Charity funding
Charity grants in the UK: how to find funding that fits
A practical guide to finding UK charity grants, checking eligibility and deciding which opportunities are worth an application.
The best charity grant is not necessarily the largest. It is one whose purpose, geography, applicant rules and timetable fit work you already want to do. This guide gives you a repeatable way to find and shortlist those opportunities without relying on a list that goes out of date.
Where to look for charity grants
Start with more than one type of funder. The Charity Commission points new charities towards government funding, grants from other charities and private organisations, and funding search services in its funding guidance. The government's Find a grant service lets you search government grants and check the application route. The National Lottery Community Fund's programme finder is another direct source for community funding. Each serves a different part of the market.
Search for the activity as well as the cause: “youth mentoring” may find a closer match than “children”. Then narrow by where the work happens, the organisation that can apply, the project cost and the money's permitted use. Save the funder's original page for every promising result; it is the authority for current terms.
Build a shortlist around fit
Give each opportunity a quick yes, no or unclear on five questions: Does the funder support your intended outcome? Can your legal form apply? Is your area covered? Are your costs allowed? Can you deliver and report within the funder's timetable? If any answer is unclear, read the programme guidance or ask the funder before drafting.
Being a charity does not make every charity-facing programme suitable. A funder may support a particular community, project stage or kind of expense. In OpenGrant, start with the Charity / VCSE and Grant filters, then verify the detailed criteria on the original listing. Search results are a shortlist, not an eligibility decision.
If your charity is new
Check what you can evidence before applying: your purpose, governing arrangements, named people responsible for the project and a workable budget. The Charity Commission's guidance for new charities in England and Wales explains when fundraising may start and distinguishes fundraising from grants and public-service contracts. Its registration rules are jurisdiction-specific; organisations elsewhere in the UK should use the relevant regulator's guidance.
What to record for each shortlisted grant
- The funder's own URL, the date checked and the current application route.
- The exact applicant, area and cost rules, with a note on how your charity meets each one.
- The proposed amount, any contribution you must make and the evidence or partner commitments requested.
- The deadline or next review date. Recheck the page before submitting.