What we're hoping to fund
We fund community-led projects that use local strengths to make people’s lives better. This means working with and for the people most affected by poverty, disadvantage or discrimination. We want to reach people and communities who are often excluded or overlooked, especially those who find it hardest to access support.
For example, people who:
- live in remote areas
- are socially isolated
- cannot access online services
Make your project inclusive and accessible
You should think about:
- who you aim to support
- who you find it hard to reach, and why
- how you can make it easier for them to take part
We’ll ask about this in your application.
Go beyond the statistics
You can use data to show who you’re working with. But what matters most is your local knowledge, your connection to the community, and your experience of working with people facing these challenges.
Provide support early to prevent problems
We want to fund projects that help people avoid problems before they happen, prevent negative experiences, and break cycles of disadvantage. This approach is often called ‘early intervention’.
Be community led
Your project must:
- respond to your community’s needs and involve them in the design, development and delivery
- build on your community’s strengths, such as existing skills, experience and resources
- be well connected by working with others in the community and adding to what’s already happening in your area
Meet one of these outcomes
Your project must help achieve at least one of these outcomes:
- communities help to reduce health inequalities
- communities support people’s physical health, mental health and wellbeing
- people have positive relationships and connections
- communities help young people to reach their potential and thrive as adults
- children and young people develop good social and emotional skills
Meeting more than one outcome will not improve your chances of getting funding.
Be able to learn from your work
We fund organisations that learn from what they do and share that learning with others. If your project is already running, we’ll ask what you’ve learned so far.
You should also be clear about:
- what difference your project will make
- how you’ll measure your impact
We’ll ask about this in your application.
Think about your environmental impact
Even if your project is not focused on the environment, we expect you to think about how to:
- reduce harm to the environment
- cut carbon emissions
- have a positive impact where possible
We’ll talk to you about this when you apply. You can also check our guidance on reducing your environmental footprint, it can help you make your project more sustainable and cost-effective.
Keep people safe
If you get funding, you’ll need to meet our expectations for safeguarding children and adults at risk.
Find out more on: