Photo, Paul Harris/2020VISION
Funding Opportunities
Fund your community project...
Are you a community working to improve wildlife in your local area? You may be eligible to apply for funding to help you reach your goals. Find out what funding opportunities are currently available below.
Wilder Communities: Top tips for fundraising in your community
Our Wilder Communities team recently hosted an online talk with Amanda Strowger (Head of Fundraising at Devon Wildlife Trust) to talk about her top tips for funding your community projects. Amanda was also joined by the Friends of Shillingford Wood who talked about their journey of forming a community group and fundraising to save their local woodland together. If you missed it, you can watch the recording below:
Current funding opportunities
Friends Provident Foundation
We fund organisations and initiatives aligned with our vision of cultivating a fair and sustainable economy. Our current funding programme focuses on key areas, such as supporting economic transformation, empowering marginalised voices, and driving equitable systemic change. We offer project funding, core funding for specific partners, and a small grants programme for emerging initiatives within the economic sphere.
Deadline: The Friends Provident Foundation grants programme will be undergoing changes. The last deadline to apply under our current programme is 15th April 2024.
Adventure Mind Grant
Funding is available for individuals, families or small teams to undertake an adventure, at a level appropriate to their experience level, which promotes self-development and wellbeing. It is intended that between three to five grants will be given, of between £300 and £500 each, however the judges reserve the right to offer more, slightly smaller amounts. In addition to these grants, a Go Ape experience will be designed for each winning team to encourage team building and kickstart their adventure. A total fund of up to £500 will be distributed across all winning teams.
Deadline: 15 April 2024
Batsworthy Cross Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund
Grants are available for organisations working to provide facilities, services and activities that help to strengthen the community and bring people together within the local area. This might include community events, befriending schemes, lunch clubs or community hubs, etc.
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Grants of up to £2,000 are available throughout the year.
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Grants of between £2,000 and £30,000 are available on a quarterly basis.
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Grants of over £30,000 (up to £70,000) are available on occasion, for large capital costs.
The remit of the fund is broad so please get in touch if you would like to discuss an application or are unsure whether your project or organisation is eligible, we are happy to help.
Deadline: Applications received before or on 15th April will be considered at the May panel meeting, with funding decisions communicated by the end of May. Applications received before or on 12th August will be considered at the September community panel meeting, with decisions communicated by the end of September.
Local School Nature Grants
Schools in England can apply for support from the Learning through Landscapes programme. The Local School Nature grants are intended to help schools offer outdoor learning activities for their pupils.
The scheme provides fully-funded outdoor learning training for staff and £500 of equipment for outdoor learning.
Training: this includes a two-hour session for up to 30 members of staff that will be delivered outside at your school. Choose your preferred course from the menu of options including gardening for biodiversity, tool use.
Equipment: schools can choose from a selection of pre-approved products – including woodland activity kits, gardening kits, wildlife cameras and outdoor cooking equipment – up to a total of £500.
All schools – infant, primary and secondary – can apply to the scheme. Early-years settings can also apply but must employ at least five staff and have a dedicated building, either stand alone or part of a school.
Deadline: The closing dates for 2024 are: 26 April; 6 September; and 8 November
The Britford Bridge Trust
The Britford Bridge Trust is a family foundation giving grants that support the advancement of education, culture, heritage and science, the protection of the environment and the relief of those in need. The Trustees typically make grants of between £10,000 to £50,000. Larger amounts may be available in exceptional circumstances. Applications are invited from UK registered charities for national or international projects.
Deadline: reviewed quarterly, next deadline 30 June 2024
England Woodland Creation Offer
Landowners, land managers and public bodies can apply to the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) for support to create new woodland, including through natural colonisation, on areas as small as one hectare. EWCO is one of a suite of Forestry Commission initiatives to support woodland creation and tree planting across England.
To be able to apply, you must have full management control of the land and it cannot already be classed as woodland or be subject to any existing legal requirement to create woodland.
You could receive up to £10,200 per hectare, plus up to an additional £12,700 in stackable payments when delivering wider benefits to society, nature recovery and the environment, to support your woodland creation scheme.
