Older People639+ Funders

Older People Grants & Funding

There are 639 UK funders offering grants for older people charities, with typical awards from £50 to £200,000.

With an ageing population, UK funders are increasingly investing in services that support older people to live well, stay connected, and maintain independence. Grants in this area cover a wide spectrum: befriending and social isolation reduction, dementia support, falls prevention, digital inclusion for older people, day centres, and care home activity programmes. Several dedicated trusts — such as the Dunhill Medical Trust and the Rayne Foundation — focus specifically on ageing. Larger general funders like the Big Lottery Fund and Henry Smith Charity also prioritise projects for older people. Community-based approaches are strongly favoured: lunch clubs, intergenerational projects, community transport, and age-friendly neighbourhood initiatives. The pandemic accelerated funder interest in tackling loneliness among older people, and this remains a key funding priority. Grant-makers value projects that treat older people as active participants rather than passive recipients, and organisations that involve older people in governance and service design score well in applications.

Quick Stats

Total Funders
639
Grant Range
£50 - £200,000
Open to Applications
60%

Older People Funders

36 of 639 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 120 of 639 funders. 519 not yet verified are listed below; 84 that don't fit were excluded.

Alzheimer's Foundation for Research Into Alzheimer's Disease.

Matching programme: AFA Bi-Annual Grant

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), founded in 2002, is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals, families, and caregivers ...

Grant Range
£6,000 - £25,000

Chalk Cliff Trust

Matching programme: Chalk Cliff Trust – Main Grant Programme

Chalk Cliff Trust is a family-led charitable foundation with a mission to advance grassroots charitable activity benefiting local communities through ...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £5,000

Chester Bluecoat Charity

Matching programme: Grants Programme

The Chester Bluecoat Charity is an historic grant-maker with roots over 800 years old, evolving through mergers since 1837 and rebranded in 2020 from ...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

Cole Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Cole Charitable Trust grants

The Cole Charitable Trust is an independent grant-making trust dedicated to fostering positive change in local communities through support for small g...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £2,000

Community Foundation North East

Matching programme: General Application

Community Foundation North East, established in 1988 by local business and civic leaders in North East England, serves as the UK's largest community f...

Grant Range
Up to £25,000

County of Gloucestershire Community Foundation

Matching programme: GCF – Community Fund

Gloucestershire Community Foundation is a grant-making charity dedicated to reducing inequalities and enhancing quality of life for disadvantaged Glou...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Croydon Relief in Need Charity

Matching programme: Large Grant (Over £5,000)

Croydon Relief in Need Charity (CRiN), rooted in ancient endowments consolidated under Croydon Almshouse Charities Trustee Company Limited, is a local...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £30,000

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...

Grant Range
£250 - £10,000

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...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £30,000

Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust, established in 1988 by the will of G.H. Micklem C.B.E., is a grant-making trust dedicated to advancing public ben...

Grant Range
£8,000 - £15,000

Guildford Poyle Charities

Matching programme: Grants to Organisations

Guildford Poyle Charities, established in 1628 by Henry Smith with subsequent mergers from local bequests, is a historic Guildford-based grantmaker de...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Hammersmith United Charities

Matching programme: Community Grants

Hammersmith United Charities, an endowed local charity founded in 1618, focuses on relieving poverty and disadvantage among residents of the Hammersmi...

Grant Range
Up to £15,000

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,...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £16,000

James Knott Family Foundation

Matching programme: Main Grants Programme

The James Knott Family Foundation, known as the Sir James Knott Trust, was established in 1924 by Tyneside shipowner Sir James Knott to honor his sons...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

John Moores Foundation

Matching 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 ...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

King's College Hospital Charity

Matching programme: Crown Fund (Regular)

King's College Hospital Charity drives patient-centric transformation, enhancing care outcomes, experiences, and well-being for patients, families, ca...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

London Community Foundation

Matching programme: Lambeth Wellbeing Fund

London Community Foundation champions a fairer London by investing in small, local charities and grassroots groups tackling deep inequalities, wealth ...

Grant Range
£500 - £25,000

Matthews Wrightson Charity Trust

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The Matthews Wrightson Charity Trust advances social welfare by empowering smaller charities and individuals delivering direct benefits to disadvantag...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Neighbourly Foundation

Matching programme: Neighbourly Foundation Grant Programme

Neighbourly Foundation, a UK-registered charity (1189514) established in March 2020 as the charitable arm of Neighbourly Limited, emerged in response ...

