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Companies that donate to charities in the UK: a 2026 directory
July 7, 2026
Most corporate-giving directories read like brand encyclopaedias: paragraphs of CSR backstory and no way for a UK charity to actually apply. If you run a charity in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you do not need to know that a US company is generous in California. You need the programme name, the eligibility rule, and the application link, for every entry.
This guide is built that way. Below is a directory of UK corporate giving programmes, grouped by programme type, with a direct application link and a one-line eligibility note for each entry. Skim by category and click through to apply.
Corporate income, including grants, sponsorships and employee giving, is the third-largest source of UK charity income after individual donors and government (NCVO UK Civil Society Almanac). Where your charity fits depends on your cause area, your location, and how many of your supporters work at organisations with an active giving programme.
UK corporate giving at a glance
Corporate income is a growing revenue line for small UK charities, particularly through community-vote schemes and Payroll Giving employer-match top-ups.
Sponsorship is a recognised line in most UK company CSR budgets; charities that present a clear sponsorship package close more deals than those that rely on a cold email.
UK employees who give through Payroll Giving make tax-efficient donations at source, and many employers top up or match contributions, directing additional funds to the charity at no extra cost to the donor.
Employee matching gift and Payroll Giving programmes: when an employee donates to your charity, the company matches it (often 1:1, sometimes higher). In the UK, Payroll Giving is the dominant workplace-giving mechanism, operated through HMRC-approved Payroll Giving Agencies.
Volunteer grant programmes (a.k.a. "dollars for doers"): the company donates to your charity when one of their employees volunteers a set number of hours.
Foundation grant programmes: the company's foundation makes direct grants to charities, usually with a published application window and eligibility criteria.
In-kind and product donations: the company donates goods, software, services or surplus inventory rather than cash.
Corporate sponsorships: the company funds your event, campaign or programme in exchange for brand exposure.
Community development and local giving: location-based programmes that fund charities in towns or regions where the company operates.
Most large organisations run two or three of these at once. We have placed each programme under its strongest category below, with cross-references where relevant.
Payroll Giving: the UK's overlooked corporate channel
Payroll Giving is the UK's primary workplace-giving mechanism and the closest UK equivalent to US employer-matching programmes. Under Payroll Giving, employees donate directly from their gross salary before income tax is deducted, so a basic-rate taxpayer giving £10 a month pays only £8. Higher-rate taxpayers pay just £6 for the same £10 gift.
Charities receive the full £10 regardless of the donor's tax rate; the tax relief goes to the donor at source through PAYE.
How it works in practice:
1. An employee signs up through their employer's HMRC-approved Payroll Giving Agency (the three main agencies are Charities Trust, CAF Give As You Earn, and Charitable Giving).
2. Donations are deducted before income tax and forwarded monthly to the charity.
3. Many employers top up or match employee contributions, effectively increasing the gift further.
4. No Gift Aid declaration is needed: the tax relief is already built into the PAYE deduction. (gov.uk Payroll Giving guidance)
Why UK charities should register with a Payroll Giving Agency: once your charity is registered on an agency's platform, any employee at any participating employer can route their Payroll Giving donation to you. Registration is free and unlocks thousands of potential donors across hundreds of UK employers. Contact Charities Trust, CAF Give As You Earn, or Charitable Giving directly to register.
A note on Gift Aid and Payroll Giving: Gift Aid does not apply to Payroll Giving donations because the tax relief is already given at source. However, Gift Aid does apply when an employee makes a personal donation outside of Payroll Giving, and where an employer then matches that personal donation. The matching element is a company donation and attracts corporate gift relief (deductible from taxable profits under Corporation Tax Act 2010, Part 6) rather than Gift Aid. The distinction matters for your finance records. (Charity Tax Group)
UK employers with matching gift and Payroll Giving programmes
1. Google UK
Google matches employee donations up to the equivalent of £10,000 per employee per year and also matches volunteer time. In the UK, Google operates its giving programmes through Google.org and maintains a Payroll Giving scheme for UK employees via HMRC-approved agencies.
