Welcome to September’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
West Midlands – Circular Economy Call to Action Fund
Deadline: 04/10/2026
Who can apply: Any kind of not-for-profit as long as they are signed up to the Community Environment Network
Size of grant: Up to £5,000 per project
Priorities: The West Midlands Combined Authority’s Circular Economy Call to Action Fund provides grants for locally led projects that promote repair and reuse and reduce the amount of products and materials sent to landfill. Projects must focus on at least one of the following areas:
– Improving air quality
– Helping communities adapt to climate change
– Restoring nature
– The fund aims to support projects that help communities save money, develop skills and strengthen local communities while contributing to a circular economy
How to apply: Applications are made online. More information is available at the West Midlands Combined Authority website.
Cole Charitable Trust
Deadline: 09/10/2026
Who can apply: Small local registered charities only
Size of grant: Grants are typically between £1,000 and £2,000
Priorities: The funding is intended to support the following project areas:
– Social welfare, all age groups
– Housing/homelessness
– Community and environmental development
– Opportunities for young people
– Promotion of improved quality of life
– Personal or community empowerment
How to apply: Download an application form from the Trust’s website and submit by email.
Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust
Deadline: 23/10/2026
Who can apply: Registered charities that have been operating for at least three years
Size of grant: Between £2,000 and £5,000
Priorities: The grants for projects addressing:
Who can apply: Registered charities that have been operating for at least three years
Size of grant: Between £2,000 and £5,000
Priorities: The grants for projects addressing:
– Adults in need
– Young people in need
– Hospices
– Mental health support
– Poverty
– Environment and heritage
How to apply: Full guidelines and an application form can be found on Trust’s website. Completed applications should be returned via email to: grants@turnertrust.co.uk
Sir John Middlemore Charitable Trust
Who can apply: Not-for-profit organisations working with children and young people
Size of grant: Up to £2,000
Priorities: The Trust aims to support not-for-profit organisations working to directly benefit children and young people who are experiencing disadvantage in the West Midlands
How to apply: Application forms can be downloaded from the Trust’s 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.
West Brom Building Society – Mercian Community Trust
Who can apply: Local charities and community groups
Size of grant: Up to £1,000
Priorities: The funding is intended to support work adddressing ill health, social wellbeing, disability, vulnerable children, bereavement and domestic violence in the West Brom Building Society branch network area and other parts of the West Midlands
How to apply: The application form is available on the West Brom Building Society website. Once completed, applicants need to take the completed form to their nearest West Brom Building Society branch.
Eric W Vincent Trust
Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit
Size of grant: At the discretion of trustees, but typically in the region of £300
Priorities: Funding is available for a wide variety of projects that will have positive benefits for the people and communities in and around Halesowen.
How to apply: Application forms are available upon request from the Clerk to the trustees at email: info@ericwvincenttrust.org.
B. Funders with a national interest
The Happiness Fund
Deadline: 02/10/2026
Who can apply: Grassroots, not-for-profit organisations
Size of grant: £5,000
Priorities: Funding is intended to build happy, strong, resilient communities by supporting grassroots, not-for-profit projects that enable sustainable outcomes in:
Who can apply: Grassroots, not-for-profit organisations
Size of grant: £5,000
Priorities: Funding is intended to build happy, strong, resilient communities by supporting grassroots, not-for-profit projects that enable sustainable outcomes in:
– Mental health
– Wellbeing
– Inclusion
– Skills development
– Wellbeing
– Inclusion
– Skills development
How to apply: FAQs and online application form can be found on the Laughology website.
Common Ground Award
Deadline: 12/10/2026
Who can apply: Not-for profit organsiations with annual turnover and income below £5million. Where applying as a consortium, each individual organisation within the consortium must have an annual turnover or income below £5 million
Size of grant: This is a capital grant programme with grants of between:
Who can apply: Not-for profit organsiations with annual turnover and income below £5million. Where applying as a consortium, each individual organisation within the consortium must have an annual turnover or income below £5 million
Size of grant: This is a capital grant programme with grants of between:
- £20,000 and £50,000 for an individual organisation
- £100,000 and £250,000 for a consortium
Priorities: To be eligible, organisations and consortia must directly work on at least one of the following core themes:
- Encouraging and enabling social mixing, promoting understanding and reducing divisions between different communities and people from different backgrounds
- Reducing prejudice, discrimination and hatred directed toward individuals and communities because of their background
- Resolving conflict and addressing tensions across and between communities
How to apply: The prospectus for this round is available on GOV.UK website. A link to the application form is now available. Contact CGA@communities.gov.uk for any questions about the grant.
