What you can spend the money on
We fund a variety of costs to help your project succeed. These include:
running costs for your organisation
help from a nature organisation
equipment
one-off events with a clear environmental impact
staff and training costs
transport and utilities
volunteer expenses
small land or refurbishment projects
We encourage you to think about any costs that help your organisation and community cope with the cost-of-living crisis.
What we cannot fund
We cannot fund:
activities or costs that only involve animals
costs you’ve already paid for
alcohol
contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
someone else to write your application for you
activities that make a profit or raise money
VAT you can reclaim
religious activities (we can fund religious organisations if the project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content)
statutory services or activities
schoolwork support during school hours
overseas travel
projects that take place outside the UK
activities that make a private profit
giving cash directly to individuals
If you are not sure if something can be funded, contact us.
Funding for land or refurbishment projects
If you need funding for land or building work, one of the following must apply:
you own the land or building
you have a lease for at least five years
you have a letter from the owner confirming a lease for at least five years
you have permission from the owner or landlord to do the work
You may also need to check if planning permission is required.
Political activity and campaigning
We can fund some political activity and campaigning. But only if:
the activity is not party political. This means that it must be about policy, practice, or legislation rather than opposing or supporting a political party
the activity is meant to help the cause of your organisation and benefit the public or society
We will not fund projects where political activities are the main purpose. But we can fund projects that are mainly about campaigning.