Deadline: Applications are open all year round but apply by 30 June to secure agreement offers for the following planting season
British Ecological Society Outreach and Engagement Grants
Providing funding of up to £2,000 for individuals, teams and organisations to engage public audiences with the excitement of ecological science.
Deadline: Applications open on July 11th. The deadline to apply during Round 2 is September 11th. You will be notified in late November regarding the outcome of your application.
The International Tree Foundation
Supports UK community groups to achieve their tree-planting ambitions, from something small, such as community woodland or orchard, to something larger scale such as landscape restoration or rewilding. Grants of up to £6,000 offered and occasionally more.
Deadline: applications from June to December each year
The Alpkit Foundation
Our support takes the form small awards to many projects and help projects get off the ground. This could be:
- £50 to £500 cash to individuals, community groups, schools and organisations to encourage people to get outdoors and have great experiences that otherwise couldn’t happen; e.g. giving a cash grant to a school to fund transport costs
- Provide discounted equipment for outdoor adventures and trips to individuals, groups, schools and organisations that wouldn’t be viable without support from the Alpkit Foundation
- Support outdoor educational programs; e.g. grants for outdoor First Aiders or Mountain Leader Training that wouldn’t be possible without Alpkit Foundation support
- Support proactive conservation and environmental projects; e.g. community gardens and allotments or grants to help re-wild woodland and protect our wild places
- Support projects which encourage the development of facilities for outdoor skills and activities to be experienced by wider groups who otherwise may miss out e.g. cycling, climbing, outdoor swimming facilities
Deadline: no deadline
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust manages various grant programmes, each with its own eligibility criteria, application process and programme guidance. Funding might include community projects that support Armed Forces communities become less isolated and engage more in their local area. Check the website for their current grant programmes and eligibility.
Deadline: check website
Ludlow Trust Company
At Ludlow Trust Company we are delighted that our Funding Enquiry Gateway allows registered charities to apply for funding from any one or more of the 250+ charitable trusts that we manage. By providing details on your charitable purposes, including specific areas of focus, whether on a particular project, for a defined geography or a specific group of people, Ludlow's Funding Enquiry Gateway will allow you to upload an application which will then be matched with potential funders, checked by our Trust Managers and, where appropriate, reviewed by the trustees of relevant trusts.
Deadline: no deadline
Barchester's Charitable Foundation
Our funding focus is about connecting or re-connecting people with others in their local community. We support applications that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged. We help small community groups and local charities with activities, outings, equipment and materials for members/service users. Our grants range from £100 up to £2,500.
Deadline: no deadline
Civic Power Fund
A fund for grassroots community organising with various grants supporting projects from fighting for the rights of young migrants to building campaigns for a more progressive society.
Deadline: no deadline
CLA Charitable Trust
For organisations in England and Wales to provide facilities for the disabled to take part in country sports and recreation, and training in agriculture and horticulture. The Trust also promotes education in the countryside for disadvantaged children and young people.
Deadline: no deadline
Footwork
Work with local partners to identify individuals and groups with good ideas for strengthening connections between people & with the place around them. Support might be financial, or include tools like training and advice – connecting you with others to share experience or providing specialist help to give your idea more impact.
Deadline: no deadline
Growth Impact Fund
Supports organisations with a social purpose that are focused on tackling inequity, and have diverse representation at board and leadership level. Offer between £50,000 and £1,500,000 of investment.
Deadline: no deadline
The Henry Smith Charity
Grants for small and medium sized organisations in the UK to support projects and the running costs of organisations. Grants of between £20,000-£70,000 per year for 1 - 3 years.
Deadline: no deadline
KFC Youth Foundation
The KFC Youth Foundation creates opportunities for young people that inspire and empower them to take control of their lives and make positive change for a positive future. Funding projects with a focus on benefitting young people aged 11-25, supporting those in a position of economic disadvantage, empowering young people to fulfil their potential and build a positive future.
Deadline: currently closed until Autumn
McCarthy Stone Foundation
Grants offer vital funding and resources to grassroots charities and community groups to help them build happy and vibrant communities across the country that support older people. Check website for current funding programmes.
