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

127 of 639 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 133 of 639 funders. 506 not yet verified are listed below; 6 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

Addington Fund

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

Albert Van Den Bergh Charitable Trust

Matching programme: General grants

The Albert Van Den Bergh Charitable Trust is an independent, family-led grant-making charity established in 1987 by James Philip van den Bergh via a s...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

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

Ballinger Charitable Trust

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

Matching programme: Arts 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

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

Bolton Community and Voluntary Services

Matching programme: Bolton's Fund: Hate Crime Awareness Grants 2025

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

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

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

Brighton Rainbow Fund

Matching programme: Grassroots Community Fund

The Brighton Rainbow Fund, established in 2011 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation by James Ledward and Paul Elgood, functioned as a grassroots ...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £20,000

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

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Charitable Fund

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

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch

Matching programme: Civic Tech UK-Portugal Exchange Programme

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

Cantiacorum Foundation

Matching programme: Individuals Grant

Cantiacorum Foundation, established on 1st April 2011 by the late Donald Beerling MBE and Mrs Poppy Beerling, is an independent charitable funder dedi...

Grant Range
Contact funder

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

Charity of Sir Richard Whittington

Matching programme: Young People & Education

The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington, established in 1424 under Mercers' Company trusteeship, embodies a historic legacy of poverty relief and oppor...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £120,000

Charles S French Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Charles S French Charitable Trust Grant Programme

The Charles S French Charitable Trust, established in 1959 by Charles S French, former chairman of civil engineering firm W&C French, is a discretiona...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Main Grants Programme

The Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust perpetuates Lady Charlotte's philanthropic legacy through targeted grantmaking advancing arts, cultural p...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £20,000

Clan Trust Limited

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

Clothworkers' Foundation

Matching programme: Open Grants Programme – Large Grant

The Clothworkers' Foundation, established in 1977 by The Clothworkers' Company—one of London’s historic Great Twelve Livery Companies—serves as its pr...

Grant Range
From £500

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation

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

Colchester and Tendring Community Trust

Matching programme: Grassroots Grants

Colchester and Tendring Community Trust, operating as Grassroots, is an independent grantmaking charity established in 1989 by Westley Sandford (chari...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

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

Combined Harpole Charitable Trust

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

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

Cornwall Community Foundation

Matching programme: Single Homeless and Rough Sleeping Fund

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

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

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

Csis Charity Fund

Matching programme: Grant Giving Programme

The CSIS Charity Fund is an independent UK charity, operating for over a century and formally established as a charitable company in 2008, dedicated t...

Grant Range
£15,000 - £75,000

Dorset Community Foundation

Matching programme: BCP Crisis and Resilience 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

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

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

E H Smith Charitable Trust

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

Edgar E Lawley Foundation

Matching programme: General Grant Programme

The Edgar E Lawley Foundation, established in 1961, drives a philanthropic mission to advance social welfare and alleviate disadvantage through flexib...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £2,000

Eric Wright Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Eric Wright Charitable Trust Grants 2025/26

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

Matching programme: East of England Co-op Community Cares 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

Matching programme: General Grant 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

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

Friends of the Elderly

Matching programme: Grants for Older People

Friends of the Elderly is a longstanding UK charity dedicated to supporting older people facing loneliness, isolation, poverty, and age-based disadvan...

Grant Range
Up to £500

G C Gibson Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Annual Grant Round

The GC Gibson Charitable Trust is a family-stewarded philanthropic fund with a mission to deliver sustained, meaningful support to small and medium-si...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Gay and Peter Hartley's Hillards Charitable Trust

Matching programme: Main Grants Programme

Gay and Peter Hartley's Hillards Charitable Trust is a grant-making charity founded by the Hartley family, rooted in the legacy of the Hillards grocer...

Grant Range
£500 - £1,000

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

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

Grocers' Charity

Matching programme: Open Grants

The Grocers' Charity, the philanthropic arm of London's ancient Worshipful Company of Grocers rooted in the 14th-century Guild of Pepperers, advances ...

Grant Range
Up to £5,000

Showing 50 of 127 matching funders

506 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