Eligibility: registered charities (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR or CCNI) and HMRC-recognised organisations.
Apply / request:google.org/our-approach for foundation grants; matching gifts are requested by employees through Google's internal portal.
Other Google programmes worth knowing:
Google for Nonprofits UK: free Google Workspace, YouTube Nonprofit Programme and Google Maps Platform credits for verified UK charities. Eligibility verified via TechSoup UK. Apply at google.com/nonprofits.
Google Ad Grants: up to £7,500 per month in free Google Search advertising for eligible UK registered charities. Eligibility is validated through TechSoup UK.
2. Microsoft UK
Microsoft runs one of the largest employee-giving programmes globally. UK employees can access matching donations and volunteer-hour grants through the Microsoft internal giving portal.
1:1 match on employee donations.
Volunteer time matched at a fixed rate per logged hour.
Employees can direct matched funds to registered UK charities.
Eligibility: registered charities and HMRC-recognised tax-exempt organisations. Charities must register with Microsoft's giving platform to receive matched funds.
Microsoft for Nonprofits: discounted software and cloud services for registered UK charities, including Office 365 Nonprofit and Azure credits. Access via microsoft.com/nonprofits.
Tech for Social Impact: discounted technology for registered charities globally, including UK organisations.
3. Apple UK
Apple matches employee donations 1:1 and awards volunteer grants for logged volunteer time. UK employees can direct matched donations to registered UK charities.
Eligibility: registered charities in the UK (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR or CCNI) and HMRC-recognised organisations.
Apply / request: Matching gifts and volunteer grants are submitted by Apple employees through Apple's internal giving portal. Ensure your charity is registered with Apple's giving platform in advance.
4. Barclays
Barclays runs employee-matched giving through its internal giving portal and supports Payroll Giving for UK employees. The Barclays UK Community Awards programme also funds community projects in areas where Barclays operates.
Eligibility: registered charities and HMRC-recognised organisations; community awards open to groups in Barclays operating communities.
HSBC supports Payroll Giving for UK employees and runs the HSBC UK Community Grants programme, funding local charities in areas where HSBC has a significant presence.
Eligibility: registered charities (all three UK jurisdictions); community grants tend to prioritise financial inclusion and education causes.
Lloyds Banking Group supports Payroll Giving through CAF Give As You Earn and operates a 1:1 employee-matched giving scheme. The group also funds the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for Scotland, and Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland as separate grant-giving bodies (see Section 7 for the foundation entries).
Eligibility: registered charities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; the matched giving scheme is open to all registered charities.
Apply / request: Employee matching is submitted through the Lloyds internal giving portal. For foundation grants, see the separate entries below.
7. NatWest Group
NatWest operates Payroll Giving for UK employees and runs the NatWest Skills and Opportunities Fund, which grants funds to charities supporting financial inclusion, enterprise and skills in underserved communities.
Eligibility: registered charities (E&W, Scotland, NI) with programmes in financial inclusion, enterprise or skills development.
GSK runs a global employee-giving programme that includes matching donations made by UK employees to eligible UK charities, and a significant volunteer-grant element tied to employee service hours. The GSK IMPACT Awards also grant funds to UK health charities.
Eligibility: registered UK charities working in health and wellbeing; some grants prioritise charities working in GSK communities.
AstraZeneca supports employee Payroll Giving and operates an employee-matched giving programme for UK-registered charities. The AstraZeneca Young Health Programme also makes grants to charities focused on adolescent health.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (all three jurisdictions); the Young Health Programme prioritises adolescent health charities.
Unilever operates Payroll Giving through CAF Give As You Earn for UK employees and runs employee-matched giving for registered UK charities. The Unilever Foundation funds programmes in hygiene, sanitation and food security globally.
Eligibility: registered UK charities for matched giving; global programmes for the Foundation.
