July's funding news - Dudley CVS

Welcome to July’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.

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

FCC Community Action Fund – England

Deadline: 20th August 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities and community amateur sports clubs as well as church and local authorities. Applicants are advised to discuss their eligibility before applying. The project site must be owned, leased or under long term formal management agreement by the applying organisation. Any lease or management agreement must be in place before any application is made and have at least five years left to run
Size of grant available: Grants of between £2,000 and £100,000 are available for projects with a maximum total project cost of £500,000 (including VAT if relevant). All grant recipients are required to secure a ‘Contributing Third Party’ (CTP) payment. This is a very specific payment required to be paid to the landfill operator and it is not the same as match funding. Full details can be found in the guidance notes
Priorities: The funding is intended to support not-for-profit organisations with the costs of making physical improvements to single amenity sites that are open and accessible to the general public. The facility should be somewhere the general public can go, join, or use, for leisure or entertainment purposes without any limit or restriction of use. Projects must be based within 10 miles of an eligible FCC Environment waste facility. Applicants should use the distance checker to determine if their project is located within 10 miles of an eligible FCC Environment waste facility site
How to apply: The guidance notes and online application system can be found on the FCC Communities Foundation website. Applicants should refer to the current guidance notes before starting the application process
Further deadlines: Round 4 opens 3 September 2025 and closes 10 November 2025 (5pm).

Postcode Local Trust – West of England

Deadline: 8th September 2025
Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit organsiation such as voluntary groups, community, organisations, charities and community interest companies
Size of grant available: There are two levels of funding:

Ogranisations that are not registered charities can apply for between £500 and £2,500
Organisations that are registered charities can apply for between £500 and £25,000

Priorities: The funding is for projects that have a clear alignment with one of the Trust’s 2025 themes:

Enabling participation in physical activity
Enabling participation in the arts
Improving biodiversity and responding to the climate emergency
Improving green spaces and increasing access to the outdoors
Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
Providing support to improve mental health
Supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality

How to apply: The application window will open on 28th August and the deadline is 8th Septeber. Full guidance notes will be available on the Postcode Local Trust website at the end of July.

npower Business Solutions Foundation

Who can apply: Incorporated not-for-profit organisations such as companies limited by guarantee, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), community interest companies (CICs) and co-operative societies
Size of grant available: Applicants with a turnover less than £50,000 can apply for up to £19,999 | Applicants with a turnover over £50,000 can apply for up to £100,000
Priorities: The funding aims to help create stronger, greener and more sustainable local communities within a 50-mile radius of the npower Business Solutions (nBS) Foundation Leeds and Solihull offices. The funding aims to:

Improve the environment
Forge stronger community bonds
Support local educational institutions
Encourage responsible business
Improve places and spaces

Eligible projects could include, but are not limited to:

Energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures
Waste reduction and recycling initiatives
Improvements to outdoor environments
Training programmes that develop local skills and employment opportunities

How to apply: The online application form, frequently asked questions and two short videos are available on the npower Business Solutions Foundation website. The videos explain the eligibility criteria and provide an overview of the application process. There are no deadlines for applications. Award decisions are made on a quarterly basis. Applications submitted from:

1 July to 30 September 2025 are reviewed in October 2025 with awards in November 2025
1 October to 31 December 2025 are reviewed in January 2026 with awards in February 2026
1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026 are reviewed in April 2026 with awards in May 2026.

Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust

Deadline: 24th October 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities based in Birmingham and the Black Country only
Size of grant available: Grants are usually between £1,000 and £5,000
Priorities: Funding for projects in the following categories:

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

Grants can cover project, capital expenditure or core costs
How to apply: Application forms, FAQs and full guidelines are available on the funder’s website.

Severn Trent Community Fund – Core Funding

Deadline: 30th November
Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit organisation including voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprises that operate in the Severn Trent region (including the South Staffs region)
Size of grant available: £5,000-£20,000
Priorities: Grants are to cover the essential costs an organisation has to keep running. This might include management and administration, general office costs (rent and utilities), accountancy and audit, fundraising, communications and governance/compliance costs. Applicants should be able to demonstrate that:

Their organisation runs a vital service for the local community, especially supporting those most vulnerable
They have a real and measurable impact on improving wider community wellbeing in the region
Are finding it hard to maintain their organisation’s current activities and need urgent financial help to cover their running costs

The types of organisations the funders are able to support will likely be emergency relief services (eg foodbanks), health and medical support, housing and homelessness support, support for vulnerable populations and organisations that give employment and income assistance
How to apply: The application window opens on 1st November and the deadline is 30th November. An online application form and criteria are available on the Severn Trent website.

Dudley Council – Community Forum Grants

Who can apply: Any type of constituted not-for-profit group such as voluntary and community groups and charities that benefit people living in Dudley borough
Size of grant available: Up to £2,500
Priorities: There are five Community Forums across Dudley borough:

Brierley Hill
Dudley Central
Dudley North
Halesowen
Stourbridge

Applicants should apply to the Community Forum in which their work will take place. Funding can be used for a wide range of projects and activities that benefit people and communities in Dudley borough, including but not limited to:

Community gardening projects
High street ‘in bloom’ initiatives
Hosting community fun days
Improving skills
Promoting volunteering
Providing learning opportunities

Funding can be used for capital costs such as purchasing equipment, vehicles, land or buildings, and/or revenue expenditure for proposed activities. Revenue costs must be one-off or strictly time limited. Funding must be spent within nine months of approval by the community forum. If (in exceptional circumstances) funding has been provided in advance, paid invoices/receipts must be provided to the council within three months
How to apply: Applications can be submitted at anytime and are considered at Community Grant Panel meetings which are typically held four times per year. Applications should be submitted at least 28 days in advance to be considered at the subsequent meeting. Later applications will be held over to the next available meeting. The next Community Grant Panel meetings are scheduled as follows:

Brierley Hill

24 November 2025
4 March 2026

Dudley Central

23 October 2025
5 March 2026

Dudley North

17 November 2025
9 March 2026

Halesowen

17 November 2025
23 March 2026

Stourbridge

26 November 2025
11 March 2026

Applicants are encouraged to speak with their local Community Development Worker (CDW) before submitting an application. Guidance notes and an application form are available from the Dudley Council website.

B. National Funders

Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Charity

Deadline: 18th August 2025
Who can apply: Constituted not-for-profit organisations such as registered charities and community interest companies
Size of grant available: Generally, grants of up to £15,000 are available. In exceptional circumstances grants of over £15,000 may be awarded. Organisations can also apply for independent strategic-level pro-bono help for their IT projects from WCIT
As of Spring 2025, the remaining funds for 2025 are £64,920. The typical number of grants made per quarter is two. The typical number of applications per quarter is 200
Priorities: Funding of IT-related projects and provision of pro-bono IT consultancy which help achieve the WCIT Charity’s priorities
How to apply: Updated eligibility criteria and application guidelines can be found on the WCIT Charity website. The charity has announced it is receiving ‘a high number of requests, the success rate for applicants is currently less than 2%’.

Hilden Charitable Trust

Deadline: 21st August 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual income under £200,000 in the last three financial years
Size of grant available: Grants will usually be in the range of £5,000 to £7,000 per year for up to two years
Priorities: The funding is for projects taking place in the UK that address one of the following:

Asylum Seekers and Refugees – For organisations working to provide essential services which help meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees and support their integration/participation in the wider community
Penal Affairs – for work “through the door” where organisations go into prisons with projects and support to help prisoners (especially women) cope and/or maintain family bonds and to be better able to resettle positively when released. Post-release projects which support positive settlement and reduce the risk of re-offending are also welcomed

How to apply: The general guidance and priorities are available on the Hilden Charitable Fund website. Applicants should use the ‘contact us’ form on the Hilden Charitable Fund website for enquiries.

Inman Charity

Deadline: 29th August 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: Most grants tend to be between £2,000 and £5,000, with an occasional larger grant
Priorities: The funding is for projects with a social welfare focus and those working with disadvantaged people
How to apply: Application is by letter providing the following information:

The registered charity number, the aims and objectives of the charity, and any other relevant factors
Details of the total amount required
Contributions received to date
Proposed timing to complete the work
A copy of the latest annual report
A set of the most recent audited accounts

The directors do not acknowledge applications and will only contact those to whom grants are awarded. For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following: Enquiries, Inman Charity, BM Box 2831, London, WC1N 3XX.

Woodroffe Benton Foundation – Small Grants Programme

Deadline: 31st August 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual income below £750,000
Size of grant available: One-off grants of between £500 and £2,500 are available
Priorities: The foundation aims to support charitable projects in the UK that provide care for the sick and elderly, conserve and improve the environment, promote education, and help those in need as a result of disaster or as a consequence of social and economic circumstances
How to apply: The next funding round is scheduled to be open from 1 to 31 August 2025 (or when 150 applications have been received). Applications should be submitted via the online application form on the Foundation’s website.

7stars Foundation

Deadline: 31st August 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities that work with children under 18
Size of grant available: Project funding grants up to £2,500
Priorities: Grants for work supporting children aged 18 and under in the following areas:

Addiction
- Support for young people affected by their own or family members’ substance misuse and other addictions
- Prevention and education programmes targeting substance abuse
- Access to counselling, rehabilitation, and recovery services for young people
- Peer support networks and mentoring for affected youth
Abuse
- Services for survivors of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse inc. online
- Early intervention and safeguarding initiatives
- Therapeutic and trauma-informed care
- Advocacy and support for young victims
Homelessness
- Practical support for daily stability
- Support for Young People in emergency and temporary accommodation and children’s homes run by local authorities
- Assistance for displaced children (e.g. refugees)
- Crisis fund support to provide immediate and direct assistance for young people in emergency and temporary accommodation
Child carers
- Respite and wellbeing services for young carers
- Practical and emotional support
- Educational provision to ensure young carers are not left behind
- Programmes to reduce isolation and improve mental health
- Skill-building and future planning support

How to apply: Guidance notes and an online application form are available from the 7stars foundation website.

Kelly Family Charitable Trust

Deadline: 1st September 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: Grants usually in the region of £5,000
Priorities: Funding is for charities to support initiatives that encourage families to work together to overcome challenges. The overall objective is to reinforce the potential benefit and support that family members as a unit can give to each other. The three principal areas that the charity wishes to support are:

Interventions that support families and help them in ways that prevent the fracture of the family unit, eg relationship counseling, mediation
Families where sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and drugs abuse threaten the integrity of the family unit
Prisoners and in particular their families, during and after the period of imprisonment

Applications are also considered for core funding from relatively new organisations seeking to become established
How to apply: Application forms are available to download from the funder’s website and should be returned by email along with the organisation’s latest annual accounts

Green Hall Foundation

Deadline: 2nd September 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual income of £250,000 or less
Size of grant available: £1,000-£10,000
Priorities: The foundation’s objective is to sustainably improve lives among the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged. Funding is available to support special projects or the purchase of specific equipment that will make a tangible difference to the relevant charity (for example, where the Foundation can meet a significant proportion of the funding required), and which will make a lasting difference, for example where permanent equipment is needed or building required as opposed to funding salaries or the charity running costs. Preference will be given to projects that will benefit a number of beneficiaries rather than just a few
How to apply: The next round opens on 1 September 2025 (9am). Only the first 150 applications will go forward to the Trustees for consideration at each meeting. Once the limit has been reached, the application cycle will be closed, which is normally within two days. Applicants must register at the foundation’s website to access the online application form. Only online applications are accepted.

Grocers’ Charity Grant

Deadline: 5th September 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities with turnover below £500,000 only
Size of grant available: Usually up to £5,000
Priorities: Grants for organisations working in the the following areas:

Relief of poverty
- Working in areas of high deprivation
- Working to increase social mobility for example through training courses, better facilities or parenting support
- Empowering those who experience homelessness
- Revitalising community life
- Working in areas of high deprivation
Elderly
- Providing services that end social exclusion
- Providing befriending or other programmes to end loneliness
- Providing services that enhance daily activities or home life
Disability and inclusion
- Identifying and tackling the barriers to inclusion and participation
- Providing front-line support for disabled people
Health
- Undertaking ethical research into specific medical conditions
- Supporting people with medical conditions by purchasing a piece of equipment, printing materials or another tangible project
- Supporting people with well-being concerns or mental health illnesses
- Having a turnover of no more than £15m
Military
- Providing innovative programmes, education or employment for ex-service people
- Supporting the physical, emotional and mental well-being of current and ex-service people and their families
Heritage and the arts
- Conserving and restoring historic buildings (excluding places of worship)
- Conserving historical objects and paintings
- Providing opportunities, education and skills development of creative talent for artists with financing challenges or disability support requirements
- Engaging with marginalised audiences, e.g., disabled, BAME, and people living below the minimum poverty threshold for the appreciation of arts, performances or exhibitions
Environment and conservation
- Supporting the protection and survival of plants and animals by maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystems and protecting biological diversity
- Connecting people with nature by educating behavioural changes addressing environmental issues
- Countering the effects of pollution and climate change e.g. ideas and projects which tackle the issue of plastic waste and those which help reduce carbon emissions
Children and young people
- Building children and young people’s strengths and potential to empower them to participate and take action to realise their goals
- Supporting children and young people’s well-being through counselling, peer support or group activities

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

submit the initial enquiry form. Applicants will receive a reply within up to three weeks after the deadline
by invitation only to those who were successful at stage one. They will be sent a link to fill in an online form which they will have one week to complete.

Applicants should complete the online eligibility checklist for the relevant area to access the online enquiry form. Visit the Grocers’ Charity Grant website for more information.

Help the Homeless Grant Scheme

Deadline: 15th September 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual turnover under £500,000 only
Size of grant available: Up to £5,000
Priorities: Help the Homeless provides capital funding to help homeless people return to the community and rebuild their lives. Funding is targeted at projects to find practical ways to help disadvantaged individuals return to the community through training or residential facility provision, rather than merely providing short term shelter. The reasons for being homeless vary enormously, but may include ill-health, those who are discharged offenders, addictions, family breakdown or other adverse circumstances. Homelessness is not just about the people that the public sees and thinks about – principally “rough sleepers” living on the streets – but a whole range of people who lack a stable home
How to apply: The online application form can be found on the Help the Homeless website. Applications will no longer be accepted by email or by post.

