December's funding news

Welcome to December’s funding update.

This update is split into two parts. Section A features funders with a local or regional focus. Section B features funders who work across England. In both sections, funders are listed in order of deadline date, soonest first. Funders without a deadline date appear after this.

Many grants to support groups and individuals with the cost-of-living crisis have now closed. You will find those that are still open in our April funding update.

This update can only provide a snapshot of these funders so we recommend visiting the funders’ websites for full details before you apply. Most funders in this list have a website, which you can access by clicking on the name of the funder. Full contact details have been provided for funders that do not have a website.

A. Funders with a local / regional interest

Inclusive Communities Fund

Deadline: 4th January 2024
Who can apply: Not-for-profit organisations based in and delivering projects, activities and services in the specified areas of the West Midlands may apply. There is an income limit of £500,000 for the Small Grants Fund as it is intended for smaller community and grassroots organisations. There is no income limit for the other grants. All applicants must ensure they are within the UK subsidy threshold of £315,000.

Size of grant available: up to £100,000
Priorities: The Fund shares the four original core mission principles of the Commonwealth Games:

Bringing people together
Improving health and wellbeing
Helping the region to grow
Putting the region on the map

The funding is for works, activities and services that will contribute to the four core missions, and which fall within one or more of the following three themes:

Physical activity and sport
Mental health and well-being
Arts, culture and creativity

How to Apply: The deadline for applications are as follows:

4 January 2024 – Small Works, Refurbishment and Renovation Grants
4 January 2024 – Large Grants

There will be varying deadlines throughout 2023-2024 for:

Small Grants (up to £15,000)
Medium Grants (£15,000 to £75,000)

The application guidance pack and FAQs can be found on the Heart of England Community Foundation website.

All applications must be made via the link on the Heart of England Community Foundation website.

Contact either Heart of England Community Foundation or United By 2022 Legacy Charity by email for further information.

West Midlands – UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Multiply Small Grants

Deadline: 10th January 2024
Who can apply: Not-for-profit organisations working in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area. The WMCA is particularly interested in supporting organisations who predominantly work with groups in low paid or unsecure employment
Size of grant available: £25,000-£100,000
Priorities: Successful organisations will be expected to identify, target and engage with residents in low paid or insecure employment to help them get onto the Multiply programme to improve their literacy skills. WMCA is looking for organisations to help them:

Act as an advocate for the Multiply programme, employing a ‘Numeracy Champion’ to engage with employed residents accessing their services to promote the benefit of enhanced numeracy skills and qualifications.
Identify residents who will benefit from numeracy support
Design your own programme to engage your audiences with Multiply

How to apply: Full guidance and application form are available on the WMCA Multiply Small Grants website.

Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust

Deadline: 9th February 2024
Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: £1,000-£5,000
Priorities: Projects must relate to at least one of the Trust’s priorities:

Children and young people
Disability and health
Environment & heritage
The arts
Work in the community
Social support
Hospices

Grants can cover project, capital expenditure or core costs
How to apply: Full guidelines and an online application form can be found on The Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust website.

Alfred Haines Charitable Trust

Who can apply: Smaller charities based in the West Midlands
Size of grant available: Up to £2,000
Priorities: One-off grants are available for the purpose of supporting specific projects that help people to improve their quality of life
How to apply: Apply in writing to The Alfred Haines Charitable Trust, Dale Farm, Worcester Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5PR. Email applications are not accepted. For more information, visit the funder’s website.

Dumbreck Charity

Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: Up to £2,000
Priorities: The majority of grants are awarded for the following charitable purposes:

Animal welfare and conservation
Children’s welfare
Care of the elderly
Care of those who are physically or mentally disadvantaged (the charity uses the term ‘handicapped’)
General medical

How to apply: Applications should apply in writing and include a copy of their accounts. Write to: The Dumbreck Charity, 41 Sycamore Drive, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5QX.

Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust

Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: £500-£10,000
Priorities: Funding for specific one-off projects, or parts of projects. Grants are grouped under seven main headings for projects that support and develop these areas:

Arts and culture
Community projects and integration
Compassionate support
Conservation and environment
Interfaith and multifaith relations
Education and training
Research

How to apply: Applications can be submitted online at any time. An online application form can be found on the Edward Cadbury Trust website.

Eveson Charitable Trust

Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: At the funder’s discretion. Organisations wanting to apply for over £100,000 must first contact Eveson Charitable Trust’s Chief Executive to discuss the proposed project
Priorities: Funding is available for projects in the West Midlands that will support:

People with physical disabilities including visual and hearing impairment
People with learning difficulties
People in need of support with their mental health
Children and young people up to the age of 25 who are disadvantaged or disabled
Older people
The homeless
Hospices
Hospitals

How to apply: Guidance and an online application are available on the Eveson Charitable Trust website.

Grantham Yorke Trust

Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: This is at the funder’s discretion. Potential applicants are welcome to contact Grantham Yorke Trust to discuss their project before applying
Priorities: Funding is intended for charitable projects that benefit local young people under the age of 25. These projects could be for the purpose of:

Advancing the education and physical and social training of such persons
Providing financial assistance, outfits, clothing, tools, instruments, equipment or books to help such persons on leaving school, university or other educational establishment, to prepare for, or to enter, a profession, trade or calling
Apprenticing such persons to some useful profession, trade or calling
Promoting or assisting the education or rehabilitation of such persons who are in need of physical, mental or moral care
Assisting by way of education and training the prevention of juvenile delinquency, the abuse of drugs, alcohol and gambling, the procreation of unwanted children and the neglect or ill-treatment of children
Assisting by way of advice, education and training such persons who are parents in the upbringing of their children
Assisting in the upbringing of such persons by advising, educating and training the parents of such persons
Providing for such persons facilities for recreation and other leisure-time occupation in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life and helping them so to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacities, self-reliance and individual responsibility that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society

How to apply: Potential applicants should contact the Trust directly to discuss the likelihood of their project being eligible for a grant. The Trust may then offer to send out an application form. Applicants must submit a copy of their report and year-end accounts along with the application
Contact details: Grantham Yorke Trust, The Estate Office, Wharf Cottage, Broombank, Newnham Bridge, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire,
WR15 8NY. Tel: 07799784019 | Email: chrissy@granthamyorketrust.org.uk.

Sir John Middlemore Charitable Trust

Who can apply: Any not-for-profit organisation including constituted community groups, charities and social enterprises. Applicants must have an annual income below £250,000 and be working with disadvantaged children and young people
Size of grant available: Up to £2,000
Priorities: Funding is available for activities that will clearly be of direct benefit to children or young people under the age 18 (or under 25 for those with a disability). The trust’s particular areas of interest include the following:

Disadvantaged children and young people
Disabled children and young people
Looked after children and young people
Looked after children and young people leaving care
Young carers

How to apply: Application forms can be downloaded from the Sir John Middlemore Charitable Trust website or requested by email. The Trust prefers completed application forms to be returned by email, but will accept postal applications if this is not possible.

B. National funders

Thomas Wall Trust – Grants for Registered Charities

Deadline: 8th January 2023
Who can apply: Charities that have been registered for at least three years and have an annual turnover between £10,000 and £500,000
Size of grant available: Up to £5,000
Priorities: Funding for projects that develop communication skills for people from disadvantaged groups who want to improve their employment prospects. Priority will be given to:

Match funded projects
Charities that can provide compelling evidence of impact
Charities working with collaborative networks
Self-sustainable projects, with a view to becoming less reliant on grants in the future

Proposals are particularly welcome which target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups demonstrably facing major hurdles to employment, such as women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers
How to apply: There is a two-stage application process:

Online Expression of Interest form (available on the trust’s website) which requires some basic contact details and a description of what the funding is required for
Stage two is by invitation only and involves completing a more in-depth application form and to submit a Project Plan, budget, latest set of financial accounts and any relevant policies.

Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust

Deadline: 10th January 2024
Who can apply: Registered animal welfare charities only
Size of grant available: Undefined, but the average size of grant is £1,000-£10,000
Priorities: Grants can be used towards revenue and capital costs. The funding is intended to support the following activities:

General running costs associated with the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of domestic, wild and exotic animals
Costs associated with the direct protection of endangered species
Feeding, capturing, neutering and releasing of feral cats
Assistance with vets’ fees and neutering costs of animals owned by those on low incomes
Donations towards capital purchases involving land, buildings, vehicles, equipment and educational material. The Trustees may pledge funds up to a maximum of £35,000 towards large capital building projects, which will only be released when all other funding is in place and the work is ready to commence
Donations toward the purchase or improvement of property or fixed buildings, provided that:
- the property is clearly in the ownership of the charity, or
- at least 10 years is left to run on the charity’s lease, or
- a letter from the landowner states that the charity will be reimbursed for the improvements on sale of the property or at the end of the lease. Otherwise, support for improvements can only be considered when they do not increase the saleable value of the property

How to apply: Application forms and guidance are available on the Trust’s website. The forms (one for new applicants and one for past applicants) can be completed online or downloaded and returned by email
Further deadlines: 10 January (for the spring meeting), 1 May (for the summer meeting) and 1 September (for the winter meeting).

Weston Charity Awards

Deadline: 10th January 2024
Who can apply: Registered charities in Wales and the North and Midlands of England that are ambitious and working to alleviate disadvantage in one or more of the following fields can apply:

Youth – the provision of services to children and young people up to age 25, including advice and guidance, work experience, training and coaching.
Welfare – helping vulnerable individuals, including adults experiencing exclusion, social or economic hardship or homelessness, offenders, providing support for older people and disabled.
Environment – practical action around sustainable land use and fishing, renewable energy, recycling schemes, biodiversity, species preservation, marine life, education, climate change science and conservation.
Community – including volunteering work, practical projects to improve an area, running community centres and providing a range of services for their local community.

To be eligible, charities must:

Have a registered charity number.
Be working in the fields of welfare, youth or community.
Have delivered a service for at least two years.
Have at least one paid full-time member of staff in a leadership position.
Have an annual income of less than £5 million per year.
Provide direct services to beneficiaries (not umbrella groups) or take practical action on the environment.
Have the majority of activity or beneficiaries in the Midlands, North of England or Wales. A full list of eligible areas can be found on the Weston Charity Awards website.

Organisations that have applied previously are eligible to apply again as long as there have been significant changes since applying.

Size of grant available: Discretionary
Priorities: The Awards aim to celebrate and support charities working in the fields of youth, welfare, community, and the environment, and to enable charities to develop, raise their profiles, become more sustainable and face the future with greater confidence.
How to apply: The deadline for applications is 10 January 2024 (5pm).

Full entry criteria and the online application form can be found on the Pilotlight website.

Hubbub – Nature Hubs Fund

Deadline: 11th January 2024
Who can apply: Any not-for-profit including community groups, charities and social enterprises
Size of grant available: £3,000-£6,000
Priorities: This fund aims to support groups to create or enhance green spaces within a 5-kilometre radius of Starbucks stores that bring people closer to nature and relate to any one or more of the following themes:

Increasing access – Bringing green space to an area where there is limited access to nature, such as by creating or enhancing a community garden, a green roof, increasing biodiversity in an urban area, or other similar ideas, or to encourage a particular demographic who might not otherwise or rarely access an existing green space
Bringing People Together – Bring people together and create community connections in/around a shared green space, such as community growing, plant sharing, coffee and chats, or youth activities
Upskilling the Community – Teaching community members new skills and encouraging health and well-being through spending time in green spaces, such as workshops and/or events taking place in green spaces, how-to guides on increasing nature connections, or training around nature-based activities
Building Climate Resilience – Making an existing space more climate resilient and engaging the local community on climate issues, such as changes to buildings and urban spaces that increase resilience to heatwaves, drought, coastal flooding, or sea-level rise, while creating community connection in the green space

How to apply: Guidance notes and an online application form are available from the Nature Hub website.