Matching gifts only help your charity when the matched pounds actually arrive intact. If a £5,000 employer match hits your donation page on a platform that charges 3% to 10%, the company's contribution partly pays the platform before it funds your mission. A free UK donation form built for matching gifts and corporate cheques means every matched pound lands in your account.
UK corporate foundations with open application cycles
11. Aviva Community Fund
The Aviva Community Fund awards grants of up to £50,000 to community projects and charities across the UK through a public-vote model. Projects are nominated by Aviva customers and employees; the public then votes on which projects receive funding in quarterly rounds.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups (UK-wide, including CICs and unincorporated associations that meet the eligibility criteria). Open to groups that are not yet registered charities, which makes this one of the most accessible entry-level corporate-giving programmes for community groups.
12. Ecclesiastical Movement for Good (Benefact Group)
The Benefact Group (which owns Ecclesiastical Insurance) donates the equivalent of its distributable profits to good causes through the Movement for Good programme. Awards range from £1,000 to over £25,000 and are made to registered charities nominated by the public, Ecclesiastical policyholders and employees. Over £150 million has been donated since the programme launched.
Eligibility: registered charities in the UK. Nomination windows open periodically across the year.
13. Tesco Community Grants (formerly Bags of Help)
Tesco Community Grants awards grants of up to £1,500 to local community groups and charities through a customer-vote model. Customers use blue tokens at the checkout to vote for their preferred local project; the three projects with the most votes in each store community share a grant. Tesco also runs an annual larger-grant programme.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups within reasonable distance of a Tesco store. Accepts unincorporated groups and CICs as well as registered charities.
Co-op members direct 1% of their spending on Co-op branded products to a local cause of their choice. Causes are nominated by Co-op members and must be within a 10-mile radius of a Co-op store. Funding rounds open annually; selected causes receive funds monthly throughout the year.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups (not-for-profit organisations); CICs are eligible. Groups must be local and community-focused.
15. Waitrose Community Matters (Green Token Giving)
Each month, Waitrose shoppers receive a green token at the checkout and choose which of three local good causes to support. The tokens are counted at the end of the month and a share of a £1,000 grant (per store) is distributed based on the vote.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups local to a Waitrose store.
Apply / request: Contact the Community Manager at your local Waitrose branch directly.
16. Screwfix Foundation
The Screwfix Foundation funds projects that repair, maintain or improve facilities for people in need across the UK. Grants range from £500 to £5,000 and are available to registered charities, hospices, and community groups.
Eligibility: registered charities, hospices and community groups with a project focused on fixing or improving a facility (UK-wide).
The B&Q Foundation supports projects that improve communities' access to outdoor and green spaces, with a focus on urban areas. Grants are made in partnership with local charities and community groups near B&Q stores.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups near a B&Q store; projects must have a tangible community benefit.
Persimmon Homes' Community Champions programme awards monthly grants of up to £1,000 to community groups and charities near Persimmon developments. The programme runs throughout the year with a monthly application window.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups near a Persimmon development (England, Wales and Scotland).
John Lewis Partnership (John Lewis and Waitrose) makes community grants through its local and national community investment programmes. Grants are available to registered charities and social enterprises working in communities where the Partnership operates.
Eligibility: registered charities and social enterprises (UK-wide, with local focus near Partnership stores).
Wickes supports local communities through in-store and online fundraising opportunities, charity partnerships and small community grants. Local store managers have discretion to support nearby groups.
Eligibility: local charities and community groups near Wickes stores (England, Wales and Scotland).
TechSoup UK (operating as the Charity Digital Exchange) is the gateway through which UK charities access donated and discounted software, hardware and cloud services from technology partners including Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Symantec and Intuit. Products available include Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud and security software at up to 90% discount or free.
Eligibility: registered charities (CCEW, OSCR or CCNI) and public libraries; some products have additional eligibility restrictions.
Beyond Ad Grants, Google for Nonprofits gives qualifying UK charities free Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet), the YouTube Nonprofit Programme (donation links on videos) and Google Maps Platform credits.
Eligibility: registered UK charities verified via TechSoup UK. Eligibility is confirmed through the TechSoup UK validation process.
Microsoft for Nonprofits provides free Microsoft 365 Business Premium for up to ten users, discounted Azure cloud services, and access to technology training programmes for eligible UK registered charities.
Salesforce.org's Power of Us programme donates ten free Salesforce licences to eligible UK charities and offers deep discounts on additional products through the Nonprofit Cloud and the Education Cloud.
Eligibility: registered UK charities; apply directly through the Salesforce.org site.
Adobe donates and discounts Creative Cloud products for eligible UK charities through TechSoup UK. Discounted access to Acrobat, Photoshop, InDesign and the full Creative Cloud suite is available to verified charities.
Eligibility: registered UK charities verified through TechSoup UK.
The Morrisons Foundation awards grants to registered charities delivering projects that make a real difference to people's lives. Grants range from £1,000 to £25,000 and are available year-round with a rolling application process. In 2023, the Foundation donated over £6 million to UK charities.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR or CCNI) and HMRC-recognised. Projects must make a demonstrable community impact.
The Asda Foundation funds projects that help local communities thrive. Grants are available to registered charities and community groups across the UK, with a particular focus on food poverty, community wellbeing and supporting people facing hardship.
Eligibility: registered charities, community groups and organisations that meet Asda's grant criteria; CICs are eligible for some programmes.
M&S Sparks members can direct a donation to one of M&S's selected charity partners each time they shop. M&S also runs a community grants programme for local charities near M&S stores.
Eligibility: selected charity partners for Sparks (by invitation); local community grants open to registered charities near M&S stores.
Sainsbury's runs a local charity partner scheme through which individual stores select a local charity partner for a 12-month fundraising relationship. The store organises fundraising events, employee volunteering, and in-store collections on behalf of the chosen charity.
Eligibility: registered charities local to a Sainsbury's store. Applications are assessed by the store's community champion.
Apply / request: Contact the community champion at your local Sainsbury's store.
30. Co-op Food Community Fund (in-kind and fundraising)
In addition to the Co-op Local Community Fund (see entry 14), Co-op stores support local charities through in-store fundraising, food-surplus donations to local food banks, and community events.
Eligibility: local registered charities and constituted community groups.
Apply / request: Contact the manager of your local Co-op store.
UK financial services foundations
31. Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales
The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales makes multi-year grants to small and medium-sized charities (income £25,000 to £1 million) in England and Wales that support people facing complex social issues. Grants typically range from £30,000 to £100,000 over two to three years. The Foundation also offers development support to help charities build organisational strength.
Eligibility: registered charities in England and Wales with an income between £25,000 and £1 million. Grants are for charities with a track record of at least two years. Note: this foundation is for England and Wales only. Scottish and Northern Ireland charities must apply to the separate foundations listed below.
The Lloyds Bank Foundation for Scotland makes grants to small and medium-sized charities in Scotland that support people facing disadvantage. It operates independently of the England and Wales Foundation with its own application cycles.
Eligibility: charities registered with OSCR (Scotland only) with an income between £25,000 and £1 million.
The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland makes grants to charities and voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland. Grants range from small community awards up to larger multi-year grants for established charities.
Eligibility: charities registered with CCNI (Northern Ireland only). Applications are reviewed against current priority themes, which are published on the Foundation's website.
The NatWest Skills and Opportunities Fund grants funds to charities and social enterprises supporting financial inclusion, enterprise skills and employment for underserved people across the UK. The Fund makes grants of between £5,000 and £35,000.
Eligibility: registered charities and social enterprises (UK-wide) working in financial inclusion, skills or enterprise. CICs are eligible.
Barclays supports community-focused charities through its Community Awards programme and through employee-led giving via Payroll Giving and matched donations.