Deadline: check website
The Oak Trust
We are a small charity, which makes grants of £250 – £4000 to UK registered charities. We support people who are disadvantaged (in the widest sense), medical and environmental charities.
Deadline: currently closed but check website for next round
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
£30 million per year awarded to projects focusing on tackling inequality, investing in young people, migration and integration, and education through the arts. There are multiple grants available focusing on different areas so check website for details.
Deadline: check website
Schroder Charity Trust
Grants up to £5,000 for projects from UK registered charities working on arts and culture, education, heritage, environment and conservation, health and wellbeing, and strengthening communities.
Deadline: rolling, applications assessed throughout the year
CAF: Venturesome Impact Fund
This is a social investment fund for charities, social enterprises and community groups that want to grow and develop their services to make a difference in their community.
The fund provides repayable loans of between £50,000 and £1 million, with a 5.5% fixed interest rate. There are also some additional commitment and legal fees.
You need to have a clear charitable purpose and social impact. You need to have been trading for at least one year and have a minimum annual turnover of £75,000. You will need to have a plan showing how social investment could help you become more sustainable, create jobs and open up opportunities.
Deadline: no deadline
National Lottery UK Portfolio - Climate Action Fund
The Climate Action Fund is supporting communities across the UK to take action on climate change.
We’ll fund projects that reach more people by either:
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linking climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities. And inspiring them to take action.
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influencing communities at a regional or national level. Like linking up groups across locations. Or a campaign that inspires change across one country, or the whole UK.
You should be in a partnership with
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a mix of organisations and sectors
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smaller groups that represent the people you’re working with.
The minimum you can ask for is £500,000. We expect to fund most projects for between £1 million and £1.5 million over 3 to 5 years. We may fund some exceptional projects up to £3 million, and for up to 7 years. We aim to fund up to 25 projects.
Deadline: ongoing
South West Water: Water-saving Community Fund
Funding available to help not-for-profit organisations and community groups with projects that benefit the community and help to save water. To apply for over £1,000, you must be a: school, college or academy; registered charity or other not-for-profit organisation; constituted group or club; Community Interest Group (CICs). To apply for £1,000 and under, you must be: any of the above OR a local community group such as a cricket club, allotment group, scout group, garden club, etc.
Deadline: Applications for £1,000 and under are reviewed monthly, applications for over £1,000 are submitted to a panel of judges for a final decision (the panel meet every October and April)
Community Councillor Grants
If you are a North Devon community group or club, charity, CIC, or voluntary group, you can apply now for funding to support your work. The council’s Community Councillor Grant Scheme allocates each North Devon district councillor £1,000 per year to award to local groups. The grants are available to local voluntary or community groups, clubs or not for profit organisations that benefit the residents or environment of North Devon. The grants can be used to help with equipment costs, activities or just to help with day-to-day running and operation costs.
Deadline: currently closed but will reopen in April 2024
Warburtons Financial Giving
Our financial giving programme is aimed at supporting projects, activities and organisations through community care grants and other initiatives. Initially applicants can apply for 'Community Grants' of up to £400, and if accepted, may be invited to apply for 'Development Grants' of up to £3,000 or 'Project Grants' of between £10,000-£20,000.
Deadline: reviewed quarterly - next deadline 9 May 2024
The Urban Tree Challenge
The fund provides 80% of published standard costs for the planting and establishment of trees in urban and peri-urban areas.The remaining costs of planting and establishing trees supported under the UTCF must be met through match funding, either in the form of money or labour. There is a minimum application value of £10,000.
Deadline: Applications are assessed year-round, if you want to plant trees in 2024-2025 your application needs to be submitted no later than 11.59pm on 30 June 2024
Backyard Nature: Intergenerational Microgrants
Seasonal funding of up to £1,000 for youth-led community projects. The project idea must engage at least 15 young people aged 7-25. Organisations must be connected to a local housing association.
Deadline: June 2024
DEFRA Village Halls Small Grant Fund
Grants of between £2,000 and £5,000 to help make improvements to rural community buildings in England. Grants are intended to support smaller capital projects in village halls such as boiler replacements, insulation, toilet upgrades and new kitchens. Awards can be made to cover 20% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum amount of £5,000. The balance of funding must for the works proposed must be in place, or at least confirmed within 6 weeks of making an application to small grants fund.
Deadline: The fund is expected to stay open until December 2024, however it may be withdrawn before this
The Community Ownership Fund
The Community Ownership Fund is a £150 million fund over 4 years to support community groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.
Deadline: There will be 4 bidding windows each year at regular intervals - fund closes March 2025
Farming in Protected Landscapes Funding
If you’re a farmer or land manager, you can get funding to support and improve Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), National Parks and the Broads.
Deadline: the programme will run until March 2025
Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme
Local groups can apply for grant funding of up to £7,500 to support their heritage project. All applications must demonstrate how their project or initiative will ensure that a wide range of people will be involved in heritage and that it makes the area a better place to live, work or visit.
Deadline: Next round opens later in the year.
East Devon Small Community Grants
Small Community Grants provide small, one-off non-repeatable, grants of up to £500 to support community-led ideas and initiatives across the area of East Devon administered by East Devon District Council. Properly constituted not for profit organisations can apply.
Deadline: currently closed for applications but can sign up to be notified when reopened
Asda Foundation Grants
The Asda Foundation supports small, grass roots organisations in several ways throughout the year. Working with Asda’s Community Champions in store, we are able to work with a range of organisations and groups on a variety of local community projects. There are a number of different grants with varying criteria and amounts offered.
Deadline: see website for details
South West Water: Neighbourhood Fund
Grants of up to £2,000 to fund community groups which inspire physical activities, education, health and wellbeing, and positive environmental outcomes.
Deadline: no deadline
Plants For A Future Food Forest Fund
The PFAF Food Forest Fund will offer small grants to help new food forest projects get started. They expect to be awarding grants of between £1,000 and £3,000, or the equivalent in other currencies. In order to be considered for a grant a project should have most of the elements of what is generally considered to be a Food Forest.
Deadline: no deadline
Shared Prosperity Fund: South Hams & West Devon
Businesses and other organisations in West Devon and the South Hams can apply for funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund. West Devon Borough Council and South Hams District Council are inviting applications to the following grant schemes:
Decarbonisation Grant: businesses that have developed a decarbonisation plan as part of a recognised scheme can apply for up to £10,000 to implement the solutions identified in their plan.
Agri-tech Grant: capital grants for agricultural businesses of between £5,000 and £10,000 to adopt new technologies.
Clean Diversification Grant: for businesses diversifying into areas of activity that will enable them to operate more sustainably, efficiently and for them to be as low-carbon as possible. Grants can be from £2,000 to £10,000.
Community Resilience Grant: to support the resilience of community facilities, such as community and village halls, village shops, and other sites which provide a range of services to their local communities. Grants can be from £2,000 to £10,000.
Deadline: no deadline
Aviva Community Fund
Grants of up to £50,000 offered to projects within one of their key areas:
1. Climate Action: promoting healthy, thriving communities by preventing, preparing for a protecting against the impacts of climate change
2. Financial Wellbeing: helping people take control of their wellbeing by giving them the tools to be more financially independent and ready for anything
Deadline: applications open all year, with quarterly funding rounds for eligible causes
National Lottery Awards for All England
In order to support communities, we fund projects and organisations which aim to:
- build strong relationships in and across communities
- improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
- help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
- support people, communities and organisations that are facing increased demands and challenges as a direct result of the cost-of-living crisis.
Grants of between £300 and £20,000 are available for up to two years.
Deadline: ongoing, apply at least 16 weeks before you want to start the activities or spend any of the money.
Tesco Stronger Starts
Grants of up to £1,500 for all local good causes, but they are currently prioritising helping projects that support children’s food security and health and local store nominated good causes.
Deadline: no deadline
Moto Foundation: Community Grants
The Moto Foundation makes a positive difference to the communities around our network of Motorway Service Areas – one of the ways we do this is through community grants. Average grant award is £1,000, but larger grants may be agreed.
