Important update to our Small Grants Programme – June 2025

Countryside
Education
Environment
Health and Wellbeing
Heritage and Conservation
Social Inclusion

We are pleased to share some important changes to our Small Grants Programme for 2025/26 to better meet increasing demand and ensure the Fund’s support reaches those who need it most.

Since 1979, King Charles III Charitable Fund has invested more than £100m in charitable causes working across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and internationally. Each year the Fund awards around £5m in grants through our large and small grant programmes, supporting more than 150 organisations across our six funding themes.

Small grants programme

This programme makes grants to UK registered nonprofit organisations working in the key areas of environment, countryside, education, heritage and conservation, social inclusion, and health and wellbeing. Reflecting our Founder’s interests, we particularly focus on those working with, and in, some of the most disadvantaged communities, both urban and rural.

While grant sizes are usually modest, the Fund’s donations highlight important projects, help draw attention to key societal and environmental issues and act as a catalyst, encouraging others to become involved and lend further support. Over the past 10 years, our small grants programme has supported more than 900 organisations with funding towards a huge variety of projects.

As shared in our grant making plans earlier this year, the number of applications we receive has increased significantly over the past few years and as a result the proportion of applicants receiving funding has reduced dramatically – in 2024/25 we received almost 1,500 small grant applications. Of these, 100 were successful and received funding. This has prompted a review of our small grants programme, so that we can ensure our processes are as simple as possible for applicants and our funding delivers maximum impact to communities across the UK and beyond.

What we have done

We asked more than 1,200 applicants for their views;
Considered insights from across the wider grant making sector;
Reviewed our grant application form and process.

Following a comprehensive review of the valuable feedback, the Fund has refined its small grants programme plans for 25/26 to improve the application process and ensure support reaches those small organisations we aim to fund.

Key changes include:

Adjustments to our small grant eligibility criteria to include new income thresholds of £25,000 to £500,000. Around 85% of charities that submit an annual return to the Charity Commission have an income of less than £500,000 and we are focusing our support on this group.
The total project cost that our small grant may contribute to is £50,000 (10% of the new maximum annual income threshold).
A revised maximum grant request of £9,000 over three years.
Reapplication timelines of two years from the date of the end of a successful award or previously unsuccessful application.

We know that it is an incredibly challenging time for many nonprofit organisations facing rising demands for services. We remain committed to supporting small organisations delivering vital support at the community level across our six funding themes and in underrepresented areas.

We have updated our website to reflect these changes and are currently testing our online small grant application form before we open for applications.

In 2025/26,applications will open as follows: