Triodos Foundation

Triodos Foundation, established in 1996 as an expression of Triodos Bank’s ethos of sustainable, ethical finance, is a UK-registered grant-maker dedicated to enabling positive social, environmental, and cultural change in local communities around Bristol. Managed by a board of trustees, it channels funds to charities and volunteer-led organisations aligned with values of transparency, integrity, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion, using positive screening to prioritise impactful initiatives that address inequalities, promote wellbeing, and foster societal renewal through catalytic, innovative projects.

It supports grassroots efforts in environmental sustainability (e.g., community gardens, biodiversity, energy transition), community development, social justice for vulnerable groups, cultural enrichment via arts programmes, and access to healthy food and nature. Funding targets practical, place-based interventions like food justice projects and local social enterprises that spark wider transformation and measurable outcomes for people, nature, and culture.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, CICs, or community groups based in and benefiting Bristol, South Gloucestershire, or Somerset, with a preference for smaller, grassroots organisations (no strict income limits). Applications are unsolicited, submitted anytime via email (foundation@triodos.co.uk) with a downloaded form and recent financials; they are reviewed at quarterly trustee meetings (March, June, September, December), with only successful applicants notified. Typical grants range from £500 to £3,000 for specific projects.

Distinctively, Triodos avoids large capital, unrestricted, or core funding, broad generalist grants, and organisations outside its geographic focus, emphasising tightly aligned, under-served models integrated with Triodos Bank’s global ethical tradition for equitable local regeneration.