Eligibility: registered charities in communities where Barclays operates (UK-wide); cause areas include financial education, skills for employment and community wellbeing.
The Zurich Community Trust makes grants to registered charities working with disadvantaged people across the UK. Grants range from £5,000 to £30,000 and are available to charities addressing social disadvantage, disability and mental health.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (all three jurisdictions) working with disadvantaged or marginalised people.
SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) operates community investment funds in areas near its energy infrastructure projects. Funding is available to registered charities and community groups in communities affected by SSE projects, including wind farms, substations and grid upgrades.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups near SSE infrastructure (primarily Scotland and Northern England but varies by project).
The Cadent Foundation makes grants to registered charities and community groups working to improve quality of life in communities across the Cadent gas network area (North West, East Midlands, East of England and North London). Grants range from £500 to £10,000.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups within the Cadent network area; cause areas include fuel poverty, community wellbeing and skills.
National Grid funds community projects near its infrastructure through community benefit funds and direct grants. Programmes vary by region and project; the company also operates a matched employee-giving scheme for UK employees.
Eligibility: registered charities and community groups near National Grid infrastructure (primarily England and Wales).
DHL supports UK communities through charity partnerships, in-kind logistics support and employee volunteering. DHL also donates to disaster-relief organisations through its corporate partnership with the UN World Food Programme.
Eligibility: national and local registered charities; logistics in-kind support is assessed by DHL's UK community team.
Royal Mail supports charities through the Royal Mail Group Charity Fund, employee Payroll Giving and in-kind postal donation schemes. The company also provides discounted postage rates for registered charities under Royal Mail's charity-rate products.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (CCEW, OSCR or CCNI) for the charity postal rate; the Charity Fund makes grants in Royal Mail operating communities.
The Vodafone Foundation supports charities using technology to address social challenges. In the UK, the Foundation focuses on digital inclusion, disaster response connectivity and technology for underserved communities. Grants are available to UK registered charities with a technology-for-good focus.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (all three jurisdictions) with a technology-led approach to social challenges.
BT supports UK communities through the BT Skills for Tomorrow programme (free digital skills training), a matched employee-giving scheme and corporate charity partnerships. BT also donates tech equipment to charities through its asset-recycling programme.
Eligibility: registered UK charities and constituted community groups; the Skills for Tomorrow programme is open to individuals and organisations.
Legal and General supports charities through employee matched giving, Payroll Giving and corporate charitable giving focused on housing, health and inclusive growth. The company also operates skills-volunteering programmes where employees offer professional expertise to charities.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (all three jurisdictions) with programmes in affordable housing, health or inclusive economic growth.
In addition to the Aviva Community Fund (entry 11), Aviva supports registered charities through its Skills for Life initiative, which links Aviva employees to community organisations as skills-based volunteers, and through corporate grants to national charity partners.
Eligibility: registered UK charities; skills-based volunteering partnerships assessed by Aviva's community team.
The Boots Charitable Trust supports organisations working to improve the health and wellbeing of communities, with a focus on areas where Boots operates. Grants are available to registered charities and community groups for health, wellbeing and social-care projects.
Eligibility: registered charities and constituted community groups; projects must have a health or wellbeing focus (UK-wide with emphasis on communities near Boots stores).
The Bernard Sunley Foundation is a UK grant-making foundation (family trust with historic corporate roots) that funds capital projects for registered charities across the UK. Grants range from £5,000 to £50,000 and are available to charities undertaking building, renovation or equipment projects.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (CCEW, OSCR or CCNI) with a capital project; applications are accepted year-round.
The Garfield Weston Foundation is one of the UK's largest independent charitable foundations (family, not corporate, but referenced by virtually every UK fundraiser). It funds a wide range of causes including arts, community, education, environment, health, religion, welfare and young people. Grants range from under £10,000 to over £1 million. The Foundation awards around £75 million to UK charities each year.
Eligibility: registered UK charities (CCEW, OSCR or CCNI). The Foundation does not fund overseas work or individuals.
