Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
John Ellerman Foundation launches new Funding Strategy
The John Ellerman Foundation has launched a new funding strategy for 2025-2030 offering multi-year core costs funding that supports work with a national relevance addressing social justice and the environment. UK charities with an annual income of between £100,000 and £10 million can apply for up to £180,000. They are running Q&A sessions during the summer to help applicants understand the funding guidelines. Click the link to learn more & book your webinar place.
Henry Smith Foundation Announces New 5-Year Strategy
The Henry Smith Foundation, formerly known as the Henry Smith Charity, has published its new strategy, Elevate Your Impact (2025-2030) which ‘reaffirms their commitment to backing people and organisations driving change in communities across the UK.’ Over the next five years, they will focus their funding on three core areas: Getting started – supporting families to give their young children a strong start, Building independence – helping young people move into adulthood with confidence, skills and hope, and Safer futures – supporting people to rebuild their lives after abuse, displacement or prison. The first three new programmes under these funding priorities have also been announced. Click the link to learn more and book your place on their upcoming webinars.
Woodward Charitable Trust updates guidelines
The Woodward Charitable Trust updated their guidelines in May 2025 for their general application category. They now only provide grants to organisations supporting disadvantaged families with young children up to age 11, and organisations that work directly with children of the same age group (0-11 years). Grants of up to £10,000 per year for core costs are available for organisations with an annual income of up to £200,000, for a maximum of three consecutive years. Core costs includes staff salaries, rent, utilities, general office costs, accountancy and audit costs, fundraising, governance and compliance and costs supporting the core programmes of the organisation. The Trustees prioritise small-scale, locally based initiatives. The current grant round is open until 12 noon on Thursday 31st July.
A grant-making charitable trust that funds small and medium-sized UK registered charities, the Charles Hayward Foundation supports projects in four categories: Social & Criminal Justice for UK registered charities with an annual income between £350,000 and £4,000,000 can apply for grants of £15,000 – £25,000 per annum over one to three years. Overseas projects for UK registered charities with an annual income of between £150,000 and £4,000,000 can apply for a one year grant of up to £15,000. Heritage & Conservation projects for UK registered charities with an annual income >£350,000 may receive a one-off grant of up to £50,000. This category is currently closed to new applications. Older People projects are funded with a one year grant of up to £7,000 to UK registered charities with an annual income <£350,000. Next deadline for Social & Criminal Justice and Overseas proposals is 19 September 2025. Applications for the Older People category can be submitted at any time.
The Sofronie Foundation works with charities and not for profit organisations that focus on improving the lives of disadvantaged young people through educational or vocational programmes in the UK, France or the Netherlands. STEM projects offering young people opportunities to acquire skills for higher education or training for work, they’d like to see interventions that increase access to higher education, raise aspirations, build confidence, and develop skills in preparation for university and interventions that increase access to vocational training, providing young people with practical skills or offer opportunities of work experience in preparation for future employment. They particularly encourage a close working relationship with smaller programmes that have the potential to scale up and become more established. No minimum or maximum amount is specified, but funding can be used for all costs associated with project delivery, including staffing costs. Applications are accepted all year round - it may take up to three months to receive a decision from the Trustees.
Upcoming Deadlines
Royal Philharmonic Society: RPS Thea Musgrave Fund – Performance Grants
The Royal Philharmonic Society’s RPS Thea Musgrave Fund is new initiative encouraging UK performances of Thea Musgrave’s music. Grants help performers, ensembles, festivals and venues to put Thea’s music at the heart of their UK programming. In 2025/26, grants in the region of £5,000 to £10,000 each are available to 2-3 recipients. The closing date for applications is 11am on 1 July 2025.
Their grants are available to any Christian place of worship in the UK that is open for regular worship. Helping to keep church buildings in good repair, open for worship and community activities, and allowing them to continue to serve people, communities and visitors, funding can support places of worship to repair a roof, install a kitchen or accessible toilets, clear asbestos or undertake regular essential maintenance. Medium Grants range from £500 up to £10,000 (small grants are now combined with the medium grants) or Large grants of up to £50,000. Next Large grants deadline midnight on 1 July 2025.
The Trust welcomes applications for up to £500 from UK-based volunteering or community service projects, organised and run by people under 30 years old. Projects with a clear benefit to others in the wider community which encourage volunteering particularly from young people are welcome. Innovative ideas are also encouraged. Deadline 5pm, 2 July 2025.
Weavers' Company Benevolent Fund
The Fund’s aims to support people in trouble, particularly young offenders and ex-offenders, and other disadvantaged young people and work with organisations that can demonstrate impact with these beneficiaries within either a local area or nationally. Their Small Grants Programme has a cap of £5,000 while their Main Grants Programme is uncapped - you are advised to research typical grant sizes they’ve previously made. Funding UK registered charities, CIOS, and in exceptional circumstances, CICs, funding can cover pump-priming, projects including associated overheads, and core costs considered for new projects for salaries, training and overheads. Application deadline 12pm (noon), 3 Jul 2025.
Belfast City Council: Support for Sport – Large Development grants
The Belfast City Council Support for Sport Large Development Grants are designed for Belfast-based sports clubs who wish to develop by undertaking a new project. Maximum award: £5,000 each financial year, organisations may only submit one application. Projects must occur between 1 October 2025 and 31 March 2026, any activity outside these timescales will not be eligible for funding. Deadline 12pm(noon), 4 July 2025.
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Latest Articles of Interest
Communities Minister announces new fund for investment in sustainability of community facilities
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced a major new funding scheme that will deliver refurbishment works to buildings, halls and facilities used by community and voluntary organisations across Northern Ireland.
Funding for projects, activities and programmes for the island of Ireland
We summarise a few of the recent funding announcements for projects, activities and programmes supporting work across the island of Ireland
NICVA briefing paper on The Lotteries for Communities Bill consultation
Sian Mulholland MLA’s private member’s bill, The Lotteries for Communities Bill was launched for consultation on 9 May 2025 and will close on 31 July 2025. NICVA has produced a briefing paper in response.
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