Woodroffe Benton Foundation

Could Woodroffe Benton Foundation fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.

Typical grants: £500 – £2,500
Applications: Accepted
How to apply: Online form

Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.

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woodroffebenton.org.uk

About Woodroffe Benton Foundation

The Woodroffe Benton Foundation is an independent grant-making charity that supports people in need across the UK. Its mission centres on enhancing quality of life, with a particular focus on helping people, especially those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors. The Foundation values inclusivity, ensuring projects are open to all regardless of race or religion, and takes a cautious, trustee-driven approach to funding. It is distinctive for its preference for smaller charities and its commitment to covering core costs, enabling organisations to sustain their essential work.

What Woodroffe Benton Foundation funds

The Foundation funds a broad range of causes, including poverty and hardship, older people, physical health, education and skills, environment, and disability. It supports projects that help disabled people, older people, and the general public, with a particular emphasis on outdoor access and connecting with nature. Grants are available UK-wide, and the trustees prefer to support smaller charities with core costs, allowing them to maintain their operations. The Foundation does not fund heritage or museum projects, places of worship restoration, student grants, palliative care, or animal welfare organisations unless focused on UK wild species conservation.

Who can apply

UK-registered charities and schools are eligible to apply. The Foundation prioritises smaller organisations and is unlikely to fund those with substantial annual incomes. It does not support branches of national charities unless they have a separate charitable number and receive no financial support from the national body. Organisations must have been operating for at least 24 months and, except for educational institutions, hold Charity Commission registration. Beneficiaries include disabled people, older people, and the general public, with a focus on those facing poverty or hardship.

What Woodroffe Benton Foundation doesn't fund

The Foundation excludes a range of activities and organisations. It does not fund heritage or museum projects, places of worship seeking restoration or upgrade of facilities, or students requesting grants for tertiary education or gap years. Palliative care is not supported, nor are animal welfare organisations unless their primary purpose is conservation of wild species in the UK. Bodies affiliated to national organisations are excluded unless independently registered, as are organisations operating for less than 24 months or without Charity Commission registration (except schools). Educational organisations based outside Derbyshire are also not funded.

How they like to fund

The Foundation offers one-off grants through its Small Grant Programme, which runs twice a year. It prefers to support smaller charities with core costs, enabling them to sustain their work. Grants are awarded to UK-registered charities and schools, and the Foundation welcomes unsolicited applications. The trustees may also choose to initiate larger or multi-year awards, though this is not detailed in the sources.

How much does Woodroffe Benton Foundation give?

Woodroffe Benton Foundation runs one grant programme. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.

Last verified 8 August 2026 · 22 sourced facts

Small Grant ProgrammeOpen to applications

£500 – £2,500

Online application form
2 rounds a year
Decisions in ~9 weeks
Single-year grants

Those are the published figures. What your charity could realistically get — and whether you'd clear their rules on income, location and legal structure — is what the free fit check answers.

What Woodroffe Benton Foundation funds — and what they won't

Their stated priorities

The August 2026 round focuses on projects that support people, particularly those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors. The Trustees also prefer to support smaller charities with core costs, and are unlikely to fund organisations with income over £750,000.

They don't fund

Heritage

The full exclusions list (10)

Organisations that operate primarily outside the UK or for the benefit of non-UK residents
Places of worship seeking funds for restoration or upgrade of facilities
Students requesting a grant for tertiary education or a gap year
Museums, historical or heritage organisations
Funding of palliative care
Animal welfare organisations whose primary purpose is not conservation of the environment except for those that help the survival of wild species in the UK
Bodies affiliated to or a local branch of a national organisation, unless they have a separate charitable number and receive no financial support from the national charity
Organisations that have been operating for less than 24 months
Organisations without a Charity Commission registration (except educational institutions)
Educational organisations based outside the Derbyshire region – although the trustees may choose to do so

Good to know

FaithNo restriction

Focus areas

Poverty & hardshipOlder peopleDisabilityChildren & youthEducation

How to apply to Woodroffe Benton Foundation

Woodroffe Benton Foundation takes applications via online form.

Published programme route: online application form.
Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.

How it works

1
Describe your project. Once — used for this funder and others.
2
See if this could be a fit. Honest check on cause, place, size, and rules.
3
Draft if yes. From your real data — or move on if not.

See if Woodroffe Benton Foundation could be a fit. Draft if yes.

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does Woodroffe Benton Foundation provide?

Woodroffe Benton Foundation runs one grant programme — Small Grant Programme: £500 – £2,500.

Where does Woodroffe Benton Foundation fund charities?

Woodroffe Benton Foundation funds charities operating in the UK.

Does Woodroffe Benton Foundation accept unsolicited applications?

Woodroffe Benton Foundation accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.

What does Woodroffe Benton Foundation not fund?

Their published exclusions include: Organisations that operate primarily outside the UK or for the benefit of non-UK residents; Places of worship seeking funds for restoration or upgrade of facilities; Students requesting a grant for tertiary education or a gap year; Museums, historical or heritage organisations; Funding of palliative care. The full exclusions list is further up this page.

How do I apply for funding from Woodroffe Benton Foundation?

Woodroffe Benton Foundation takes applications via online form. Published programme route: online application form.