Gardens Trust Community Grants
Deadline: 16/10/2026
Who can apply: Small registered charities only
Size of grant: Up to £10,000
Priorities: This fund aims to help seed-fund volunteer projects that will support historic designed landscapes in the UK
How to apply: Guidance notes and an application form are available from the Gardens Trust website. Completed applications should be submitted by email to Catherine.ford@thegardenstrust.org.
Who can apply: Small registered charities only
Size of grant: Up to £10,000
Priorities: This fund aims to help seed-fund volunteer projects that will support historic designed landscapes in the UK
How to apply: Guidance notes and an application form are available from the Gardens Trust website. Completed applications should be submitted by email to Catherine.ford@thegardenstrust.org.
Green Community Grants Programme
Deadline: 21/10/2026
Who can apply: Not-for-profit organisations with an annual income between £10,000 and £1million and whose main aims fit within one of the funder’s two funding themes
Size of grant: Up to £25,000
Priorities: The funding is for organisations whose main aims and objectives fit with one of the following Fund’s themes:
Who can apply: Not-for-profit organisations with an annual income between £10,000 and £1million and whose main aims fit within one of the funder’s two funding themes
Size of grant: Up to £25,000
Priorities: The funding is for organisations whose main aims and objectives fit with one of the following Fund’s themes:
- Contributing to nature recovery and responding to the climate emergency
- Improving nature-rich spaces and access to them
Grants can be used for a wider range of sustainable activities, including recycling, litter picking, beach cleans or sustainable transport
How to apply: Applications for 2026 will be accepted in the following window 30 September 2026 to 21 October 2026. Once the application window is open, groups will be able to download the guidance notes which contain a copy of the application questions and a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
A B Charitable Trust
Deadline: 23/10/2026
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual income between £150,000 and £1.5 million and whose mission, aims and objectives align with one of the funder’s four priority areas
Size of grant: £10,000-£40,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years
Priorities: Through its Open Programme, the Trust provides grants to small and medium-sized charities supporting people who face marginalisation, discrimination or social exclusion. It aims to support effective organisations working closely to the communities they serve, helping them advance human dignity, justice and equality
How to apply: An online application form is available to complete on the AB Charitable Trust’s website. Initially, applicants are advised to select the priority that they wish to apply under to be taken through a four-step process to determine their eligibility before completing and submitting the full application.
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual income between £150,000 and £1.5 million and whose mission, aims and objectives align with one of the funder’s four priority areas
Size of grant: £10,000-£40,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years
Priorities: Through its Open Programme, the Trust provides grants to small and medium-sized charities supporting people who face marginalisation, discrimination or social exclusion. It aims to support effective organisations working closely to the communities they serve, helping them advance human dignity, justice and equality
How to apply: An online application form is available to complete on the AB Charitable Trust’s website. Initially, applicants are advised to select the priority that they wish to apply under to be taken through a four-step process to determine their eligibility before completing and submitting the full application.
Let’s Celebrate Towns
Deadline: 25/10/2026
Who can apply: Entries are invited from across the UK from MPs and local leaders, local authorities and town councils, and community groups and organisations
Size of Grant: Five winners will each receive a £20,000 grant towards a community project or initiative
Priorities: The competition aims to recognise and support local initiatives that are helping towns become stronger, more resilient and vibrant, including projects that support businesses, revitalise high streets and strengthen communities. Towns across the UK have the chance to attend a national awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament and compete for recognition in one of five categories:
Who can apply: Entries are invited from across the UK from MPs and local leaders, local authorities and town councils, and community groups and organisations
Size of Grant: Five winners will each receive a £20,000 grant towards a community project or initiative
Priorities: The competition aims to recognise and support local initiatives that are helping towns become stronger, more resilient and vibrant, including projects that support businesses, revitalise high streets and strengthen communities. Towns across the UK have the chance to attend a national awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament and compete for recognition in one of five categories:
- High Street Revival
- Backing Local Business
- Protecting Valued Places
- Connected Places
- Community Pride
How to apply: The online entry forms can be accessed from the Visa Europe website.
The Linnean Society – Our Local Nature Grants
Deadline: 25/10/2026
Who can apply: Individuals and organisations who are linked to a school or community-based organisation that works directly with young people (16 and under) within the UK. Applications should be created in partnership with and ideally led by young people
Size of grant: Up to £1,000. The Society will co-fund projects along with other organisations
Priorities: The scheme provides grants to support innovative projects, designed and led by young people in the UK, which aim to increase access to local natural spaces and improve understanding of local biodiversity
How to apply: The online application form is available on the Linnean Society website, along with a set of guidance notes. A youth panel of 16 to 18 year olds from across the country will select who should receive an award.
Who can apply: Individuals and organisations who are linked to a school or community-based organisation that works directly with young people (16 and under) within the UK. Applications should be created in partnership with and ideally led by young people
Size of grant: Up to £1,000. The Society will co-fund projects along with other organisations
Priorities: The scheme provides grants to support innovative projects, designed and led by young people in the UK, which aim to increase access to local natural spaces and improve understanding of local biodiversity
How to apply: The online application form is available on the Linnean Society website, along with a set of guidance notes. A youth panel of 16 to 18 year olds from across the country will select who should receive an award.
National Garden Scheme – Community Gardens Grants
Deadline: 30/10/2026
Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit organisation
Size of Grant: £1,500-£5,000
Priorities: The funding is for gardening projects carried out within local communities. The scheme is committed to:
Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit organisation
Size of Grant: £1,500-£5,000
Priorities: The funding is for gardening projects carried out within local communities. The scheme is committed to:
- Sustainability in gardening so proposals need to demonstrate that they will be using sustainable gardening methods – for instance being as far as possible peat-free
- Celebrating biodiversity so projects that encourage biodiversity and wildlife, while not essential, will be a positive
How to apply: The application process is in two parts:
- An initial check on eligibility
- The link to the second part will be sent by email.
Note only the first 300 eligible submissions will be considered for a grant.
Barchester Healthcare Foundation
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Although most funding is awarded to individuals, small community groups and small local charities can also apply. Eligible organisations must provide a breakdown of their budget and their latest annual accounts. Support is mainly available to individuals who are:
Who can apply: Although most funding is awarded to individuals, small community groups and small local charities can also apply. Eligible organisations must provide a breakdown of their budget and their latest annual accounts. Support is mainly available to individuals who are:
- Older people aged 65+
- Adults with a disability or mental health problem
Size of grant: £100-£2,600.
Priorities: The Foundation aims to make a difference to the lives of older people and other adults with a physical, learning or mental disability; supporting practical solutions that lead to increased personal independence, self-sufficiency and dignity. The aim of this fund is on connecting or re-connecting people with others in their local community. Applications that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged will receive highest priority.
How to apply: Guidance and an online application form are available from the Barchester Healthcare Foundation website.
CLICK Arts Foundation Grants
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Registered charities or national organisations (such as universities) only
Size of grant: Up to £2,000
Priorities: The CLICK Arts Foundation provides funding for grassroots projects that use creative expression to support confidence, connection and wellbeing. Applications are open to groups proposing arts projects that demonstrate outcomes linked to confidence building, learning, inclusivity and community accessibility, and the creation of safe and supportive environments. Projects should outline how they will enable participants to learn new skills and how outcomes such as empowerment, inclusion and wellbeing will be assessed, including qualitative measures where appropriate
How to apply: Applicants must complete the Grant Application Form available on the website and submit it by email. More information is available at the CLICK Arts Foundation website.
Who can apply: Registered charities or national organisations (such as universities) only
Size of grant: Up to £2,000
Priorities: The CLICK Arts Foundation provides funding for grassroots projects that use creative expression to support confidence, connection and wellbeing. Applications are open to groups proposing arts projects that demonstrate outcomes linked to confidence building, learning, inclusivity and community accessibility, and the creation of safe and supportive environments. Projects should outline how they will enable participants to learn new skills and how outcomes such as empowerment, inclusion and wellbeing will be assessed, including qualitative measures where appropriate
How to apply: Applicants must complete the Grant Application Form available on the website and submit it by email. More information is available at the CLICK Arts Foundation website.
