National Lottery Awards for All
£300 – £20,000
Focus: Community projects, all causes
The default starting point for small UK charities. Simple form, rolling deadlines.
Funding guide
Grants for small charities
Small UK charities (typically those with annual income under £500k) have access to a focused set of funders who deliberately back grassroots and community-rooted work. The list below covers the most active, with realistic award sizes and what each funder looks for.
Who this is for: Registered charities, CIOs and unincorporated associations with annual income up to roughly £500k.
What to look for in a funder
- Funders who explicitly back smaller organisations (some cap income at £250k, £1m or similar)
- Programmes that fund core costs, not only restricted project work
- Multi-year grants where available — they reduce future fundraising overhead
- Application forms designed for small teams (light evidence requirements, plain English)
Active funders to consider
Always check current eligibility and deadlines on the funder's own website before applying.
Lloyds Bank Foundation
£25,000 – £75,000 over 2 years
Focus: Charities tackling complex social issues
Backs small and local charities with multi-year unrestricted funding.
Tudor Trust
Variable, often multi-year
Focus: Smaller, community-led organisations
Open application, very selective. Strong fit for grassroots work.
Garfield Weston Foundation
£1,000 – £100,000
Focus: Welfare, youth, community, arts, faith, environment
Two-stage process. Funds capital and revenue.
Community Foundations (UK Community Foundations)
£500 – £10,000
Focus: Locally-targeted grants
Each local foundation runs its own pots — search by your postcode.
Henry Smith Charity
£10,000 – £100,000
Focus: Social and economic disadvantage
Strategic Grants for organisations under £2m turnover.
Application tips
- Apply for unrestricted or core funding when funders offer it — it's more valuable than equivalent restricted income.
- Lead with the problem and the people, not the activity. Funders fund change, not running.
- Have your last two years of accounts, a reserves policy, a safeguarding policy and a basic theory of change ready before you start.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small charity apply to large funders?
Yes, but read the criteria carefully — some funders set minimum income thresholds, while others actively cap eligibility to smaller organisations. Match by intent, not size alone.
Are there grants for unregistered groups?
Yes — Awards for All accepts constituted but unregistered community groups. Many local Community Foundation small-grants programmes do too.
How long does it take to hear back?
Awards for All: 8–12 weeks. Most trusts: 3–6 months. Multi-stage programmes can take 6–9 months.
Next step
From finding funding to a completed application
Most platforms stop once you've found a grant. Serin surfaces application questions and guidance inside the platform — so you can move from discovery to a stronger completed application in one workflow.