Thomas Wall Trust – Grants for Registered Charities

Deadline: 22nd September 2025
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual turnover between £25,000 and £500,000
Size of grant available: Up to £5,000
Priorities: The funding will support project costs for a charity that equips disadvantaged people (aged 18 and over) with the necessary communication skills ready for employment. Priority will be given to:

Match funded projects
Self-sustainable projects, which aim to become 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, and refugees. Beneficiaries must gain at least one accredited vocational qualification during delivery or within two months of project completion
How to apply: There is a two-stage application process:

Stage one is to complete an online expression of interest form (available on the funder’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.

Groundwork – One Stop Community Partnership Programme

Deadline: 29th September 2025
Who can apply: Any type of constituted not-for-profit organisation such as voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprises

Size of grant available: Up to £1,000
Priorities: The programme is designed to create a partnership of support to community groups, operating within two miles of a One Stop store, who are working to:

Tackle food poverty
Support the vulnerable
Support the elderly
Support low income families
Running youth sports teams
Reducing/recycling waste
Improving the environment

The programme provides partnership as well as financial assistance. Alongside a grant of up to £1,000, and the opportunity to create a long-term tailored programme of support for successful applicants with their local One Stop Store Team. Grant recipients then work in partnership with the One Stop Store Team at their local shop to deliver support to the community. The tailored support from the store teams will help community causes to increase or improve their service by assisting in areas such as, but not limited to, volunteering support, fundraising and awareness-raising.
How to apply: Application window opens on 1st September 2025. Full guidance on how to apply will be available on the Groundwork website.

Another Way Women’s Foundation

Deadline: 30th September 2025
Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit organisation. Individuals can also apply
Size of grant available: The Foundation offers two different grants:

Another Way Women’s Foundation grant up to £5,000
The ‘£1000 for 1000 words’ grants provide ‘seed funding’ to kick start things on a project or service aimed at advancing women’s lives for the better

Priorities: All applications must be in line with and supportive of the Foundation’s charitable purpose: to enable a brighter and fairer future for women and girls through financial support, education, empowerment and advancement, and to accelerate gender equality, effect system change and advance women’s lives, sustainably, at both an individual and community level – as well as the Foundation’s values and ethos – which are to be empowering & enabling, community- and people-centric, passionate & inspiring, and trusted and respectful
How to apply: The application window opens on 1st September. For full guidelines and access to the application form visit the Another Way Women’s Foundation website

Allen Lane Foundation

Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit organisation including voluntary groups, charities and community interest companies
Size of grant available: The maximum grant is £15,000. This can be a single grant, or over two to three years. The average grant is £5,000 to £6,000
Priorities: The Foundation wishes to fund work which:

Will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems
Is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination
Encourages or enables unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community

The following focus on adults only:

Female asylum seekers and refugees – support work to benefit refugees, asylum seekers, and refused asylum seekers, including those held in detention. The focus is on those women who are seeking asylum in the UK, and female refugees who have been through the asylum system; rather than people who arrive in the UK through community sponsorship or via resettlement schemes
Female offenders and ex-offenders and those in prison for violence against women – support for penal reform and fund groups working with offenders in prison and out in the community
Older People – funding is focused on projects that benefit isolated elderly people (generally aged 70+) including those with dementia
People affected by violence or abuse – work that supports both men and women who are, or have in the past been, affected by violence or abuse. This includes projects supporting people affected by rape and sexual abuse, domestic abuse, stalking, trafficking, prostitution and modern slavery, honour-based abuse, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage. The funding can also support work with perpetrators aiming to lessen isolation and prevent the risk of further abuse
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities – support groups within these communities and organisations that work to benefit them. Funding can support work that raises awareness of the issues Gypsy and Traveller communities face, and work to combat hate crime, stigma, discrimination and inequalities, including the lack of appropriate accommodation or other service provision
People with mental health issues – support for mental health charities and projects that benefit people with moderate or severe mental health issues.

In addition, there is funding for work with:

Young people – aged 12-21 who are vulnerable, socially excluded or marginalised with a focus on those who are persistently absent from school; school leavers with no qualifications; and young people in/leaving care

How to apply: The Foundation has an online application system. The first step is to go through the online eligibility quiz. Those who are eligible will be directed to the application form. Visit the Alan Lane Foundation website.

Arnold Clark Community Fund – Cost of Living Support

Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit such as voluntary groups, charities and community interest companies that directly support people most affected by the cost of living crisis
Size of grant available: Up to £2,500
Priorities: Funding for work that directly supports those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis, such as foodbanks, accommodation, poverty relief and where people/communities in the UK are the primary and immediate focus of investment
How to apply: Full guidelines and application form are available on the Arnold Clark website.

July’s funding news