The Clothworkers' Foundation is a UK grant-making foundation linked to the Clothworkers' Company (a City of London livery company). It funds capital projects for registered charities and also supports textile and brewing education.
Eligibility: registered UK charities with a capital project (building works, equipment); revenue funding is rarely awarded. See the Foundation's guidelines for the current priority areas.
50. Patagonia Environmental Grants (UK and Europe)
Patagonia's Environmental Grants programme funds grassroots environmental organisations working on campaigns to protect or restore natural environments. The programme includes a UK and Europe strand alongside the US programme.
Grants typically range from £5,000 to £20,000 for small activist groups.
Priority goes to organisations working at a local or regional level on specific campaigns with measurable outcomes.
Eligibility: registered charities and environmental organisations (including constituted groups that are not registered charities, if they meet the programme criteria) with a primary focus on direct environmental action or advocacy.
Understanding three things about the UK landscape will help you prioritise where to invest your time.
1. Payroll Giving, not matching gifts, is the default UK workplace mechanism
In the US, employer-matched donations through a company portal are the norm. In the UK, the equivalent is Payroll Giving: pre-tax deductions through PAYE, administered by an HMRC-approved agency. Many UK employers do also offer matched giving on top of Payroll Giving contributions, but if you ask a UK HR team about "matching gifts", they may look blank. Ask instead whether they offer Payroll Giving and whether they top up employee contributions. Registering your charity with the main Payroll Giving agencies (Charities Trust, CAF Give As You Earn, Charitable Giving) unlocks access to employees across thousands of UK employers at once.
2. Community-vote schemes are the accessible entry point for small charities
Tesco Community Grants, Co-op Local Community Fund, Waitrose Community Matters and the Aviva Community Fund all operate on a nomination-and-vote model. You apply; customers or members vote; the top-voted causes share a pool of grant funding. These schemes are explicitly designed to be accessible to small charities and community groups, including unincorporated associations and CICs that cannot access traditional foundation grants. If your charity is small or newly formed, these are the most realistic first step into corporate-funded income. Mobilise your existing supporters to vote: the outcome is often decided by a few hundred engaged voters, not tens of thousands.
3. The three-jurisdiction rule is not optional
The UK has three separate charity regulatory frameworks: the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW), the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). Many UK corporate foundations mirror this structure. The Lloyds Bank Foundation is three separate bodies with three separate application processes: the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, the Lloyds Bank Foundation for Scotland, and the Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland. If your charity is registered in Scotland, apply to the Scottish foundation; the England and Wales foundation will not fund you, and applying to the wrong one wastes your time and theirs. Always confirm which jurisdictions a corporate-foundation programme covers before investing time in an application. (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR, CCNI)
Begin by building a relationship, not making an ask. Identify companies that already support causes similar to yours. Look at the company's mission, recent giving history and employee engagement programmes. Once you find a fit, send a personalised message highlighting shared values. Show them the impact their support could make, and ask for a meeting to explore alignment.
Tip: a warm introduction through a trustee, volunteer or mutual contact opens more doors than any cold email.
Check the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice before signing any agreement with a corporate partner. If a company will use your charity's name in its marketing materials, a written commercial participator agreement is a legal requirement under the Charities Act 1992. The Code (new version effective 1 November 2025, including Section 9 on online platforms and corporate partnership rules) sets out what those agreements must include. (Fundraising Regulator Code)
How to get corporate sponsorship
Corporate sponsorships work best when both parties benefit. A few tips:
Create a clear, compelling sponsorship package outlining what you offer: brand exposure, community goodwill, employee engagement opportunities.
Offer different sponsorship levels, each with specific benefits.
Be professional, but let your charity's personality come through.
Not every company is the right fit. Ask yourself:
Do our audiences overlap?
Does their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy align with our mission?
Can we tell a story together that feels authentic and meaningful?