Deadline: no deadline
Sea Changers Grant Programme
This funding opportunity offers grants of up to £2,500 and is particularly interested in grassroots projects that galvanise community action, and projects that increase the number of people taking action for marine conservation (including school projects).
Deadline: no deadline
Plymouth Octopus: Ideas into Action
Grants of up to £1,000 to help people bring about positive change in their communities, for their communities. You decide on how you wish to bring about change in your community, and seek other like-minded individuals to get ideas flowing, trust and momentum building as you gather around a social mission which you all care about. This fund is designed for groups of individuals not for existing organisations or established groups.
Deadline: no deadline
South Hams District Council Community Grants & Funding
Grants are available under two funds (Sustainable Communities Locality Fund and Climate Change and Biodiversity Locality Fund) to support a wide range of projects to help tackle our Climate and Ecological Emergency Declarations.
Deadline: no deadline
Alpkit Foundation
The Alpkit Foundation makes grants of £50 to £500 to people, groups and schools that work to remove the barriers in getting outdoors and experiencing wild places.
Deadline: no deadline
Thorne Farm Wind Turbine Community Benefit Fund
Grants from this fund are available to community groups, individuals and organisations that provide opportunities to make a positive difference to the lives of members of the local community within themes such as bringing people together and promoting access to arts, culture and nature.
Deadline: no deadline
Diptford Community Benefit Fund
Grants of up to £2000 managed by Devon Community Foundation are available to community groups from Diptford and surrounding parishes (including Loddiswell, South Brent, Harberton, and more). Projects considered include those that provide opportunities to bring people together and promote access to nature.
Deadline: no deadline
Sport England: Places and Spaces
Grants of up to £10,000 to help create or improve community sport facilities that will help to bring communities together and celebrate the Commonwealth Games. Projects should be driven by the community, for the community, to improve what is available and enable more people to be physically active.
Deadline: no deadline
Sport England: Active Together
This grants programme is a Covid-19 pandemic recovery fund, helping sport and physical activity organisations to move forward with priority projects and running costs that they might still be struggling with.
It can help with projects that cannot be afforded right now due to the impact that Covid-19 continues to have on an organisations normal income streams, as well as a broader spectrum of issues that most of us now face. It is a fund about recovery, reinvention and building resilience, with grants of up to £10,000.
Deadline: no deadline
North Devon Coast National Landscape: Sustainable Development Fund
Grants can be awarded from £100 up to £4,000 to support local projects that help to deliver actions and objectives in the 2019-24 Management Plan. Projects must contribute to the environmental, community, economic or social benefit of the AONB and are open to community groups, parish councils, agencies, farmers and businesses.
Deadline: no deadline, contact for details
Homebase - Growing Responsibly
Contact your closest Homebase store for local charity and community engagement opportunities. From outdoor pots and plants to tins of paint and tools to help get the job done, Homebase are committed to helping communities.
Deadline: no deadline, contact for details
The Wickes Community Programme
The Wickes Community Programme is a dedicated product fund to support local initiatives in helping them maintain and renovate community areas. Open to all local community groups and charities seeking help for improvement projects.
Deadline: no deadline, contact for details
B&Q Community re-use scheme
B&Q stores have been donating unsellable materials and products to local community groups for many years. It's a great way to reduce waste whilst helping the community.
The types of material includes:
- Wood, including off cuts and single use pallets
- Plastic plant pots and trays
- Damaged or part filled cans of paint.
- Broken tiles and slabs
- Ends of wallpaper rolls
- Plants that are not in peak condition and other compostable materials
- Old products that have been written off
Deadline: not currently accepting new registrations but keep an eye on their website
Lush Charitable Giving
Lush offers charitable support across a number of different grant giving streams, spanning grassroots activism, regenerative design, fighting animal testing, and more. Organisations can apply for any grant amount up to a maximum of £10,000. The sales of Charity Pot Body Lotion determine the amount of funds available for monthly allocation, therefore the average project grant size is often in the range of £3,000-£6,000.
Deadline: no deadline
National Education Nature Park and Climate Awards have put together a list of funding opportunities available at national level, check it out here.