Youth Music Trailblazer Fund

Deadline: 12th January 2024
Who can apply: Constituted UK based organisations may apply.

To be eligible, applicants must:

Be committed to improving equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in their organisation, including youth voice and participation.
Be keen to develop their organisation.
Be legally constituted before submitting an application.
Have a bank account in the name of the organisation.
Have the correct insurance in place and comply with all relevant statutory legislation.
Have a safeguarding policy that is reflected on and updated regularly.

There is particular interest in:

Small organisations with a turnover of less than £500,000 per annum, have a small staff team and limited fundraising capacity.
Those who work with children and young people facing barriers who want to trial a new music offer.
Established organisations that want to test a new way of working or disrupt the status quo.

Size of grant available: up to £30,000
Priorities: The funding aims to support young people who want to change their lives through music but cannot because of who they are, where they are from or what they are going through.

The grants are for organisations who want to trial work for the first time, test a new way of working, or disrupt the status quo.

How to apply: Applications should be submitted by the following deadlines:

Funding Round 6 (for projects starting between May and July 2024) – deadline of 12 January 2024 (5pm).
Funding Round 7 (for projects starting between January and March 2025) – deadline of 30 August 2024 (5pm).
Funding Round 8 (for projects starting between: April and June 2025) – deadline of 22 November 2024 (5pm).

Guidance and the online application portal can be found on the Youth Music website.

Lloyd’s Bank Foundation for England and Wales – Funding Programme for Specialist Small Charities

Deadline: 25th January 2024
Who can apply: Registered charities with income between £25,000 and £500,000 per year
Size of grant available: UP to £75,000 for three years
Priorities: The programme offers both an unrestricted grant and tailored support aimed at helping to strengthen charities and build the knowledge, skills and capabilities of staff and trustees. Applicants must be providing in-depth services in one of the following eight themes:

Addiction
Asylum seekers and refugees
Care leavers
Domestic abuse
Homelessness
Offending
Sexual abuse and exploitation
Trafficking and modern slavery

How to apply: Full guidance and online application are on the funder’s website.

7stars Foundation

Deadline: 31st January 2024
Who can apply: Registered charities with turnover under £1.5million only
Size of grant available: Up to £2,500
Priorities: Supports projects that work with young people (aged 16 and under) challenged by abuse and addiction, those who are young carers, and those who are homeless or without a safe space to call home. Project grants will cover the costs of projects which:

Enable young people to have the best start in life and aim high
Have a direct impact and respond to a need in an immediate manner
Are hosted in geographical areas of deprivation and socioeconomic disadvantage
Respond to one or more of the funding priorities of the7stars foundation
Address a lack of provision (due to a lack of funding from alternative sources)
Provide immediate support, not just in the short-term but with long-term benefits too

How to apply: Online application form and full guidance are available on the 7stars Foundation website.

Warburtons Families Matter Community Grants Programme

Deadline: 5th February 2024
Who can apply: Not-for-profit groups with charitable purposes
Size of grant available: Up to £400
Priorities: To support projects, activities and organisations that will be of real direct benefit to families and have a direct and tangible social impact on people’s lives. Funding is available for projects that are working towards one of Warburtons’ outcome areas:

Health – supporting families to care for each other and lead healthier lives:
- Improving physical health
- Improving wellbeing
Place – supporting families to flourish in communities that are safer, greener and more inclusive:
- Making spaces safe and inclusive
- Connecting communities with the environment
Skills – supporting families to gain useful skills for life and work:
- Developing useful life skills
- Developing useful skills for employment

Grants can be used to cover specific costs that will benefit the cause (e.g. purchasing equipment to support an employability project)
How to apply: Visit the Warburtons website to access the guidance, deadlines for the rest of the year and the online application form.

