The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have launched a £25.5 million funding package to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations in England improve their energy efficiency.

Eligible organisations will be able to apply for 1) an independent energy assessment and 2) capital grants to install energy efficiency measures.

To apply for the second element, organisations not owning their premises will need to ask for their landlords’ permission.

GMCVO have launched a new social investment fund for organisations and businesses working in Greater Manchester who are trading for social good and looking to grow.

They are working in a unique partnership with the Greater Manchester Credit Union Consortium, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Access – The Foundation for Social Investment and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to deliver local investment with real impact, in communities where the need is highest.

Find out more here

Grants are available for community groups and voluntary organisations across Stockport for projects and activities that positively contribute to the environmental, economic, or social wellbeing within a particular ward. Grants of between £50 and £1,000 are available.

Aviva, in partnership with WWF and the RSPB, is giving £1 million to support community groups across the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area.

Find out more here

Applications are now open for a share of £2.4 million government funding to deliver local projects with a communities and place theme. The funding aims to address the diverse challenges faced by communities, enhance local assets, foster social cohesion, and create opportunities for economic growth.

For more information, criteria and how to apply, visit Stockport Council’s website here

Match funding (50%) of up to £50,000 to help organisations who are supporting social mobility, driving opportunity for education and employability in disadvantaged communities and supporting individuals from ethnic minorities as well as providing opportunities for girls in STEM. Funding will also target organisations who support and provide Health and Wellbeing services to those in need. There will also be funding available to support projects who help their local community become more sustainable by providing innovative ideas to prevent or reduce the impacts of climate change.

Grants are available to organisations doing legally charitable work in the UK that focuses on Communities or people most affected being involved in campaigning or leading change / Work which makes connections across our aims: Our Natural World, A Fairer Future and Creative, Confident Communities. You must have an annual turnover of less than £100,000. Funds of £30,000 upwards

Ongoing deadline

Part of The Conservation Volunteers commitment to support Community Network members. The fund makes grants available to encourage and enable community groups to carry out conservation activities. Two grants are available for Start Up (up to £160) and Support (up to £350).

Applications are reviewed every 6 weeks

The Finnis Scott Foundation awards grants of up to £10,000 to projects in the areas of horticulture and plant sciences, as well as art history and the enhancement, conservation and preservation of art.  Preference is given to smaller charities where a grant would have a significant impact. The Foundation funds both capital and revenue projects.

Ongoing application window

Support efforts to achieve social, economic and environmental injustice, and to end imbalances of wealth and power. Grants range from £500 to £3000. They run 2 funding cycles a year. Open to community groups.

'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 or 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.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Up to £5,000 is available to projects focused on arts, culture and heritage; environment & conservation; strengthening communities; education, training & employment; health & wellbeing.

Decisions made twice a year

This programme offers a larger amount of funding of over £10,000 for organisations that work together with a shared set of goals to help their community thrive – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences. The support is aimed at enabling organisations to continue to deliver activity or change and adapt to improve resilience.

Ongoing deadline

Awards grants via three funding programmes to registered charities:

Opportunity Programme (Improving life chances, realising potential), Environment Programme, Heritage Programme

They offer awards of up to and over £25,000 as well as multi-year grants.

Ongoing application window

Provides small grants up to £400 to support charitable organisations towards broader activities which improve Health, Place or Skills for families in their community.

Quarterly deadlines in November, February, May and August

Funding between £300 to £20,000 for VCFSE organisations to:

• bring people together 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 facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Ongoing deadline

Two grant options are available small grants of up to £100,000 and major grants of £100,000 or more. The types of grant made fall into one of three categories – Capital, Revenue (often called ‘core costs’) and Project work. The most important thing is that you apply for what you need.

Ongoing deadline

Funding available for VCFSE’s with projects that have a positive impact on communities, people or the environment and an average annual income of less than £50,000. Organisations/groups do not need to be a registered charity, however, will need to have a bank account in the organisation’s/project’s name such as a community bank account.

Application deadlines:

16 March / June / September / December

Funding pots of between £500 - £2,000 and £500 - £20,000 are available for projects centred around mental wellbeing, community participation in the arts, preventing or reducing the impact of poverty, supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality, improving biodiversity & green spaces, enabling participation in physical activity, responding to the climate emergency & promoting sustainability and increasing community access to outdoor space.

Funding round dates for 2024 are:

Round 1: 25 March 9am to 1 April 12 noon.

Round 2: 24 June 9am to 1 July 12 noon.

Round 3: 24 September 9 to 1st October 12 noon.

Award grants to a maximum of £3,000. To be successful a group MUST: Carry out positive work in the community and be of charitable nature and be ‘Not for Profit’ status; Be Community, Socially or Environmentally focused; Based within the area of benefit.

Application deadlines:

15 March 2024

1 June 2024

7 September 2024

13 December 2024