The Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund supports a range of projects that bring collections closer to people.
It is delivered in partnership with the Museums Association, the UK’s leading museum membership body working towards inclusive, participatory and sustainable museums at the heart of their communities.
Since 2011, we have awarded over £16m in 212 grants (as of December 2025). The Fund was relaunched at the end of 2024 to focus on using museum collections to improve inclusion and equitable working with community partners.
The Museums Association manages all aspects of the Fund including the assessment of proposals, grant management and convening funded organisations in Action Learning Sets. Funding decisions are made by a panel involving Trustees from both Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Museums Association, as well as representatives from the museum and community organising sectors.
In a 2023 Impact Report for the previous iteration, the Collections Fund, the Museums Association shared their insights on how the programme had evolved along with what they had learned.
Learn more about the Fund and how to apply
To see which projects have been funded and learn how to apply to the Fund, visit the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund.
Connection to Esmée's strategy
- Priorities
- Long-term outcomes
- A collaborative approach to creativity and culture enables people to work together to strengthen their community.
- Local people come together to determine equitable and aspirational visions of what they want their community to be.
