Grants for charities and community groups
Funding for charities, community groups, clubs and CICs is scattered across hundreds of trusts, lottery funds, councils and foundations — and most small organisations only ever hear about a handful. Subvention brings them together. Search in one place and see live grants matched to your organisation, each with a link to the funder's own page so you can confirm the details and apply with confidence.
Grants change frequently — always confirm eligibility, amounts and deadlines with the funder via the linked source. Subvention does not guarantee funding.
Who this is for
Registered charities, community interest companies (CICs), sports and social clubs, PTAs, faith and voluntary groups, and unincorporated community groups. Many funds are designed specifically for smaller and newer organisations, including those without charitable registration — so a lack of formal status doesn't always rule you out.
Types of funding for charities and community groups
The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest single source, with programmes from small local awards up to major multi-year grants. National Lottery Awards for All typically makes grants of roughly £300–£20,000 to local community projects. Heritage, arts and sport funds support specific activities, while community foundations manage local funds in almost every area and are often the friendliest route to a first grant. Councils and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund add local community grants on top.
What Subvention covers
One search spans National Lottery funds, the Heritage Fund, Arts Council, central and local government programmes via Find a Grant, the devolved funders (Funding Scotland, Business Wales, Invest Northern Ireland and their community equivalents), regional foundations and council schemes — refreshed daily and colour-coded by the region each one applies to.
How the matching works
Tell us about your organisation and what you want to fund — a building, equipment, a programme, running costs, a one-off event — and we return a ranked shortlist. Every match explains why it fits (region, type of organisation, purpose), flags anything that might affect eligibility, and links to the original funder page with the date we last checked it.
Free to search
Grant search and matching are free. Optional one-off passes add saved grants, deadline reminders and alerts for when new, relevant funds open — useful when you're running an active funding round.
Frequently asked questions
- What grants are available for small charities in the UK?
- Small charities and community groups can apply to National Lottery funds (including Awards for All), community foundations, heritage and arts funds, and local council schemes. Subvention shows the live ones matched to your organisation and region.
- Can community groups without charity registration get grants?
- Yes — many funds, including parts of the National Lottery Community Fund, support unregistered community groups such as clubs and PTAs. Subvention flags which funds accept your type of organisation.
- How much can a community group apply for?
- It varies widely. National Lottery Awards for All typically ranges from around £300 to £20,000, while larger programmes and community foundation funds can offer more. Always confirm the current range on the funder's page.
- Is there a free grant finder for charities?
- Yes. Subvention's search and matching are free, covering charity and community funding alongside business grants, with every result traceable to its source.
- How often is the funding list updated?
- The grant database is refreshed daily across 49 sources, so newly opened funds and approaching deadlines show up quickly.