Partnering with a business through a corporate grant to fund your charity does not have to feel out of reach. You might be short on time, without a dedicated grant writer, and unsure where to start, and that is fine.
This guide features steps to secure a grant and outlines nine corporate grants UK charities can actually land without needing professional connections. We will show you how to write compelling proposals and showcase the heart of your mission, while saving time along the way.
In this article:
The UK funding landscape: three things to know first
Before diving into corporate grants, it helps to know the three pillars of UK charity funding that sit alongside them.
The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK, distributing around £600 million a year to charities and community groups. It is not a corporate grant, but it is the first port of call for many small charities and worth applying for alongside any corporate programme. (National Lottery Community Fund)
Local community foundations pool philanthropic and corporate donations for regional grant-making. Your local community foundation, found through UK Community Foundations, may run corporate-backed funds you would never find by searching nationally.
Gift Aid is the single most important mechanism to have in place before applying to any corporate funder. Once your charity is HMRC-recognised, you can reclaim 25p from HMRC for every £1 donated by a UK taxpayer, at no extra cost to your donors. Many corporate grant applications will ask whether your charity is Gift Aid registered, because it signals financial competence.
Start here: 6 corporate grants small UK charities actually win
These six funders are accessible to small charities without large development teams. Grant amounts, deadlines, and eligibility do change, always check the funder's current website before you apply.
- 1. Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales (£25,000 to £75,000)
- Multi-year unrestricted core-cost grants for small and medium charities working with people facing complex social issues
- Charities with an income between £25,000 and £1 million can apply
- 2. Aviva Community Fund (up to £50,000)
- Combines public crowdfunding with a top-up grant from Aviva; local causes are put to a public vote
- Open to registered charities, CICs, and community groups
- 3. Tesco Community Grants / Stronger Starts (£500 to £1,500)
- Grants chosen by Tesco shoppers via an in-store blue token vote each quarter
- Open to registered charities and unregistered community groups working with children and young people
- 4. Movement for Good Awards, Benefact Group / Ecclesiastical (£1,000)
- Nominated grants awarded throughout the year; any charity can be nominated
- No lengthy application: nominations take a few minutes
- 5. Co-op Local Community Fund (typically £100 to £3,000)
- Member-chosen funding; Co-op members direct a portion of their spend to local causes they select
- Open to registered charities and unregistered groups; cause must benefit the local community
- 6. Postcode Community Trust / People's Postcode Lottery (£500 to £25,000)
- Grants to small charities and community groups; funded by players of the People's Postcode Lottery
- Applications assessed on community impact and need
Go deeper: 9 larger UK corporate grants worth a real application
These programmes involve more rigorous applications but offer more substantial funding. Always check current eligibility and deadlines directly with each funder before investing time in an application.
1. Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales
The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales offers multi-year unrestricted grants to small and medium charities working with people facing multiple disadvantages, homelessness, addiction, domestic abuse, mental health crises, and similar complex social issues.
What makes it stand out: the Foundation funds core costs, not just projects, which is rare among corporate funders. It also provides developmental support alongside funding.
Typical grant amounts
- Invest programme (smaller charities): up to £25,000 per year for up to three years
- Enable programme (larger charities in the £250,000 to £1 million income band): up to £75,000 per year
Who qualifies?
- Working directly with people experiencing multiple disadvantages in England and Wales
- A separate Bank of Scotland Foundation serves Scotland
Important deadlines
- Applications open on a rolling basis; specific windows open for each programme, check the Foundation's website for the current cycle
2. Bank of Scotland Foundation
The Bank of Scotland Foundation is the Scottish equivalent of the Lloyds Bank Foundation, supporting charities working with disadvantaged communities in Scotland.
Typical grant amounts
- Core grants from £5,000; larger multi-year awards available for established charities
Who qualifies?
- Registered with OSCR (Scottish Charity Register)
- Working with communities in Scotland
Important deadlines
- Rolling programmes; check the Foundation's site for open windows
3. The National Lottery Community Fund
While not a corporate grant in the traditional sense, the National Lottery Community Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK and the first port of call for most small charities before approaching corporate funders. Knowing it exists and whether you qualify will shape your overall grants strategy.
Typical grant amounts
- Awards for All: £300 to £10,000 (application under one hour)
- Reaching Communities: up to £500,000 over five years
Who qualifies?
- Registered charities, constituted community groups, CICs, and other not-for-profit organisations
Important deadlines
4. Aviva Community Fund
Aviva Community Fund combines public crowdfunding with Aviva match funding. Causes go to a public vote among Aviva customers and the public, and top-voted causes receive additional grant funding from Aviva.
Typical grant amounts
- Up to £50,000 depending on category and vote performance
Who qualifies?
- Registered charities, CICs, community interest organisations, and unregistered groups with a constituted governing document
- Must have a community focus, environmental, social, health, or education
Important deadlines
- Annual; check avivacommunityfund.co.uk for the current round opening
5. Co-op Local Community Fund
The Co-op Local Community Fund lets Co-op members choose which local causes receive a share of their spend. Selected causes receive funding from the Co-op for the duration they are live on the platform, with the total distributed running to millions of pounds each year.
