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

163 of 639 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 204 of 639 funders. 435 not yet verified are listed below; 41 that don't fit were excluded.

Addington Fund

Verified open

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...

Grant Range
Up to £3,000

Anchor Society CIO

Verified open

Matching programme: Emergency Grants for Individuals

Anchor Society CIO, established in 1769 as a voluntary association inspired by Edward Colston's philanthropy, is a historic Bristol-based charity dedi...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Association of Jewish Refugees

Verified open

Matching programme: Educational Grants

The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), founded in 1941 by Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, is the UK's specialist nationwide charity dedic...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £25,000

Ballinger Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Project / Capital Grant

The Ballinger Charitable Trust, founded in 1994 by the Ballinger family with deep personal ties to North East England, supports UK-registered charitie...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £20,000

Baring Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Strengthening Civil Society Programme

The Baring Foundation, an independent London-based charitable foundation established in 1969 as Barings Bank's corporate arm and fully independent sin...

Grant Range
£20,000 - £90,000

Baron Davenport's Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Emergency Grants

Baron Davenport's Charity, an endowed trust established in 1914 by the will of Baron Charles Davenport in Birmingham, is dedicated to alleviating acut...

Grant Range
£200 - £1,000

Bartlett Taylor Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Individual Applications

The Bartlett Taylor Charitable Trust, established during the lifetime of Ernest Bartlett Taylor from Witney, Oxfordshire, is a lean, community-driven ...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Bernard Sunley Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Bernard Sunley Foundation Grants

The Bernard Sunley Foundation, established in 1960 by property developer Bernard Sunley and endowed with £300,000 in shares, is an independent family-...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Bolton Community and Voluntary Services

Verified open

Matching programme: Bolton Housing Partnership Grants – Individuals

Bolton Community and Voluntary Services (Bolton CVS) is a registered charity and local infrastructure organisation dedicated to strengthening the volu...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £5,000

Bolton Guild of Help

Verified open

Matching programme: Grants for Emergency and Essential Household Items

Bolton Guild of Help, established in 1905, is a longstanding charitable organization dedicated to relieving hardship and distress among vulnerable res...

Grant Range
£50 - £500

Brace

Verified open

Matching programme: BRACE Research Grants

BRACE Alzheimer’s Research, founded in 1987 in Bristol by families affected by dementia, is an independent charity dedicated to defeating dementia thr...

Grant Range
Up to £110,000

BT Benevolent Fund

Verified open

Matching programme: BT Benevolent Fund (single programme for individuals)

The BT Benevolent Fund is an independent charity with a foundational mission to relieve acute financial distress and poverty among past and present BT...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

Buckinghamshire Community Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Health Equity Fund

Buckinghamshire Community Foundation, operating as Heart of Bucks, serves as a catalyst for social change by connecting philanthropy to local causes, ...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Charitable Fund

Verified open

Matching programme: Charitable Funding (Trust Colleagues)

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Charitable Fund drives the Trust's strategic aims by funding enhancements beyond statutory NHS provision, elevati...

Grant Range
Up to £20,000

Burden Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Burden Trust grants

The Burden Trust is a historic Bristol-based grant-making charity founded in the early 20th century by Reverend Harold Nelson Burden, whose philanthro...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £5,000

Byfleet United Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Grants

Byfleet United Charity is a longstanding local grantmaker rooted in relieving poverty and supporting individuals in need through practical financial a...

Grant Range
£200 - £3,000

C B and H H Taylor 1984 Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Birmingham & West Midlands County

The C B and H H Taylor 1984 Trust, a family-founded charitable trust rooted in Quaker heritage, pursues a mission to advance peacebuilding, social jus...

Grant Range
£500 - £2,000

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch

Verified open

Matching programme: Project Grants (Armenian Communities Department)

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK Branch, established in 1956 from the bequest of Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, is a London-based arm ...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £600,000

Carlile Foundation Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Carlile Foundation Charitable Trust (via Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway)

The Carlile Foundation Charitable Trust advances general charitable purposes through inclusive, flexible grantmaking aligned with UK charity law, embo...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Chalk Cliff Trust

Verified open

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

Cheshire Community Foundation Limited

Verified open

Matching programme: Active Futures Programme

Cheshire Community Foundation Limited, established in 2011, is an independent regional charity serving Cheshire East, Cheshire West, and Warrington wi...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Clan Trust Limited

Verified open

Matching programme: Clan Trust Grant

Clan Trust Limited is an independent charitable trust based in Norfolk, established in the 1960s by a local farmer who endowed it with his farm, land,...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Clifford Chambers Relief in Need Charities

Verified open

Matching programme: Education Fund

Clifford Chambers Relief in Need Charities embodies practical localised compassion and community stewardship, dedicated to relieving hardship, distres...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation

Verified open

Matching programme: Education grants

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

Cole Charitable Trust

Verified open

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

Combined Harpole Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: CHCT Education Grant

The Combined Harpole Charitable Trust is a community-rooted funder with a historic mission to relieve poverty and advance education among Harpole pari...

