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

99 of 639 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 169 of 639 funders. 470 not yet verified are listed below; 70 that don't fit were excluded.

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

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

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

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: 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

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

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

Croydon Relief in Need Charity

Verified open

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

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

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: General Charitable Grants

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 Organisations (Eleemosynary Charity)

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

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

Eveson Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Enhance Grants programme

The Eveson Trust, formerly the Eveson Charitable Trust and converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in April 2022, was established under th...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £50,000

Faringdon United Charity CIO

Verified open

Matching programme: Grant Programme

Faringdon United Charity CIO upholds a longstanding mission to alleviate need, hardship, and distress through targeted, flexible support for local res...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

February Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: The February Foundation Main Grant Programme

The February Foundation, an independent UK grant-making charity established in 2006, supports registered charities to deliver practical social impact ...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

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

Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust

Verified open

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

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

Great Dunmow and District Round Table Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Donation Programme

Great Dunmow and District Round Table Charitable Trust strengthens Essex communities through volunteer-led, event-based fundraising that channels reso...

Grant Range
£500 - £2,000

Hackney Parochial Charities

Verified open

Matching programme: Hackney Parochial Charities Project Grants

Hackney Parochial Charities, a historic charitable trust established in 1603 with the first legacy from Thomas Heron, is dedicated to relieving povert...

Grant Range
£500 - £2,500

Hadfield Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Hadfield Trust Grants

The Hadfield Charitable Trust is a grant-making charity rooted in community stewardship and local impact, dedicated to addressing social needs by empo...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Hadrian Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Hadrian Trust Main Grants

Hadrian Trust, an independent charitable grant-maker founded in 1972, focuses on improving lives in England's North East, specifically Tyne and Wear, ...

Grant Range
£500 - £2,000

Hampton Fuel Allotment

Verified open

Matching programme: Community Grants

Hampton Fund, established in 1811 by Act of Parliament as Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity, upholds a mission to alleviate poverty and hardship in its l...

Grant Range
£700 - £79,200

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

Harry Bottom Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Main grants programme

The Harry Bottom Charitable Trust, founded by Harry Bottom on 7 October 1960, is a longstanding Sheffield-based grant-maker governed by its original t...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £20,000

Hemby Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Hemby Charitable Trust Grants

The Hemby Charitable Trust, established in 1998 by a local family with deep roots in Merseyside and Wirral, is a small, trustee-led grantmaker adminis...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

Hobson Charity Limited

Verified open

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

Hobson Charity Limited, established in 1985 by the Hobson family with Lady Hobson OBE as long-serving Chair, is a family-governed grant-maker dedicate...

Grant Range
£500 - £100,000

Housing Pathways Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Main Grants Programme

Housing Pathways Trust, a historic almshouse charity rooted in seventeenth-century principles, drives community transformation by enabling those in ne...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Howard Watson Symington Memorial Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The Howard Watson Symington Memorial Charity, established as a family legacy endowment, drives its mission to relieve need, hardship, distress, and il...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Innholders' Charitable Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: Charity Committee Grant Programme

The Innholders' Charitable Foundation, established in 2014 as the charitable arm of the Worshipful Company of Innholders—a City of London Livery Compa...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

James Knott Family Foundation

Verified open

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 Apthorp Charity

Verified open

Matching programme: John Apthorp Charity Grants

The John Apthorp Charity is a family-founded grantmaker driven by pragmatic localism, direct need alleviation, and responsible stewardship to deliver ...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

John James Bristol Foundation

Verified open

Matching programme: John James Bristol Foundation Grants

The John James Bristol Foundation, established in 1983 by philanthropist John James CBE, is a grant-making charity dedicated to perpetuating his legac...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £25,000

John Moores Foundation

Verified open

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

Jones 1986 Charitable Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: The Jones 1986 Charitable Trust

The Jones 1986 Charitable Trust advances community care and prevention of disadvantage for socially and medically vulnerable populations, prioritizing...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £15,000

Joseph and Annie Cattle Trust

Verified open

Matching programme: Joseph and Annie Cattle Trust grants

The Joseph and Annie Cattle Trust, an endowed charitable trust established by deed in September 1970, supports vulnerable residents of Hull and the Ea...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Showing 50 of 99 matching funders

470 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