Money Saving Expert (MSE) Charity

Deadline: 15th February 2024
Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit organisation including community groups, charities and social enterprises
Size of grant available: Up to £8,000
Priorities: All projects should focus on building financial capability skills for those who need it most and address the theme for that particular round. The theme for the January 2024 grant round is ‘Living with Long Term Challenges’. This grant round is aimed at projects focused on improving and delivering personal financial life skills to people living with Long Term Challenges, such as:

Dementia
Autism
Learning difficulties
Disabilities
Caring responsibilities
Mental illness
Brain injury / stroke

All applications must demonstrate how the project they are seeking funding for has a lasting impact on the people taking part. There is particular interest in applications which use memorable, innovative, and or creative ways of delivering financial life skills which will make a lasting impact on the way people think, behave and manage their money
How to apply: The next grant round, Living with Long Term Challenges, is expected to open for applications on 15 January 2024 with a deadline of 16 February 2024. Each grant round is limited to the first 40 accepted applications. A grant eligibility quiz, online application form, guidance notes and FAQs are available on the MSE Charity website. The application guidance document changes for each round and groups should make sure they have read it carefully before starting the application form.

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust

Deadline: 29th February 2024 (round 1)
Who can apply: Registered charities only (except CIOs)
Size of grant available: £1,000. Round 2 maximum grant size is £5,000
Priorities: The priority for rounds 1 and 2 is disability, specifically employment and training for people living with disabilities to ensure better access. The priority for rounds 3 and 4 later in 2024 is food poverty, with a focus on providing nutritious meals, food education, cooking skills, and eliminating food waste
How to apply: Applicants should first read the guidelines and FAQs before starting the application process. The online application form, guidance and FAQs are on the funder’s website
Further deadlines: Round 2 – 30th April; Round 3 – 31st July; Round 4 – 30th September 2024.

BA Better World Community Fund (with Crowdfunding)

Please note this is a match-funding initiative delivered in partnership with Crowdfunder and thus not a traditional grant scheme (funds awarded are conditional upon applicants first securing crowdfunding via Crowdfunder’s platform).
Who can apply: Registered charities, registered community benefit organisations and social enterprises
Size of grant available: Up to £15,000
Priorities: BA will match up to 50% of the money raised by groups through Crowdfunder, up to a maximum of £15,000. The funding is for innovative projects that can help create a better world. Priority will be given to:

Projects providing training and skills to help disadvantaged groups access employment and education
Projects creating opportunities for people in underrepresented groups particularly focused on improving gender and ethnic diversity and accessibility for people with disabilities
Innovative projects tackling environmental and climate challenges with sustainable long-term outcomes

How to apply: Funding is on a first come, first served basis. Matching will stop automatically when the funds are fully allocated. To secure a pledge from the the BA Better World Community Fund, applicants must first complete the application form available from the BA website. Successful applications will then need to create a crowdfunding campaign within six weeks of notification of approval.

BBC Children in Need – Core Grants

Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit organisation, including community groups, charities and social enterprises that work with disadvantaged children aged 18 or under
Size of grant available: The maximum grant is £120,000 (or £40,000 over three years), though most grants made are for much less than this
Priorities: The funding is intended for not-for-profit organisations that work with disadvantaged children and young people, under the age of 18, living in the UK. This stream offers core funding to organisations whose work aligns with the principles set out in the Children in Need Grantmaking Strategy 2022-2025:

Sharing power with children and young people
Acting flexibly
Using its voice to build awareness and empathy around issues
Building partnerships to bring communities and investors together

Core Costs grants are awarded as restricted funding and must be used to cover the organisation’s essential running expenses. The funding is to be used for an organisation’s central day-to-day operations, including:

Management and administration
HR and payroll
General office expenses
Accountancy and audit
Communications and outreach
Monitoring, evaluation, and learning
Governance, regulatory, and compliance costs

How to apply: There is a two-stage application process:

An initial expression of interest form is available on the Children in Need website
Successful applicants will receive a link to the full application form and have 120 days to complete it.