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

Community Foundation North East

Verified open

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

Connolly Foundation (UK) Limited

Verified open

Matching programme: Old people

The Connolly Foundation (UK) Limited, established in 2004 as the Kathleen and Michael Connolly Foundation and renamed in 2020, is a Bedfordshire-based...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Consolidated Charity of Burton Upon Trent

Verified open

Matching programme: Financial Assistance for Individuals (Education, Personal Development, Sport, Arts)

The Consolidated Charity of Burton upon Trent is a centuries-old endowed charity rooted in local philanthropic traditions, dedicated to delivering pub...

Grant Range
£1,500 - £34,000

Cornwall Community Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Small Grants (under £5,000)

Cornwall Community Foundation, established in 2003 as a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, is the sole community foundation serving ...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

Cripplegate Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Disability Fund

Cripplegate Foundation drives lasting social change to build an equal society free from poverty and inequality, empowering residents to access opportu...

Grant Range
Up to £5,000

Croydon Relief in Need Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: Individual Grant (via Third-Party Organisation)

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

Daisy Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Grants

The Daisy Trust, established in 1982, is a grant-making charity dedicated exclusively to supporting disadvantaged residents of all ages in the London ...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Derbyshire Community Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Foundation Derbyshire Grants

Foundation Derbyshire embodies a mission to enhance community life and combat disadvantage through empowering grassroots charities and voluntary group...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

Dodgson Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Annual Grants

The Dodgson Foundation is a local grantmaker dedicated to enhancing wellbeing, independence, and dignity for older adults facing disadvantage, with a ...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Dolphin Society

Verified open

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The Dolphin Society embodies a historic commitment to compassion, dignity, and community responsibility, empowering low-income older people and disabl...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

Dorset Community Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: SWEF Enterprise Fund

Dorset Community Foundation is an independent grantmaker dedicated to improving lives and fostering thriving, united communities across Dorset by chan...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund and Other Related Charities

Verified open

Matching programme: General Fund

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund embodies a mission to elevate patient care and staff welfare beyond standard NHS provision...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £50,000

Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: General Grant

The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust, established in 1951 via the will of Eleanor, Dowager Countess Peel, is a UK-based endowment charity rooted in...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £25,000

Drapers Charitable Fund

Verified open

Matching programme: Drapers' Charitable Fund

The Drapers Charitable Fund, administered by the historic Worshipful Company of Drapers founded in 1364 by woollen cloth merchants, upholds a mission ...

Grant Range
Up to £25,000

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

E H Smith Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Building Materials Donation Program

The E H Smith Charitable Trust, family-founded in 1944, embodies community responsibility by reinvesting business profits to uplift local communities ...

Grant Range
£500 - £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

Edward Holt Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Main Grant Programme

The Edward Holt Trust advances dignity, wellbeing, and strategic relief for older people facing poverty and individuals enduring homelessness or acute...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Eleemosynary Charity of William Hobbayne

Verified open

Matching programme: Grants for Families & Individuals (Eleemosynary Charity and Ealing Aid in Sickness Trust)

The Eleemosynary Charity of William Hobbayne, rooted in a 1484 bequest for parish poor relief, upholds a mission of alleviating poverty, hardship, and...

Grant Range
£100 - £5,000

Enkalon Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Ex-Employee Support

The Enkalon Foundation embodies a mission rooted in community resilience and social welfare, originating from support for former factory workers facin...

Grant Range
£500 - £6,000

Eric Wright Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Grants

The Eric Wright Charitable Trust embodies a founding vision of responsible business stewardship channeling construction industry profits into perpetua...

Grant Range
£500 - £24,000

Essex Community Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Google Essex Data Centre Community Fund

Essex Community Foundation, established in 1996, is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to enhancing quality of life for Essex residents by...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £7,000

Evelyn Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Medical Research Grants

The Evelyn Trust, a Cambridgeshire-based grant-making charity established from the 1920 Evelyn Hospital legacy and reinvested since its 2003 sale, foc...

Grant Range
£4,000 - £250,000

Showing 50 of 163 matching funders

435 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.

  • Personalised match scores
  • Eligibility checks
  • AI grant writer