How to apply for grants
1.Identify the right grants. Research funders whose mission, giving priorities and geographic focus align with your work. Community foundations, local corporations and the national grant directories are good starting points. The Chartered Institute of Fundraising and NCVO both publish guidance on researching corporate funders.
2.Review the guidelines thoroughly. Carefully read each grant's requirements. Check eligibility, deadlines, word counts, and what the funder does and does not fund, so you do not miss a small detail that costs you the opportunity. It helps to know what type of grant you are looking for, whether operational, marketing or start-up.
3.Gather your grant toolkit. Prepare a set of documents you can reuse across applications. Common requirements for UK corporate funders include:
Charity registration number (CCEW, OSCR or CCNI)
HMRC Charities Reference Number (for Gift Aid recognition)
Latest Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (TAR) filed with your regulator
Organisational budget
Programme budget (if applying for a specific initiative)
List of trustees
Safeguarding policy (increasingly required by UK funders)
UK GDPR / data protection policy (VoC research confirms funders ask about this early)
1.Tell a clear, compelling story. Use the application to show both your purpose and your impact. State the problem you address, how your work solves it, and what outcomes you expect. Use data and real stories together.
2.Make it measurable. Funders want results. Outline how you will measure success: years in operation, number of people supported, outcomes improved, systems changed.
3.Follow instructions to the letter. Stick to word limits, formatting and submission guidelines. If they ask for three outcomes, give them three, not five. This shows respect for the process and attention to detail.
1.Submit early when possible. Give yourself buffer time to handle technical issues, last-minute edits or required signatures. A rushed application is easy to spot.
2.Follow up with gratitude and updates. If awarded, send a thank-you note and update the funder on your progress. If not awarded, politely ask for feedback and stay in touch for the next round.
Corporate giving is a real revenue line for small UK charities. Matched gifts, Payroll Giving employer top-ups and foundation cycles can add a meaningful proportion to your annual income when you target organisations that already align with your mission and build the relationships that put your charity in front of an employee-giving scheme.
What corporate giving programmes cannot do is offset platform fees on the receiving side. When a corporation sends your charity £5,000 through a matched gift or foundation grant, your charity should receive £5,000, not £4,700 after platform and processing fees.
A note on tax: when a UK company makes a direct donation to your charity, the company claims corporate gift relief (the donation is deductible from taxable profits under Corporation Tax Act 2010, Part 6). This is different from Gift Aid, which is a mechanism for individual donors. When an employee donates personally and the employer then matches it, the employee's donation can attract Gift Aid (if the employee is a UK taxpayer who has signed a Gift Aid declaration), while the employer's matching contribution attracts corporate gift relief. The two mechanisms run in parallel and are not interchangeable. (Charity Tax Group)
That is what Zeffy is for. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee. Ever. Over 100,000 charities and not-for-profit organisations use Zeffy to receive donations, run events, manage donors and accept corporate matching gifts, with over £2 billion raised on the platform to date.
A charity juggling a corporate sponsor for the summer fete, a Payroll Giving employer match landing via a CAF-administered scheme, and a Christmas raffle is currently paying three separate platforms to receive one integrated income stream. Zeffy consolidates that stack, free.
Companies donate to charities for a combination of commercial, legal and cultural reasons. In the UK, direct company donations to registered charities qualify for corporate gift relief: the donation is deductible from the company's taxable profits under Corporation Tax Act 2010, Part 6, reducing the company's Corporation Tax bill. Beyond the tax incentive, corporate giving supports employee recruitment and retention (employees increasingly expect their employer to have an active CSR programme), builds community goodwill, and generates positive media coverage. Many large UK companies also face Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting requirements, and demonstrable charitable giving contributes to their ESG performance. (Charity Tax Group)
volunteer grant programme (sometimes called a "dollars for doers" scheme in the US, or simply a "volunteer grant" in the UK) is a programme where a company makes a cash donation to a charity when one of its employees volunteers a set number of hours for that charity. For example, a company might donate £500 to a charity where an employee has logged 20 or more volunteer hours in a calendar year. The donation goes to the charity, not the employee. Many UK employers with active CSR programmes offer volunteer grants alongside Payroll Giving and matched-donation schemes. To access this funding, encourage your existing volunteers to check whether their employer has a volunteer grant programme, and provide them with the information they need to submit a claim through their company's HR or giving portal.