Typical grant amounts
- Amounts vary by member support; typically £100 to several thousand pounds per cause per quarter
Who qualifies?
- Registered charities and unregistered community groups with a local focus
- The cause must benefit the community local to a Co-op store
Important deadlines
- Applications accepted throughout the year; causes go live on a rolling basis
6. John Lewis Partnership Community Support
The John Lewis Partnership (John Lewis and Waitrose) supports community causes through the Waitrose Community Matters green token voting scheme and through direct charity partnerships at branch level.
Typical grant amounts
- Waitrose Community Matters: typically £1,000 per winning cause per quarter per branch
- Larger partnerships negotiated directly at regional level
Who qualifies?
- Registered charities and local community groups near a Waitrose or John Lewis store
- Cause must have a clear local community benefit
Important deadlines
- Community Matters: rolling; speak to your nearest Waitrose store manager
7. Sainsbury's and M&S Community Giving Schemes
Both Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer run community investment schemes through their corporate responsibility programmes, supporting local charities near their stores.
Sainsbury's: community giving is channelled through local store managers and the Nectar donation scheme. Contact your nearest store for current grant availability. (about.sainsburys.co.uk)
M&S Sparks: M&S customers can direct a portion of their Sparks points to charity partners chosen by M&S. Charities are selected nationally, but local awareness of the scheme matters. (corporate.marksandspencer.com)
Important deadlines
- Both schemes: contact stores directly; national partnership cycles vary by year
8. Google Ad Grants
Google for Nonprofits provides registered charities and eligible not-for-profit organisations with up to £10,000 (USD) per month in free Google Search advertising. This is a global programme running in USD; the ad spend is real and can be used to reach UK audiences searching for your cause.
With a Google for Nonprofits account, you also get free access to Google Workspace for Nonprofits, Google Maps credits, and YouTube's charity programme.
Typical grant amounts
- Up to £10,000 (USD) per month in Google Search ads
How to apply
- Register with Google for Nonprofits and verify your charity status through TechSoup UK, Google's validation partner in the United Kingdom. Once verified, you will receive an email confirmation and can activate your Ad Grants account.
Who qualifies?
- Cannot be a governmental, healthcare, or educational institution
- Must have a quality website that complies with Ad Grants' website policy
Important deadlines
- The programme is open year-round
9. Patagonia Environmental Grants
Patagonia's Environmental Grants programme funds grassroots organisations working to protect and restore the natural environment. UK charities are eligible.
Typical grant amounts
- Grants typically range from £5,000 to £20,000; amounts vary by country and programme cycle
How to apply
- Applications are submitted through Patagonia's Action Works platform. The programme looks for organisations using activism as their primary strategy for environmental change, not just service delivery.
Who qualifies?
- Registered charities and grassroots groups addressing the root causes of environmental problems
- Organisations protecting habitats, biodiversity, or working on climate solutions
- Must not be receiving funding from industries Patagonia considers harmful to the environment
Important deadlines
- Deadlines vary throughout the year; check patagonia.com/actionworks for the current window
What are corporate grants?
Corporate grants are funding from companies, which typically give them to support causes they care about. It is a genuine win-win: businesses meet their corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and strengthen community ties, while charities receive funding to do what they were set up to do.
The win-win formula
Benefits for companies:
- Supporting sectors and communities connected to their business
Benefits for charities:
- Partnerships that open further doors, mentorships, volunteer support, event sponsorship
- Often simpler and faster to access than statutory funding
Quick start tips to keep your corporate grant strategy simple
No time for lengthy proposals? You are not alone. Here is how to build momentum without spending hours you do not have.
1. Use a grant database to save hours
You do not need to sift through corporate websites hoping to find a grant you are eligible for. Zeffy Grant Finder is a free AI-powered search tool that surfaces relevant grants at a glance, with deadlines, eligibility criteria, and a direct link to apply.
For UK-specific coverage, also try the Charity Excellence Framework free funding finder, a tool built specifically for small UK charities and used by a community of over 50,000 sector professionals. Try searches like "Bristol community grants" or "small charity core-cost grants" to find results tailored to your area.
2. Check the funder recognises your legal form
Before you invest time in any application, confirm you are eligible based on your legal structure. Most larger corporate foundations, including the Lloyds Bank Foundation, require applicants to be a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, or CCNI in Northern Ireland, and separately HMRC-recognised.
Community groups, CICs, and unincorporated associations can access some corporate funds (Aviva Community Fund, Co-op Local Community Fund, and Tesco Stronger Starts are good examples) but face a narrower list overall. Knowing your legal form before you start searching saves time and protects against a last-minute rejection.
3. Look for grants with rolling deadlines
Some charities prefer not to rely on once-a-year deadlines that can creep up unexpectedly. Monthly grants and grants with rolling application windows let you apply when the timing works best for your team.
