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

83 of 639 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 143 of 639 funders. 496 not yet verified are listed below; 60 that don't fit were excluded.

ABF The Soldiers' Charity

Matching programme: Charitable Grants to Organisations

ABF The Soldiers' Charity, also known as the Army Benevolent Fund, is the British Army's national charity established in 1944 during World War II to p...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £25,000

Anchor Society CIO

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

Bank of Scotland Foundation

Matching programme: Empower

Bank of Scotland Foundation is an independent charitable foundation with a mission to combat persistent social exclusion, disadvantage, and deprivatio...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Barnes Fund

Matching programme: Organisational Grants

The Barnes Fund is an endowed charitable grant-making trust with historic roots in Barnes, London, formalized by a pivotal 1975 trust deed, dedicated ...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Baron Davenport's Charity

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

Bernard Sunley Foundation

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

BT Benevolent Fund

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

Carlile Foundation Charitable Trust

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

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

Matching programme: Neech Fund

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

Matching programme: Welfare 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

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

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 for Wiltshire & Swindon

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

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

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

CPF Trust

Matching programme: Standard Grants

The CPF Trust is a grant-making charity committed to strengthening UK charities by providing flexible financial support for diverse charitable purpose...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £3,000

Derbyshire Community Foundation

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

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

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

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

Duchy Health Charity Limited

Matching programme: Grant Giving Programme

Duchy Health Charity Limited, established in 1976 from the proceeds of Cornwall's first private hospital sale, is a Cornwall-based grantmaker dedicate...

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

Earley Charity

Matching programme: Grants to Individuals – Over £500

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

Exeter Chiefs Foundation

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

Gatwick Airport Community Trust

Matching programme: Gatwick Airport Community Trust Grant Fund

Gatwick Airport Community Trust is an independent grant-making charity established in 2002 through a legally binding agreement between Gatwick Airport...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

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

Girton Town Charity

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

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust General Charitable Fund

Matching programme: General Purpose Fund

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust General Charitable Fund advances health and saves lives by enhancing patient care and recovery within G...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Green Hall Foundation

Matching programme: May Round

The Green Hall Foundation, established in 1976 by Yorkshire philanthropist Constance Vera Green and renamed in 2013 to honor Colonel Henry Robert Hall...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Hackney Parochial Charities

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

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

Harold and Alice Bridges Charity

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

Harpenden Trust

Matching programme: Community Fund

The Harpenden Trust is a grassroots charitable organisation rooted in fostering neighbourly compassion and alleviating hardship for local residents th...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Harry Bottom Charitable Trust

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

Holkham Charitable Foundation

Matching programme: The Holkham Charitable Foundation

The Holkham Charitable Foundation embodies a legacy of family-led stewardship and social responsibility, established to champion local philanthropy as...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

Homes England

Matching programme: Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026

Homes England, the government's housing and regeneration agency for England, champions social justice by increasing high-quality affordable homes and ...

Grant Range
£50,000 - £70,000

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

Joseph Rank Trust

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

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

Len Pick Trust

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

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

Liverpool Merchants' Guild

Matching programme: Liverpool Merchants' Guild Support

Liverpool Merchants' Guild upholds a historic mission of relieving poverty, hardship, and distress among older people through targeted financial suppo...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £6,000

Livewell Foundation

Matching programme: Large Grants

The Livewell Foundation, established as the charitable arm of a pioneering social enterprise in health and social care, drives transformational impact...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

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

McCorquodale Charitable Trust

Matching programme: The McCorquodale Charitable Trust

The McCorquodale Charitable Trust, established in 1987 (charity number 297697), is a flexible, generalist UK funder dedicated to advancing a broad spe...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £15,000

Mercers Charitable Foundation

Matching programme: Church & Communities

The Mercers’ Charitable Foundation, established in 1983 as the principal grant-making trust of The Mercers’ Company—London’s premier livery company fo...

Grant Range
£25,000 - £150,000

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

Noel Sweeney Foundation

Matching programme: The Noel Sweeney Foundation Grants

The Noel Sweeney Foundation embodies the legacy of generosity and community commitment, channeling resources into grassroots initiatives uplifting you...

Grant Range
Up to £5,000

Northamptonshire Community Foundation

Matching programme: Randal Charitable Foundation Fund

Northamptonshire Community Foundation, established in the early 2000s, is the leading independent grant-making charity in Northamptonshire, dedicated ...

Grant Range
£500 - £50,000

Showing 50 of 83 matching funders

496 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