matching gift programme is a corporate scheme where a company agrees to match donations made by its employees to eligible charities. Typically the company matches at 1:1 (pound for pound), though some companies match at 2:1 or higher. The employee makes a donation to your charity, then submits a matching gift request through their employer's internal portal or HR system. The company verifies the donation and sends a separate matching contribution to your charity. To benefit from matching gifts, make sure your charity is registered on the major giving platforms that employers use (such as CAF Give As You Earn, Benevity and YourCause). Promote the scheme to your donors: research from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising suggests a significant proportion of employees with access to matched giving never use it simply because they do not know it exists.
For technology and software, TechSoup UK (Charity Digital Exchange) is the primary gateway: it offers donated and discounted software from Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and others to verified UK charities. Google for Nonprofits UK and Microsoft for Nonprofits UK also offer free digital tools directly. For food and goods, Morrisons Foundation, the Co-op food-surplus programme and Sainsbury's local charity partner scheme are the most accessible entry points for smaller charities. For logistics support, DHL UK and Royal Mail both offer in-kind or discounted services to charities. The best starting point is always to identify which large employers operate near your charity and to approach their community affairs or CSR team directly.
It depends on the programme. Many UK corporate foundation grants (including the Lloyds Bank Foundations and the Morrisons Foundation) require applicants to be registered charities with CCEW, OSCR or CCNI, and to be HMRC-recognised. However, many community-vote schemes are explicitly designed to be more inclusive: the Co-op Local Community Fund, Tesco Community Grants, Waitrose Community Matters, the Aviva Community Fund and the Persimmon Community Champions programme all accept applications from constituted community groups, CICs and unincorporated associations that are not registered charities. If your group is not yet a registered charity, start with community-vote schemes and in-kind programmes while you work towards registration. Being HMRC-recognised (which is a separate step from charity registration) also enables you to offer Gift Aid on individual donations, which can make your charity more attractive to corporate supporters who want to maximise impact.
strong UK corporate grant application typically needs: your charity registration number (CCEW, OSCR or CCNI); your HMRC Charities Reference Number; your latest Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (TAR) filed with your regulator; an organisational budget; a programme budget specific to the project you are seeking funding for; a list of your trustees; a safeguarding policy (increasingly requested); and a UK GDPR or data protection policy. Beyond the documents, funders look for a clear description of the problem you address, the specific activities you will fund, measurable outcomes, and evidence that your organisation can deliver. Applying within the published guidelines, on time, with every required document, is itself a differentiator: a significant proportion of applications are rejected at the screening stage for missing information.
Payroll Giving and Gift Aid are both ways for UK taxpayers to give tax-efficiently to charities, but they work through different mechanisms. With Gift Aid, the donor makes a donation from their net (post-tax) income and signs a Gift Aid declaration; the charity then reclaims 25p per £1 directly from HMRC, boosting the donation value (gov.uk Gift Aid). With Payroll Giving, the donation is deducted from the employee's gross salary before income tax is applied; the employee pays less tax at source, and the charity receives the full donation amount. The tax relief goes to the donor (via a lower tax bill) rather than to the charity. Because the tax benefit is already applied at source, Gift Aid declarations are not needed and cannot be claimed on Payroll Giving donations. Higher-rate taxpayers often find Payroll Giving more beneficial: a £10 Payroll Giving donation costs a higher-rate taxpayer only £6, compared to £8 for a basic-rate taxpayer, whereas Gift Aid only reclaims at the basic rate (unless the donor claims additional relief through Self Assessment). (gov.uk Payroll Giving)
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Grants
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Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
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