Small Charity Week 2026: Grant Funding Opportunities for Small Charities in the UK

This Small Charity Week (22-29 June), Altair is proud to join the national celebration of the vital role small charities play in communities across the UK. 

This year’s theme, “Small Charities. Big Impact.”, highlights the incredible difference these organisations make every day, supporting people, strengthening communities and creating change where it matters most. 

To mark Small Charity Week, Altair is spotlighting a selection of grant funders that specifically support small charities, helping organisations access the funding they need to grow, sustain their services and maximise their impact.  

 

What is a small charity? 

Small Charity Week defines a small charity as: 

“A voluntary organisation with a social or charitable purpose with an annual income of less than £1 million.” 

However, many charities operate with far less income and limited internal resource. Often, they don’t have dedicated fundraising capacity or time to research funding opportunities, which can make securing grants challenging.  

That’s why we have pulled together this list of grant funders for small charities, to help organisations find relevant funding more easily.  

 

Grant funders supporting small charities 

Below are some key funders offering grants specifically tailored to smaller organisations: 

Allen Lane Foundation 

Size eligibility: 

• Under £100,000 annual income (local organisations) 
• Under £250,000 (national organisations) 

Focus: 

• Asylum seekers and refugees 
• Gypsy, Roman and Traveller communities 
• Offenders and ex-offenders 
• Older people 
• People affected by violence or abuse 
• People with mental health issues 
• Young people 

 

ASDA Foundation 

Size eligibility: 

• Under £250,000 (Young Futures Fund) 
• Under £400,000 (Local Community Spaces Fund) 

Focus: 

• Improving mental health and wellbeing for 13-18-year-olds (Young Futures Fund). 
• Repairing, maintaining, expanding and improving community spaces (Local Community Spaces Fund). 
• Supporting food distribution and provision (Foodbank Fundamentals Fund). 

 

Brian Murtagh Charitable Trust 

Size eligibility: 

• Under £300,000 annual income 

Focus: 

• Education, training and development for young adults and children with physical and learning disabilities, social disadvantage, poverty, sickness and trauma.  

 

Forte Charitable Foundation 

Size eligibility: 

• Annual income below £1million, although more than 85% of awards go to those with income below £250,000.  
• Annual income below £500,000 for Major Grants.  

Focus: 

• Community support in the most deprived urban or rural areas (Small Grants). 
• Family support including early intervention, coping with addiction, and prisoners’ families (Major Grants). 

 

Matthew Good Foundation – Grants for Good 

Size eligibility: 

• Annual income below £50,000 

Focus: 

• Unrestricted funding to growing local charities that make a big impact on communities, people or the environment. 

 

Postcode Society Trust (South) / ⁠People’s Postcode Trust (Scotland) / ⁠Postcode Community Trust (Wales) / ⁠Postcode Local Trust (West) / ⁠Postcode Neighbourhood Trust (North) / ⁠Postcode Places Trust (East) 

Size eligibility:  

• Annual income below £1million, although more than 85% of awards go to those with income below £250,000. 

Focus: 

• Participation in the arts 
• Preventing/reducing the impact of poverty 
• Supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality 
• Improving mental health 

 

The Fore 

Size eligibility: 

• Annual income below £500,000.  

Focus: 

• Unrestricted funding to enable transformational change for your whole organisation 
• Supporting growth, structure, sustainability or efficiency 

 

Yapp Charitable Trust  

Size eligibility: 

• Annual income below £50,000. 

Focus: 

• Elderly people 
• Children and young people 
• People with physical impairments, learning difficulties or mental health challenges 
• Welfare of people overcoming social challenges 
• Education and learning 

 

How Altair supports small charities 

Altair’s Community Impact Services help socially focused organisations to plan, fund and deliver lasting impact.  

We provide high-quality, creative solutions to the challenges facing charities, housing providers, education bodies and community organisations today. Our Community Impact team works closely with clients to: 

• Shape effective strategies 
• Identify and secure funding opportunities 
• Strengthen income generation 
• Build resilience and future-proof organisations for the long term 

We bring practical insight and hands-on support to help organisations unlock income and maximise their impact in the communities they serve. 

If you’re a small charity looking to secure funding, grow sustainably of strengthen your impact, get in touch to find out how we can support your organisation.

 

Stay up to date with funding opportunities 

For the latest sector insights, funding opportunities and practical guidance, sign up to Altair’s monthly Community Impact newsletter to stay informed.