4. Do not ignore the smaller grants
Larger grants are harder to secure and less frequent. Do not hesitate to apply for grants under £10,000 and watch how they build up. Applying for more grants also builds credibility and a track record that strengthens future applications.
How to make your grant proposal stand out (even without a grant writer)
No grant writer? No problem. What makes a proposal stand out is authenticity. You do not need jargon or polished copy, you need to speak clearly about why your work matters.
Here are some quick tips to strengthen your first applications:
1. Tell a story
Instead of trying to impress with big numbers, share your founding story or a real example of someone your charity helped. Think:
- The catalyst that started your charity
- A family your foodbank supported last winter
- A young person whose path changed because of your mentoring programme
- How your organisation has grown over the last year
2. Reuse past wins
You likely have content in old newsletters, annual reports, social media posts, or your website that is well worth repurposing. There is no shame in pulling from what you have already written.
- Grab a paragraph from your last fundraising email
- Reuse two or three statistics from your last impact report
- Highlight a success story you have already told well
You can also use a grant proposal as the foundation for future donor communications, the effort works both ways.
3. Add real voices
Funders want to feel the impact of your work, not just read about it. Quotes from people your charity has supported prove that your work matters, and they do not need to be long or polished.
A few ways to gather them:
- Collect short testimonials from programme participants
- Send a brief feedback survey to volunteers
- Ask a partner organisation to write a sentence or two about how you collaborate
- Screenshot positive feedback (with permission) from messages or emails
How do you choose the right corporate grant?
When time is short, not all grants are worth pursuing. Here is how to decide which ones fit.
1. Get clear on what you need
Before anything else, ask yourself:
- How much funding are you trying to raise?
- What specifically do you need it for?
- Do you have the capacity to manage and report on the grant if you are successful?
Operational grants can be a great option if you are thinking about long-term sustainability rather than a single project. Knowing this upfront helps you focus on the right opportunities and step back from those that will cost more time than they are worth.
2. Search with more specificity
Your grant search goes faster when you are looking for exactly what fits your charity. Instead of searching "corporate grants for charities", try "Greater Manchester corporate grants for foodbanks" or "small charity environmental grants England".
UK grant databases worth bookmarking:
- Your local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), often holds intelligence on local businesses giving back
- Local Chamber of Commerce, sometimes the first to know which businesses are funding community causes
3. Do not skip the fine print
Before you invest time applying, check:
- Is the grant for the kind of work your charity does?
- Can the money be used the way you need it, for core costs, a specific project, or equipment?
- Is the deadline realistic given your team's capacity?
- Is the grant restricted to programmes only, or can it cover running costs?
Search for grants without the cost through Zeffy Grant Finder
Zeffy Grant Finder is a free AI-powered search tool that helps you find grants aligned with your mission, without spending time or money searching across multiple sources. Enter your mission, location, and funding needs to get personalised results with key grant details and a direct link to apply.
The tool is free to use with unlimited searches, because we believe your time and money belong in your mission, not in searching for funding.
Frequently asked questions
Are corporate grants only for large charities?
Corporate grants are available to charities of all sizes, not just large organisations. Many corporate funders, including Tesco Stronger Starts, the Movement for Good Awards, and the Co-op Local Community Fund, are specifically designed for small and community-level charities. Companies tend to focus on mission alignment over organisational size, which means a small charity serving a local community has a genuine chance of being selected.
Are there reporting and compliance requirements associated with corporate grants?
Yes. Most corporate grants come with reporting and compliance requirements. These typically include:
- Periodic progress reports
- Year-end financial statements
- Evidence of how you have used the funds and what impact they have had
Some corporate funders will also ask you to confirm compliance with their values, which can include non-discrimination policies and environmental or social responsibility standards. Meeting these requirements consistently is key to maintaining current funding and building a track record that supports future applications.
What types of grants are available for charities?
Corporate foundations and companies offer a range of grant types. Co-op funds local community causes chosen by its members; Aviva backs community projects through a public vote and top-up grants; Lloyds Bank Foundation focuses on unrestricted core-cost funding for small charities tackling complex social issues.
Beyond corporate funders, the main grant types include:
- Government grants (local and national)
- Foundation grants
- Programme or project grants
- Operating support grants
- Capacity-building grants
- Capital grants
- Marketing and communications grants
Can a community group or CIC apply for corporate grants if we are not a registered charity?
Yes, but the pool of available funders is narrower. Some corporate funders accept applications from unregistered community groups, CICs, and constituted voluntary organisations, including Aviva Community Fund, Co-op Local Community Fund, and Tesco Stronger Starts. Most larger corporate foundations, including the Lloyds Bank Foundation, require applicants to hold registered charity status with the Charity Commission, OSCR, or CCNI.
If your organisation is not yet a registered charity, the Charity Excellence Framework has free guidance on which funders are open to your legal form and how to progress towards registration if that is the right step.
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