To celebrate Pride Month, we’re shining a light on five incredible foundations supporting LGBTQI + causes in the UK.
With community and event fundraising going through challenging times, trusts and foundations are a great source of alternative funding. But they’re often overwhelmed by applications, so do your research before reaching out.
Our team has 25 years of experience researching grantmakers, so whether you’re looking for core, project, or capital funding, we can help you identify appropriate funders.
Consortium
Consortium is the largest network of LGBT+ groups and organisations in the UK. Since 2019 it has distributed over £1.75 million in grants to LGBT+ organisations in the UK. Consortium’s current grant programmes include the LGBT+ Futures Equity Fund and LGBT+ Futures Bi Fund.
Black Beetle Health, Deaf Rainbow UK, and HERe NI are a tiny snapshot of the organisations Consortium has supported in the last five years.
The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600m a year in grants to charities across the UK. Climate action is currently one of its key initiatives, but its main aim is to fund projects that support people and communities across the UK to thrive
The National Lottery Community Fund has funded Mermaids, a UK charity that supports trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families.
The Henry Smith Charity
The Henry Smith Charity gives grants to reduce social and economic disadvantage. Each grant is between £20-£70k per year, and most run for three years. They take applications on an on-going basis from UK-based charities, non-profits and social enterprises.
In 2021 alone, they funded Rainbow Project, LGBT Youth Scotland, Brighton and Hove LGBT Switchboard, Birmingham LGBT, and SAYiT.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation is one of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK. It funds projects that nurture ideas and people, invest in young people, create opportunities for people in India, work at the intersection of art and social change, improve education and learning through the arts, and support migration.
The foundation has previously funded the Allsorts Youth Project, the Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Campaign Bootcamp, and Comics Youth.
The Oak Foundation
The Oak Foundation awards grants to support others’ efforts to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place to live. They award 300 + grants per year, the majority of which are multi-year in duration and range between $25,000 and $10 million. The application process is invitation-only, but organisations that believe they align with the foundation’s priorities can submit a letter of enquiry.
In 2022, the foundation awarded akt a $1 million grant to help prevent homelessness among LGBTQI youth in the UK.
Our team provides research, wealth screening, consultancy, regulatory compliance and training support to charities of all sizes, making fundraising more effective and successful.
Whether you are looking for core, project, or capital funding, we’ll help you find the right funders to support your cause and develop the best strategy for approaching them.
To find out how we can help you on your fundraising journey, get in touch with us today.