withey Foundation, formerly the Robin Greaves Foundation, is a family-led independent charity established by the Greaves and Withey fami...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £50,000

Greenham Trust Ltd

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Wellbeing Fund

Greenham Trust Ltd, founded in 1997 as Greenham Common Community Trust following the closure of RAF Greenham Common, reinvests commercial income from ...

Grant Range
£500 - £30,000

Harold and Alice Bridges Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Harold and Alice Bridges Charity Grant Programme

The Harold and Alice Bridges Charity embodies a mission to bolster community wellbeing by fortifying essential physical infrastructure that sustains v...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Hugh Fraser Foundation

Verified open

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...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £20,000

J G Graves Charitable Trust

Verified open

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

Jack Brunton Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Jack Brunton Charitable Trust Grant Programme

The Jack Brunton Charitable Trust, established in 1986 by fifth-generation Yorkshire farmer Jack Brunton, is dedicated to sustaining rural life in the...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £3,000

Joseph Rank Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: General Fund

The Joseph Rank Trust is an independent Christian grant-maker established in 2002 from charities founded by Joseph Rank (1854–1943) and family between...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £50,000

Kelly Family Charitable Trust

Verified open

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 ...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, Warwick

Verified open

Matching programme: Town Share Discretionary Grants

The King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, Warwick, established in 1545 through Tudor-era negotiations to safeguard ecclesiastical assets during the Dissoluti...

Grant Range
£500 - £150,000

Len Pick Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Grant Over £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...

Grant Range
£500 - £15,000

Lionel Abel-Smith Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The Lionel Abel-Smith Trust is an endowed grant-making charity founded to perpetuate local heritage and community stewardship, with a mission to enhan...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching 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...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Mobbs Memorial Trust Limited

Verified open

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...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Moto Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Grants

Moto Foundation, established in 2005 as Moto in the Community and rebranded in 2022, serves as the charitable arm of Moto Hospitality Limited, the UK'...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £2,500

National Forest Company

Verified open

Matching programme: Forest Creation Grant

The National Forest Company pioneers landscape-scale environmental regeneration through tree planting and sustainable land management in post-industri...

Grant Range
£500 - £25,000

National Lottery Community Fund

Verified open

Matching programme: Scottish Land Fund

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...

Grant Range
£300 - £5,000,000

National Lottery Heritage Fund

Verified open

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 ...

Grant Range
£25,000 - £100,000

Nisbet Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Nisbet Trust Grants

The Nisbet Trust is an independent grant-making charity established in 2011 by the Nisbet family, with roots in Greater Bristol through Andrew Nisbet'...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £30,000

Northern Powergrid Foundation

Verified open

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...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £20,000

Nova Wakefield District Limited

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Tree Planting Programme

Nova Wakefield District Limited is the local infrastructure charity empowering Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations across ...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Perth City Heritage Fund (PCHF)

Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT), an independent Scottish charity established in 1988, is dedicated to protecting, conserving, enhancing, and p...

Grant Range
Up to £5,000

Postcode Innovation Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Social Investment Programme

Postcode Innovation Trust, established in 2016, is an independent funder powered by proceeds from its society lottery linked to People’s Postcode Lott...

Grant Range
£100,000 - £1,250,000

R C Snelling Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The R C Snelling Charitable Trust, established in 1999 by Norfolk businessman Roy Snelling, honors his success with the Snelling Group by reinvesting ...

Grant Range
£500 - £25,000

Rees Jeffreys Road Fund

Verified open

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 ...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £30,000

Riverside Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Fund

Riverside Foundation, a registered UK charity established in 1983, transforms lives and regenerates deprived neighbourhoods, primarily where parent ho...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

Rothley Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Energy Grants

The Rothley Trust is a grant-making charity established in 1959 to deliver small grants advancing charitable work among disadvantaged communities in t...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £3,000

Sackler Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: The Sackler Trust

The Sackler Trust is a UK-based grant-making foundation established in 2010 with a mission to advance medical science, healthcare innovation, educatio...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Sir James Reckitt Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The Sir James Reckitt Charity, founded by Quaker industrialist Sir James Reckitt, advances social, material, and moral welfare for Hull and East Yorks...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

sportscotland

Verified open

Matching programme: Sport Facilities Fund

sportscotland, established in 1972 as the Scottish Sports Council by royal charter, serves as Scotland's national agency for sport and an executive no...

Grant Range
Up to £250,000

Showing 50 of 60 matching funders

538 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.

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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