Funding news for April 2025
Howard Lake | 9 April 2025 | News
Our first funding round-up for April features Localgiving’s Community Matters Fund, the London Marathon Foundation, the Henry Smith Charity, the National Lottery Community Fund, Goldsmith’s Foundation, EAGL2 Peterhead Local Fund, John Templeton Foundation, and the Earls Court Community Fund.
Localgiving’s Community Matters Fund and National Grid Electricity Distribution
National Grid Electricity Distribution has teamed up with Localgiving to support groups that deliver focussed programmes to develop the practical skills and improve employability levels for people furthest from the job market.
National Grid recognises the huge potential that exists to upskill and support underrepresented groups, and it is firmly committed to unlocking this untapped talent, with a fund of £250,000, as well as wider support, best practice sharing and networking with their existing expert partners.
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This is the latest round of support delivered by the Community Matters Fund, and is always a popular and important support for those looking to support employability in their area.
The grant opened on 19th March and closes on 23rd April 2025. Localgiving say that “applying is quick and easy and the money will be distributed rapidly”.
London Marathon Foundation announces £400k in grants in London
The London Marathon Foundation has announced £400,000 of grants from its Active Spaces Fund to projects that inspire activity in communities across London with more than £200,000 going to projects in boroughs along the London Marathon route, in Greenwich, Lambeth and Westminster.
The Henry Smith Charity and increased NI costs
The Henry Smith Charity has announced that it will be providing additional financial support to help the charities that it is currently funding manage the increase in the National Insurance payments.
At the beginning of April the funder announced:
“We’re proud to share that we are providing an additional £2.5 million in grant funding to our grant holders to cover the upcoming National Insurance uplift costs taking effect in the UK next week, which will affect many of our current grant holders… We’re committed to making sure our grant holders aren’t left to absorb these extra costs alone.”
It added: “To all our grant holders: thank you for all the incredible work you do.”
NLCF refocuses its Reaching Communities funding
The National Lottery Community Fund (NCLF) has refined its Reaching Communities funding programme “to make England’s communities stronger”.
From this month applicants to the Reaching Communities programme will need to meet new priorities designed to help deliver “a fairer, stronger and more resilient future for communities”.
Reaching Communities will prioritise projects which support places, people or communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination, and which meaningfully involve communities in steering the project.
Organisations that apply will have to demonstrate “how they plan to reach people who find it hardest to access support, and how communities are involved in their project”. They will also have to demonstrate their project’s impact against one or more of The National Lottery Community Fund’s four community-led missions.
The refocusing of the funding was announced in November 2024 as putting community agency, power and control at the heart of its funding in England.
Jon Eastwood, Deputy Director, England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Our customers and stakeholders have told us they value our local and relational approach to grantmaking. We’ll build on this existing strength, while making sure we deliver on our priorities and make a positive impact on communities most affected by poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.
“We are ambitious about the power of communities and connection, and we’re focused on helping them where we see the biggest challenges.”
Last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded £686.3 million to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700 projects to turn their great ideas into reality.
Goldsmiths’ Foundation inaugural funding opens
The Goldsmiths’ Foundation has opened for applications to its first grant funding round.
It will award single-year grants of £30k – £50k to selected charities working in the fields of craft, design, art or architecture and focused on vocational skills and training.
The grantmaker aims to “support a portfolio of organisations that drive positive change through skills development”. It is particularly keen on partnering with charities that have” a generous, learning ethos” and which are “ambitious to further realise the potential of the creative industries for personal, cultural and social transformation”.
Applications for grants are open until 5 May.
Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) Peterhead Local Fund opens
Communities in Peterhead and the surrounding area will benefit from over £2 million in funding for local initiatives, through a new community benefit fund delivered as part of the UK’s biggest ever electricity transmission project.
The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) Peterhead Local Fund will open for applications on 15 April.
It is certainly not the most concisely named grantmaker! But with a total of £2,159,444 to offer to communities in and around Peterhead over a five-year period, that is easily accepted.
The projects to be supported have been shaped by input from the local community. Local people are currently being invited to join a panel that will oversee funding decisions.
Priorities for the fund include:
- Education, employment and skills
- Protection and enhancement of the natural environment (including land and sea, natural habitats, and biodiversity)
- Transport and connectivity (including path/cycle networks and community transport)
- Community infrastructure and regeneration
- Heritage and culture
- Community action planning and capacity building
EGL2 itself is a 525kV, 2GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable from Peterhead to Drax in Yorkshire delivered as a joint venture by SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET).
The launch of the fund marks the latest step in progress on the £4.3 billion project, which is due for completion in 2029. The fund will operate for five years.
A separate micro-grant scheme will see five local community councils each receive £4,319 a year over five years, to fund any projects that benefit the local community up to the value of £500.
These grants are designed to provide immediate support, for example, to help the high number of youth groups and other third sector organisations within Peterhead and the surrounding area.
John Templeton Foundation
The John Templeton Foundation supports interdisciplinary research and “catalyses conversations that inspire awe and wonder”. Its funding areas define its philanthropic priorities and advance its aspiration to create a world where people are curious about the wonders of the universe, free to pursue lives of meaning and purpose, and motivated by great and selfless love.
It states “Our process and forms are not designed for other types of requests such as donations, operational support, or program support”.
On its grantmaking page the Foundation states “Generally, we fund charitable entities that operate inside and outside of the United States. On rare occasions, we may fund individuals and for-profit companies doing charitable work that is consistent with our tax-exempt status.”
The 2025 Funding Cycle is currently open and applications are due on 15 August 2025.
Earls Court Development Company invites applications for its 2025 community fund
The Earls Court Development Company has opened applications for its £180,000 Community Fund, now in its fifth year. Organisations operating within the Earls Court Opportunity Area in London can apply for a grant of up to £15,000 to support community-oriented projects.
The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) is responsible for bringing forward the transformation of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre site.
Hammersmith & Fulham Giving is overseeing the grants programme with support from the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation.
To qualify for funding, organisations must be not-for-profit and operate within the designated opportunity area. Eligible projects should focus on promoting health and wellbeing, fostering community connections, or supporting young people in developing both career-specific and soft skills.
The funding will cover staffing, operational costs, and equipment needs for the project.
Since 2021 the Earls Court Community Fund has awarded £720,000 to 37 local organisations.
Unlike previous years there will be a two-stage application process. The deadline for the
First Stage Application is Wednesday 30th April at midday. Shortlisted applicants will then have a further three-week period to complete the full application.
Successful organisations will be notified in August 2025, with funding expected to be awarded in September for projects to begin in October.
- Small Charity Week match funding campaign opens for applications (20 February 2025)
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.