Concertina Charitable Trust
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Small registered charities
Size of Grant: Up to £250
Priorities: Funding is intended to provide musical entertainment and related activities for the elderly to provide therapeutic benefit for their health and wellbeing
How to apply: An application form is available to download from the Trust’s website. The completed form must be sent by post to the Trust Administrator. No e-mail or telephone correspondence will be entered into regarding an application.
Who can apply: Small registered charities
Size of Grant: Up to £250
Priorities: Funding is intended to provide musical entertainment and related activities for the elderly to provide therapeutic benefit for their health and wellbeing
How to apply: An application form is available to download from the Trust’s website. The completed form must be sent by post to the Trust Administrator. No e-mail or telephone correspondence will be entered into regarding an application.
David Riddell Memorial CIO
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Registered charities only with priority given to charities with an income less than £1million
Size of grant: £5,000-£25,000
Priorities: This fund aims to support suicide awareness and prevention programmes run for charitable purposes. Priority will be given to innovative projects.
How to apply: Applicants should send a brief memo (no more than two sides of A4) by email containing the following:
Who can apply: Registered charities only with priority given to charities with an income less than £1million
Size of grant: £5,000-£25,000
Priorities: This fund aims to support suicide awareness and prevention programmes run for charitable purposes. Priority will be given to innovative projects.
How to apply: Applicants should send a brief memo (no more than two sides of A4) by email containing the following:
- Charity name, number, and address
- Contact details of the applicant
- An overview of the charity, including the stated aims and objectives of the organisation, website address, number of staff and volunteers employed, and the number of beneficiaries
- Confirmation (if applicable) that the organisation has a child protection policy in place
- Confirmation that the organisation has public liability insurance in place
- Forecast income and expenditure for the current financial year
- A summary of the proposed project, detailing how the project will make a difference to the recipients and how the group will measure the outcomes
Successful applicants will be contacted directly by the grants team to discuss additional information requirements. Depending on the size of the grant, this may involve an assessment visit or video call from one of the trustees.
Giving Machine – Community Grants
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit with an annual income under £1million
Size of Grant: £250
Priorities: The fund is intended to give small unrestricted grants to UK not-for-profit organisations to enable them to continue their work
How to apply: Applications are considered quarterly. Successful causes will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. The Community Grants will be distributed over a diverse range of sectors. Guidance and an application form are available from the Giving Machine website.
Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit with an annual income under £1million
Size of Grant: £250
Priorities: The fund is intended to give small unrestricted grants to UK not-for-profit organisations to enable them to continue their work
How to apply: Applications are considered quarterly. Successful causes will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. The Community Grants will be distributed over a diverse range of sectors. Guidance and an application form are available from the Giving Machine website.
Magdalen Hospital Trust
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual income of less than £150,000. Applicants must have their own website and work with vulnerable children and young adults, especially those at risk of sexual and other forms of exploitation
Size of grant: £500-£2,000
Priorities: The funding is intended to promote the welfare of young people under the age of 25 years, who suffer from various effects of social deprivation, abuse, mental and physical disabilities, inadequate housing, lack of education or training, and the problems derived from unemployment and broken families
How to apply: The application form can be found on the Magdalen Hospital Trust website. The completed application form must be submitted by email to the Trust.
Tree Council – Trees Outside Woodland Fund
Deadline: 31/10/2026
Who can apply: Registered charities with turnover of more than £100,000 and local authorities
Size of grant: £10,000-£40,000
Priorities: This fund aims to support projects that establish trees outside of woodlands to create or enhance green spaces, using a range of tree types and planting methods, to support the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan goal to increase England’s overall tree canopy from 14.5% to 16.5% of total land area by 2050
How to apply: Guidance notes and an online application form are available from the Tree Council website.
Shackleton Foundation Grant
Deadline: 02/11/2026
Who can apply: Individuals who are setting up new organisations or organisations (no more than 12 months old) may apply. Projects must solely benefit children and young people (aged from 0-25 years) based in the UK
Size of grant: Successful applicants can expect to receive assistance with the practical aspects of starting up a social venture. These include:
- Seed funding: a single grant of £15,000 to get the idea started (and should be at least 25% or more of the total annual project cost)
- Mentoring by existing leaders
- Access to quarterly advice surgeries and an annual Leaders Forum
- Awareness building for the venture
- Introductions to potential second stage funders
Priorities: The Foundation aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people by supporting ambitious and inspirational leaders with innovative and scalable social ideas who are seen as high risk but also with high potential. The proposed projects should be long-lasting and far-reaching with the potential to provide solutions to intractable social problems faced by young people. The term ‘social entrepreneurship’ refers to the development of new models or approaches to social problems with significant potential for breakthrough social impact.
How to apply: Applicants should complete the online eligibility checker before submitting the application at the Foundation website.
WCIT Charity
Deadline: 03/11/2026
Who can apply: Any type of constituted not-for-profit
Size of grant: Up to £15,000
Priorities: This fund aims to support IT projects and activities that relate to one or more of the following priority areas:
- Education
- Inclusion
- Tech for charities
- Public understanding of technology
How to apply: The fund is expected to reopen on 21 September 2026 and will close to applications either when a cap of 50 applications are received or by the deadline of 3 November 2026. It will then reopen every three months. Guidance notes and an online grants portal are available from the WCIT Charity website.
The LGBT+ Fund: Get Active Fund
Deadline: 04/11/2026
Who can apply: Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be a UK-based LGBT+ led non-profit group or organisation that is led by and for LGBT+ people
- Regularly deliver sports or physical activities, either as an LGBT+ sports or physical activity organisation or as an LGBT+ organisation delivering projects focused on sport or physical activity. Sports or physical activity projects delivered within the last three years are considered recent
- Have been running for at least six months
Size of grant: Applicants can request:
- One-year grants: £5,000 to £25,000 in total
- Two-year grants: £10,000 to £50,000 in total
Priorities: The LGBT+ Fund: Get Active Fund provides support for community-based LGBT+ sports and physical activity organisations and projects across the UK. The fund aims to increase resources available to groups that are under-recognised by funding initiatives and improve access to physical activity for LGBT+ communities
How to apply: Applications are made online. More information is available at the LGBT+ Fund website.
Social Investment Gateway Programme
Deadline: 06/11/2026
Who can apply: Applications will be accepted from organisations that:
- Have applied for or are planning to apply for social investment, usually in the next three years
- Have a trading model with plans to grow over the next year
- Need additional support to be ready for social investment, for example, with market development, pricing and sales, financial strategy, developing systems, governance and/or demonstrating impact, managing risk
- Have an annual income of above £100,000 and should already have an active trading model
Size of grant: There are two types of grants on offer as part of this programme. Applicants can choose one of the following:
- A Match Trading Grant of up to £18,000 – A grant designed to challenge trade, but that can only be drawn down as trading increases. The Match Trading grant will be drawn down over 12 months in five instalments
- A repayable grant of up to £24,000 (average grant around £22,000). SSE is piloting repayable grants. There are 10 repayable grants on offer over both rounds. SSE wants to learn how “repayable grants” might help organisations get into social investment and will share the risk with you. The aim is to work with organisations who will learn with SSE
Priorities: This free 12-month support programme is a gateway to social investment for charities, social enterprises and community organisations that want to strengthen trading and move nearer to investment readiness within the next three years.
The Social Investment Gateway Programme is open to England based organisations and will support 75 leaders of charities or social enterprises across four cohorts:
- Cohort 1 runs from 11 November 2026 to 21 October 2027 (applications closed).
- Cohort 2 runs from 1 March 2027 to 1 February 2028 (applications now open).
How to apply: Groups can register their interest now in round 2 of the programme which runs from 1 March 2027 to 1 February 2028. The online application form and guidance notes can be accessed by registering an interest on the SSE website.
easyfundraising Impact Fund
Deadline: 8/11/2026
Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit organisation
Size of grant: £1,000
Priorities: As the funding is unrestricted, successful organisations can spend the grant wherever it’s needed most. The application process is quick and straightforward. Grants will be awarded to organisations that best explain how they would use the £1,000 to support their work
How to apply: Apply online from 24th September
@DudleyCVS
/CVSDudley
/CVSDudley
/CVSDudley
Sep. 09, 2026
From the ashes: An even better Fens Pool Community Centre emerges
Aug. 06, 2026
Coombeswood Canal Trust: The Hidden Gem at the End of the Canal
Jul. 17, 2026
From Feeling Overwhelmed to Looking Forward: Destiny’s Social Prescribing Journey
Jul. 13, 2026
Restoring wellbeing, building community, providing hope: The Afiyya Foundation’s journey
Jun. 26, 2026