Grant Range
£400 - £1,500

One Community Foundation Limited

Matching programme: Community Grants Programme

One Community Foundation Limited is an independent grantmaker founded to empower grassroots organizations and voluntary groups tackling social exclusi...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

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, ...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £25,000

Philip and Connie Phillips Foundation

Matching programme: Grants

The Philip and Connie Phillips Foundation is an independent UK charitable incorporated organisation established in June 2020 from the wills of Kent re...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

Pilkington Charities Fund

Matching programme: Pilkington Charities’ Fund

Pilkington Charities Fund, established in 1950 by the Pilkington family—founders of the iconic St Helens glass manufacturing company—originally aimed ...

Grant Range
Up to £20,000

Robert McAlpine Foundation

Matching programme: Core Grant Programme

The Robert McAlpine Foundation, established in 1963 by the McAlpine family, drives positive social change by supporting small UK charities that enhanc...

Grant Range
£2,500 - £10,000

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...

Grant Range
Up to £20,000

St Albans Old People's Trust

Matching programme: Grace Muriel Legacy Fund – Small Grants Programme

St Albans Old People's Trust is an independent grant-making charity dedicated to relieving need, hardship, and distress among older people aged 60 and...

Grant Range
£100 - £500

St Giles-in-the-Fields and Bloomsbury United Charity

Matching programme: Alms Grants - Block Grant

St Giles-in-the-Fields and Bloomsbury United Charity embodies a centuries-old mission to relieve poverty, disadvantage, illness, isolation, and homele...

Grant Range
Contact funder

St Monica Trust

Matching programme: North Somerset Older People’s Community Grant

St Monica Trust, founded in 1925 by Henry and Monica Wills, is a Bristol-based charitable organisation dedicated to improving later life for older peo...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £45,000

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,...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Summerfield Charitable Trust

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

Summerfield Charitable Trust advances community resilience, inclusion, creativity, environmental stewardship, and support for disadvantaged population...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £50,000

Talbot Village Trust

Matching programme: Small Grants Programme

Talbot Village Trust, an independent grant-making charity founded in 1850 by Victorian sisters Georgina Charlotte and Mary Anne Talbot, embodies their...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Tendring Community Voluntary Services

Matching programme: Age Well and Be Well Grants

Tendring Community Voluntary Services (CVST), founded in 1973 and incorporated in 2005, serves as the longstanding umbrella charity for the voluntary ...

Grant Range
£2,500 - £20,000

Torbay Community Development Trust Ltd

Matching programme: Smoking Cessation Community Grant

Torbay Communities, rooted in asset-based community development, empowers local voluntary, community, and social enterprise organizations to foster in...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £40,000

Trades House of Glasgow

Matching programme: The Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers of Glasgow Training & Education Charity Funding

The Trades House of Glasgow, established in 1605 as a historic charitable institution rooted in the city's craft guilds, protects and supports Glasgow...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Wixamtree Trust

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The Wixamtree Trust, an independent grant-making charity established in 1962 by Sir Humphrey Whitbread, focuses on enhancing the wellbeing and develop...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Worcestershire Community Foundation Limited

Matching programme: Strengthening Worcestershire Fund 2025

Worcestershire Community Foundation Limited, established in 2003 as Worcestershire's independent community foundation within the UK's network of 47 pl...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £5,000
519 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 Older People Funders

Demonstrate co-design with older people in your application, showing how they have shaped your project from the outset rather than being consulted after decisions are made. Funders increasingly expect older people to hold meaningful roles in governance, delivery, and evaluation. If your project addresses loneliness or social isolation, use validated measurement tools such as the UCLA Loneliness Scale or the De Jong Gierveld Scale to establish baselines and track outcomes — subjective wellbeing measures are valued alongside activity attendance figures. Address digital inclusion as a component of your work, explaining how you help older people access technology confidently while ensuring your project remains accessible to those who are not digitally connected. Describe any intergenerational programming that brings older and younger people together with genuine mutual benefit rather than tokenistic contact. If your project serves people with dementia, explain your dementia-friendly approach including environmental design, communication methods, and staff training. Show an understanding of the diversity within the older population — avoid treating over-65s as a homogeneous group, and explain how your project reaches those most at risk of isolation including older men, people from ethnic minority communities, LGBTQ+ older people, and those in rural areas. Strong applications balance practical support with respect for autonomy and choice.

Frequently Asked Questions about Older People Grants

What grants are available for older people charities in the UK?

There are 639+ UK funders offering grants for older people 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 older people organisations get?

Grant amounts for older people 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 older people grants?

Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your older people work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 639+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.

How to Find the Right Older People 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 639 older people 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 639 Funders Are Right for You?

Browsing 639 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.

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