We spend around £50m each year in grants towards our strategy. This page has information about grants we made in 2025, broken down by funding aim and priority, type of support, amount awarded, and length of term. We also share success rates for applications in 2025.
If you have any questions about the information shared, please send an email to: communications@esmeefairbairn.org.uk.
We'll shortly be sharing our 2025 report of who our funding is reaching, which is based on data submitted by applicants in a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) monitoring form, as well as information about the geographic spread of grants awarded. See previous reports here.
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Grant applications in 2025
Most applications we receive are through our open application process where organisations submit an expression of interest from our website. We also work proactively to invite applications from organisations who we think are a strong fit for our strategy. They may be organisations we learn about through our work, or organisations we have funded seeking a follow-on grant.
The infographic below shows an overview of applications and success rates at each stage of our application process: 1. Expression of Interest (EOI), 2. Assessment Call, and 3. Proposal.
For applications through the open application process, 11% of Expressions of Interest were progressed to an Assessment Call. Of these, 52% were invited to submit a full Proposal, with 91% being awarded a grant. Of the grants awarded through this route, 62% were to organisations new to Esmée.
Grants awarded in 2025
We made 241 main grants, totalling £49.3m, towards our three main aims: Our Natural World; A Fairer Future; and Creative, Confident Communities; as well as grants to key infrastructure organisations under A Sector Fit for the Future. Grants made in A Sector Fit for the Future contribute to our goals across our aims by enabling a stronger, inclusive sector; and applications are by invitation only.
Chart 1 shows the value and number of grants made under each of our aims as well as A Sector Fit for the Future.
Chart 2 shows a breakdown of grants in terms of the type of support offered: core costs, unrestricted, project costs, or delegated funding.
Overall, 67% of grants made in 2025 were for unrestricted or core costs, meaning the funding could be used for an organisation's running costs to enable them to meet their needs and priorities on their own terms.
Chart 3 shows a breakdown of grants by amount awarded.
The chart shows that half (51%) of our grants were for £90,001 to £250,000. The average grant amount in 2025 was £204,363; and the median was £195,000.
We made three grants of £1m. These were to: the Alliance for Youth Organising (hosted by Civic Power Fund) to support its next phase, which includes a fund to support grassroots organisers; Justice Together Initiative, a joint funder collaboration and funding programme to transform the immigration system; and the School for Social Entrepreneurs, towards Trading for Good, a place-based programme to support community-led enterprises.
Chart 4 shows a breakdown of grants by the length of term.
116 grants (48%) were for 25 to 36 months - of these, 114 were for 36 months. Compared to last year, the number of grants for longer than 36 months went up (19% vs 10% in 2024).
Grants awarded by funding priority
Some of our funding supports work across more than one aim and priority. We have chosen to reflect grants in line with the aim and priority that is the closest fit. In some cases, a priority under a different aim may be the best fit.
Charts 5, 6, and 7 show the value and number of grants made for the funding priority and aim that is the best fit.
A Fairer Future grants
Chart 5 shows main grants awarded in our priorities for A Fairer Future where we made 91 grants, totalling £18.3m.
See the latest grants awarded in A Fairer Future by clicking the relevant priority:
Creative, Confident Communities grants
Chart 6 shows main grants awarded in our priorities for Creative, Confident Communities where we made 59 grants, totalling £13.7m.
See the latest grants awarded in Creative, Confident Communities by clicking the relevant priority:
Our Natural World grants
Chart 7 shows main grants awarded in our priorities for Our Natural World where we made 83 grants, totalling £15.7m.
See the latest grants awarded in Our Natural World by clicking the relevant priority:
