Funding for You
Every so often we come across grants or funding applications that aren’t appropriate for us, but which those we work with could apply to. When we do, we will list these here – helping you to roll out Carbon Literacy to your audience.
The Britford Bridge Trust is a family foundation that gives grants that support the advancement of education, culture, heritage and science, the protection of the environment and the relief of those in need. The Trust prioritises projects with national and international relevance, focusing on areas such as poverty prevention, education advancement, health improvement, and arts and science promotion. Applications from overseas charities and medical research initiatives are not considered due to existing support arrangements.
Applicants must have national or international reach with regional consideration given to projects in Dorset and Cambridge areas only.
The Wixamtree Trust is dedicated to supporting charitable initiatives primarily within Bedfordshire, where the Trustees focus their grant-making efforts. Additionally, the Trust extends its support to a small number of national charities associated with its main benefactor during his lifetime. Organisations seeking assistance must be based or operating within Bedfordshire and must be registered charities or deemed charitable by the Inland Revenue.
Grant amounts typically range from £1,000 to £10,000, with occasional exceptions. Grants exceeding 10% of an organisation’s annual running costs or project expenses are rare.
The Lancashire Environmental Fund
Projects funded by the Lancashire Environmental Fund (LEF) encompass a wide range of community and environmental enhancements such as facility improvements, habitat creation and management, park and garden enhancements, recreational facility upgrades, and biodiversity conservation efforts. Community and environmental groups in Lancashire can apply for grants through two funding streams: Green Grants, offering up to £1,000 (applications accepted until November 2024), and Main Grants, which can provide funding up to £30,000.
Please note: LEF does not fund any projects outside of Lancashire or within the unitary authorities of Blackpool or Blackburn with Darwen.
The Sir James Knott Trust is committed to supporting charitable activities in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, County Durham, and Hartlepool with the primary aim to improve the living and working conditions of people in the North East of England.
Special consideration is given to activities of particular interest to Sir James Knott, such as employment opportunities, housing security, and communal spaces. The Trust also supports military and maritime causes, reflecting the Knott family’s history and losses in World War I.
Small grants of up to £1,000 are processed outside of scheduled meetings, with an average turnaround time of six weeks, to quickly address the needs of micro-organisations. For larger projects, the Trust commonly provides grants of £5,000 per year over three years and occasionally extends this to £15,000 per year over three years. While it is rare for the Trust to fund beyond these amounts, extraordinary projects may receive larger sums based on specific needs and thorough assessments. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their funding needs with the Trust before submission to ensure their applications are well-aligned with the Trust’s criteria and timelines.
For over 25 years, Scotland’s Community Foundation has been committed to strengthening communities throughout Scotland, helping them take action, create positive change, and achieve lasting impact. Their vision is to foster confident, thriving, and resilient communities across the country, ensuring that each community is equipped to support its own needs and aspirations. The Foundation is dedicated to providing the necessary support to enable communities to shape their own futures.
UK Community Foundations (UKCF) is a national network comprising accredited community foundations across the United Kingdom. This network serves as a unifying platform for individuals and organisations committed to enhancing their communities through philanthropy and collaborative efforts. UKCF’s member foundations work locally to address diverse community needs, leveraging their expertise to facilitate effective grant-making, community engagement, and capacity-building initiatives.
Broadacres Sustainability Fund
The Sustainability Fund, launched by Broadacres, offers grants to support local projects that benefit the environment and promote sustainable development within communities. Grants of up to £500 are available, with the possibility of up to £1,000 for exceptional cases. Eligible projects include those focused on protecting wildlife habitats, promoting tree planting, facilitating community gardening for fruits and vegetables, and creating outdoor spaces for communal use.
The Carbon Literacy Community Pot
The Community Pot is dedicated to improving access to Carbon Literacy training for low-income and underrepresented groups, particularly in the Global South. This initiative focuses on supporting community groups, charities, and schools that may struggle to afford the costs associated with initiating Carbon Literacy training.
The fund offers services equivalent to £25,000, with individual grants capped at £5,000. Grants are available for various services, including course accreditation, certificate applications, toolkit access, and support for Carbon Literacy initiatives.
Organisations seeking assistance must be based in the Global South, and eligible applicants include small community groups, charities and not-for-profits with annual revenues under £25,000, publicly funded schools, and other underrepresented or marginalised groups.
Keep an eye out for future funding rounds!
The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded grant-maker that donates around £100 million annually to support a wide range of charities across the UK. The foundation funds organisations that make a positive impact in various sectors, including welfare, youth, community, environment, education, health, arts, heritage, and faith.
The Ibrahim Foundation operates a dynamic grant-making programme aimed at supporting transformative initiatives across the UK. The foundation places a strong emphasis on community impact, preferring projects that enhance social capital, promote environmental stewardship, strengthen nonprofit infrastructure, and support families in achieving self-sufficiency. While there are no specific focal areas, the foundation values initiatives that empower local communities and address pressing social and environmental challenges effectively.
‘Charity Pot’ is a Lush hand and body cream where 100% of all sales (minus local taxes) are distributed as grants, to groups working in the areas of:
- Animal Protection
- Environment
- Human Rights (incl. social justice, peace & equality)
Charity Pot grants range from £100, up to a maximum of £10,000 per project/application. The average Charity Pot grant is between £2,000 – £4,000. It is unusual to award the maximum of £10,000, as this reduces the range of projects that can be supported.
The Marsh Charitable Trust focuses on providing crucial funding to small organisations, particularly for covering essential running costs such as volunteer expenses, training days, equipment maintenance, and other core outgoings. The Trust focuses on long-term core funding for small organisations, helping with essential running costs like volunteer expenses and equipment maintenance.
The National Lottery Community Fund
National Lottery Awards for All England is a community grant programme funded by proceeds from the National Lottery. This initiative supports a wide range of community projects across England, with grants ranging from £300 to £20,000 for projects lasting up to two years. The grants are designed to bring people together, enhance community spaces, help individuals reach their potential, and support communities facing increased challenges due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Eligible applicants include voluntary or community organisations, and projects must benefit local communities.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but it is recommended to apply at least 16 weeks before you plan to start your project or use the funds.
(*Please note: Availability of the program may vary depending on your location within England).
Bags of Help is Tesco’s local community grant scheme where the money raised by the carrier bag charge in Tesco stores is being used to fund thousands of community projects across the UK*. The projects must meet the criteria of bringing benefits to the community.
Bags of Help is administered by Groundwork which is working with Greenspace Scotland to support successful projects in Scotland.
The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust is a grantmaking organisation dedicated to supporting UK registered charities or exempt organisations across the Midlands, with a particular focus on Coventry and Warwickshire, however groups across the UK are regularly funded.
The Syder Foundation, a family foundation based in Berkshire, UK, annually awards grants to registered charities across diverse charitable purposes. The foundation focuses on supporting regional charities located primarily in Berkshire and surrounding counties. Large grants, totaling between £300,000 and £400,000 annually, are typically around £50,000 each and preferably allocated to capital projects, with exceptions made for exceptional programmes or projects.
The Leonard Laity Stoate Charitable Trust
The Leonard Laity Stoate Charitable Trust provides grants primarily to organisations within specific categories and geographical areas. While the Trust has a particular interest in Methodism, it considers applications from all charitable categories. Preference is given to organisations registered as charities in England and Wales, or those exempt from registration, such as established churches. Other organisations must be small-scale, demonstrate a clear charitable purpose, be non-profit, and operate entirely on a voluntary basis. Innovative projects with significant self-help or voluntary input are favoured.