Finding grants

Online databases and lists to search for grants

Church of England Parish Resources- see section 4 for a list of national grant-making trusts. This is updated as and when needed.

Further online databases and lists

  • Open 4 Funding (Previously known as GrantNet). The Diocese of Chester and Manchester share a license, so it is free for parishes to register and provides a quick and easy search for funding including trustd and government grants.
  • Ecclesiastical Insurance Fundraising Hub. A free searchable database. Also an opportunity to receive 1:1 support from one of their advisors.
  • Heritage Funding Directory.  A free searchable database for finding grants for buildings
  • My Funding Central A free database for finding grant-making trusts for organisations under £30,000 annual turnover, or £50 subscription cost if over
  • Church grants. An online database specifically for churches. Annual subscription charge
  • Funds Online, by the Directory of Social Change. Annual subscription charge
  • Charity Commission. As well as looking at the websites of specific grant-making trusts, it's also useful to look them up for free on the Charity Commission website. Enter the trust's name in the purple 'Charity Search' box. It provides a wealth of information to inform your application.

COVID-19 related funding

  • Local authority funding to ease impact of COVID. The Small Business website has a useful link to all local authority grant programmes, which your church hall may or may not be eligible to apply for. If unsure, contact your local councillor or local authority to find out. 
  • Ecclesiastical Insurance Fundraising Hub - includes a list of emergency funding available, as well as providing other !:1 support and guidance.
  • Christians Against Poverty COVID Hub - a wealth of guidance, including a list of current funding opportunities.
  • Community Voluntary Services (CVS’s) are across the Diocese. They are a great organisation for finding out details of specific funding opportunities relevant to your local area. A list of all CVS’s in our Diocese is available in the above hyperlink to the Diocese of Chester website.
  • National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO) This is the national body that works with local Community Voluntary Services (CVS’s). Their website has a wealth of guidance, including this update on the response from some of the grant-making trusts to the current situation.
  • The Civil Society.  They have compiled a list of COVID-19 funding currently available.
  • Charity Excellence. They have compiled a list of COVID-19 funding currently available.

Local sources of funding

  • Find your local 1). Communuty Voluntary Service (CVS) and 2). Community Foundation on the Community Connections wepbage. They often have a funding page. Some CVS' also have an ebulletin to keep up to date on the latest news and some can offer 1:1 support with fundraising.
  • Merseyside Funding Information Portal. A free searchable database relevent to churches in Halton and Wirral. It is designed for the Voluntary, Community and Faith sector.
  • Why not contact nearby churches and other relevent community organisations for advice on who they have approached for funding? An internet search on local projects and keeping an eye on your local newspaper may also identity suggestions.

Government funding

  • Listed places of worship scheme (VAT reclaim). Grade listed church buildings can reclaim VAT on eligible works and services
  • Historic England. If your PCC morally objects to receiving lottery funding and is a listed building on the Heritage At Risk Register (HAR), there may be the possibility of Historic England funding.

1. National Heritage Memorial Fund: COVID-19 response fund. A new £40 million fund of last resort to save nationally-important heritage assets, (for churches this means grade 1 and 2* listed buildings), at risk of loss due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Eligible costs include 'urgent conservation work necessary as a result of COVID-19'. Rolling deadline. The fund is open until the end of April 2023.

2. Grants for historic church interiors and churchyeard structures, Church of England's Church Buildings Council (ChurchCare). Grants are available for: Bells and bell frames; Books and manuscripts; Church plate; Churchyard structures; Clocks, Conservation reports; Monumental brasses and decorative metalwork; Monuments, Organs; Paintings and Wallpaintings; Stained glass; Textiles; and Wooden objects. All have their own criteria and deadlines, usually only one or two per year. (NB: The building fabric repair grant called the Wolfson grant is now administered by the National Churches Trust).

Tendering

Please note you must follow the national guidance; this includes tendering for any architect fees over £10,000 (at least 3 quotes are needed). For further advice, see the Building Projects section of this Fundraising Guide

Code of Fundraising Practice

The Code of Fundraising Practice: guide for churches is a guidance sheet produced by the C of E's Parish Resources team.

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