Apply for a grant

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Nudge Community Builders

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We offer grants and social investment. This page is about grants with information about what we do and don't fund, how to apply, and how to check your eligibility.

  • Submitting an application: Before applying, read this page and see our funding priorities.
  • Accessibility: We have additional accessibility-related support for applicants who have an accessibility issue with our application process, due to a disability.
  • Social investment: For information about our social investment support, see our social investment guidance.

Are we the right funder for you?

We fund organisations that we believe will make the greatest long-term impact and change systems for the future - work that has the potential for wider influence or spread; takes a collaborative approach; and centres lived experience, justice and equity.

We focus our support on a small number of longer-term grants for organisations and work that fit our strategy. We make around 200 grants a year across our 13 funding priorities and demand for our funding is very high. In 2024, 6% of expressions of interest received through our website went on to be awarded a grant.

Our grants support

  • Costs: we support organisations’ core or projects costs, including staff salaries and overheads. We also provide unrestricted funding for charities
  • Amount: the minimum amount we offer is £30,000 and we have no maximum amount
  • Time: the majority of our grants are for three to five years, but we have no minimum or maximum term.
  • Organisations: we support constituted organisations, including charities and non-charities doing charitable work.

See an overview of our grant funding in 2024.

Information about what we do and don't fund is below. You can find further guidance and information - including FAQs and guidance you can download - in the menu at the top of this page.


We fund work that is...

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A strong fit for our strategy

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Ambitious and/or doing something new to create systemic change

  • Can create sustainable change that lasts and/or leave a positive legacy
  • Is informed by evidence and experience, with a solid understanding of the context
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Aims for wider influence and impact

  • Goes beyond providing service delivery with a wider influence and impact
  • Seeks to influence policy, practice, attitudes or behaviour
  • Has potential to be scaled up, replicated or has scope to spread
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Centres lived experience, justice and equity

  • Is driven or shaped by those with lived experience of the issues and/or is community-led
  • Centres justice and equity in how they work including how they engage and involve people who face injustice and/or barriers, and amplifies their voices
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Takes a collaborative approach

  • Works in equitable partnership or collaboration
  • Has a clear understanding of their role and good connections to their communities, relevant networks, and grassroots groups

We don't fund...

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These types of organisations

  • Organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000 (as reflected in the latest set of accounts)
  • Organisations that are not constituted
  • Organisations who do not have measures in place to guard against disproportionate 'personal benefit
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These types of costs

  • Capital costs including building work, renovations and equipment
  • Grants to individuals
  • Grants for less than £30,000
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These types of work

  • Work that is not legally charitable – defined as work that falls within one of 13 descriptions of charitable purposes and is for the public benefit
  • Work that does not have a direct benefit in the UK
  • Work that is primarily the responsibility of statutory authorities using public funds e.g. social services
  • Academic research unless it can demonstrate practical outcomes
  • Independent education – work that takes place or is delivered by fee-paying schools
  • Healthcare: clinical, counselling, hospices, therapy, addiction services, or medical research
  • Promotion of religion

How to apply

Watch our short video to find out how to apply. Unless specified otherwise, we accept applications on a rolling basis with no deadlines.


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Nudge Community Builders

Check your eligibility

Before investing more time in applying, check your organisation and work meets our minimum eligibility criteria.

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Youth Leads UK

Next: our funding priorities

Learn more about our funding priorities to understand whether your work is a good fit. This will help you decide whether it's worth spending time submitting an application.