Environment & Conservation417+ Funders

Environment & Conservation Grants & Funding

There are 417 UK funders offering grants for environment & conservation charities, with typical awards from £100 to £6,000,000.

Environmental and conservation funding in the UK has grown substantially as climate change rises on the national agenda. Funders support a wide range of work: habitat restoration and biodiversity, climate education and campaigning, community energy schemes, sustainable food systems, and urban greening projects. Several dedicated environmental foundations — such as the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation's environment strand and the Garfield Weston Foundation — provide multi-year grants for strategic environmental work. Smaller funders often focus on local conservation: protecting specific habitats, waterways, or species within defined geographic areas. The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports environmental projects with heritage significance. There is growing funder interest in climate justice — projects that address the disproportionate impact of climate change on disadvantaged communities. Nature-based solutions, rewilding, and projects that combine environmental outcomes with health and wellbeing benefits are particularly well-funded. Community-led environmental action consistently attracts strong support from both national and regional funders.

Quick Stats

Total Funders
417
Grant Range
£100 - £6,000,000
Open to Applications
54%

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Filters use programme details verified from each funder's own published guidance. Funders we haven't verified yet are listed separately below, never hidden.

Environment & Conservation Funders

18 of 417 match your filters

Checked against verified programme data for 109 of 417 funders. 308 not yet verified are listed below; 91 that don't fit were excluded.

Active Travel England

Matching programme: Active Travel Community Grants

Active Travel England champions walking, wheeling, and cycling as the preferred everyday travel modes in England, rooted in values of inclusivity, inn...

Grant Range
£15,000 - £100,000

Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation

Matching programme: Safer Bedfordshire Communities Fund (Safer Streets 5)

Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF), established in 1999 and registered as a charity in 2001 by founders Geoffrey Farr MBE DL, Sir Samu...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

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

Ernest Cook Trust

Matching programme: Outdoor Learning Leader Grant

The Ernest Cook Trust, founded in 1952 by Ernest Cook—grandson of travel pioneer Thomas Cook—is a leading UK educational charity with over 9,000 hecta...

Grant Range
£500 - £20,000

Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company

Matching programme: Apprenticeship Scheme

Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company, established in 2007 by the local Community Council in the Scottish Highlands, is a community-led organ...

Grant Range
Up to £25,000

Friends Provident Charitable Foundation

Matching programme: Building Resilient Economies programme

Friends Provident Charitable Foundation, an independent UK grant-making charity established in 2004 with a £33 million endowment from Friends Providen...

Grant Range
£100,000 - £120,000

Gwinear-Gwithian Sustainable Community Fund

Matching programme: Gwinear-Gwithian Sustainable Community Fund

Gwinear-Gwithian Sustainable Community Fund is a community-rooted charity dedicated to enhancing sustainability, resilience, and quality of life in ru...

Grant Range
£500 - £10,000

John Ellerman Foundation

Matching programme: Main Grants programme (2025-2030 strategy)

The John Ellerman Foundation, established in 1971 by John Reeves Ellerman with wealth from shipping, brewing, and other industries—acknowledging its h...

Grant Range
Up to £180,000

MCS Foundation

Matching programme: Main Grant Call 2026

The MCS Foundation, legally the MCS Charitable Foundation (charity number 1165752), was established in 2016 to accelerate a carbon-free future for all...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Moto Foundation

Matching programme: Community Grants

Moto Foundation, established in 2005 as Moto in the Community and rebranded in 2022, serves as the charitable arm of Moto Hospitality Limited, the UK'...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £2,500

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

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

Postcode Innovation Trust

Matching programme: Social Enterprise EDGE Award

Postcode Innovation Trust, established in 2016, is an independent funder powered by proceeds from its society lottery linked to People’s Postcode Lott...

Grant Range
£100,000 - £1,250,000

Shanly Foundation

Matching programme: General Applications Fund

The Shanly Foundation, established in 1994 by property developer Michael Shanly as the charitable arm of the Shanly Group, drives practical, hands-on ...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Shears Foundation

Matching programme: Small Grants Programme

The Shears Foundation, a family-led charitable foundation established in 1994 by Trevor and Lyn Shears from proceeds of the Go-Ahead transport group f...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £6,000

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

Sussex Community Foundation

Matching programme: Main Grants Programme

Sussex Community Foundation, established in 2006 by the late 10th Duke of Richmond and Gordon, is an independent UK Community Foundation dedicated to ...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Triodos Foundation

Matching programme: Triodos Foundation Grant

Triodos Foundation, established in 1996 as an expression of Triodos Bank’s ethos of sustainable, ethical finance, is a UK-registered grant-maker dedic...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000
308 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 Environment & Conservation Funders

Environmental funders expect quantified impact projections in your application. Specify measurable targets such as hectares of habitat restored, tonnes of CO2 saved, species population counts, or trees planted — vague environmental aspirations will not compete against applications with concrete metrics. Demonstrate alignment with established frameworks such as biodiversity net gain requirements, the Nature Recovery Network, or local environment record centre data. If your project involves habitat restoration or species conservation, reference baseline surveys and explain your monitoring methodology for tracking ecological change over time. Community engagement is increasingly important alongside conservation outcomes — show how local people will be involved as volunteers, citizen scientists, or decision-makers rather than passive beneficiaries. Address the relationship between your project and the wider landscape or catchment context, explaining how site-level work contributes to regional environmental priorities. Strong applications in this space combine scientific rigour with accessible communication, demonstrating both ecological expertise and the ability to inspire public engagement. Include partnerships with statutory bodies such as Natural England, local wildlife trusts, or environment agencies that validate your approach and connect your work to strategic environmental planning.

Frequently Asked Questions about Environment & Conservation Grants

What grants are available for environment & conservation charities in the UK?

There are 417+ UK funders offering grants for environment & conservation 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 environment & conservation organisations get?

Grant amounts for environment & conservation 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 environment & conservation grants?

Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your environment & conservation work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 417+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.

How to Find the Right Environment & Conservation 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 417 environment & conservation 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 417 Funders Are Right for You?

Browsing 417 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.

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