GrantRadar

Applications closed on 17 October 2026.

Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation

Community Grants

Grants of £750 to £6,000 a year for one to three years for voluntary and community organisations in Wiltshire and Swindon, for work that improves the lives of people on low incomes or facing other inequities. Priorities are tackling poverty and inequality, mental health and wellbeing, and children and young people, and core running costs are eligible. Applicants must have average income under £1 million over three years and unrestricted reserves under 12 months' running costs. Small and grassroots groups are prioritised, and the Foundation calls every applicant to talk the application through.

Check the funder’s site

Open grants like this

Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.

You could get
£750 – £6,000
Deadline
Closed
the deadline has passed
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted voluntary or community organisations, registered charities, and not-for-profit companies
  • The application form lists the eligible types: unincorporated associations, companies limited by guarantee, CICs, CIOs, charitable trusts, Community Amateur Sports Clubs, registered societies, co-operative societies and community benefit societies
  • Companies limited by guarantee and CICs must have a majority of unpaid directors and a suitable asset lock; a CIC limited by shares must speak to the Foundation first
  • Average annual income must have been under £1,000,000 over the last three years, and organisations just above that should call before applying
  • Applicants must be based and operating in Wiltshire and/or Swindon, including local branches of national organisations that have their own local management committee and bank account
  • Organisations based outside the area can apply for work in Wiltshire or Swindon if most of their other services are in neighbouring counties, they have worked with local people to identify need, and they are not duplicating existing services
  • Governance requirements: an active management committee or board of at least three people who are not related, in a long-term relationship with each other or living at the same address; a constitution; a safeguarding policy with a named lead; an equalities policy; a bank account with two unrelated signatories; unrestricted reserves below 12 months' running costs; accounts or financial records for the last year; and a budget for this year
  • Organisations must not already hold a Community Grant
  • New groups without all of this may be able to apply through another charitable organisation
  • Small voluntary groups are prioritised

What it funds

  • Projects and activities that improve people's lives, particularly work with people on low incomes or affected by the rising cost of living
  • Most beneficiaries must live in Wiltshire or Swindon and be on low incomes (the application form also accepts people facing other inequities)
  • The Foundation is particularly interested in work that tackles poverty and inequality and its effects, prevents or alleviates poor mental health and promotes wellbeing, or supports children and young people
  • It will consider other needs that groups identify, but applications for general community benefit are unlikely to succeed
  • Grants can pay for any reasonable costs: core or running costs, project and activity costs, and capital costs such as buildings and equipment
  • Capital is capped at £6,000 in total, and applicants must already have all or most of the rest of the capital cost
  • Grants can fund continuing or new activity and can run for one, two or three years
  • Spending must start within six months of the award
  • The Foundation is particularly open to capacity-building costs and measures that reduce environmental impact, but these are not required

What it will not fund

  • Money to individuals or families
  • Activities which duplicate an existing service
  • General arts or sports projects with no significant community or charitable element
  • One-off or sponsored events
  • The advancement of religion
  • Medical research and equipment
  • Animal welfare
  • Party political activities
  • Running costs for pre-schools
  • General curriculum-based work for schools
  • Activities that don't target the programme's priorities
  • Applications from individuals
  • Applications from schools
  • Applications from statutory bodies such as city, county, town or parish councils or health institutions
  • Applications from charities that operate nationally (unless a local branch with its own management committee and bank account)
  • Applications from companies limited by shares
  • Organisations already in receipt of a Community Grant
  • Capital costs above £6,000

How to apply

  1. Read the programme page and the Safeguarding and Equalities guidance for applicants
  2. Optionally book a call with the Grants Team through the application form (at least 24 hours' notice) if you are unsure about fit
  3. Complete the eligibility questions at the start of the online application form (FormAssembly; you can save and resume)
  4. Complete the application: organisation and contact details, governance, bank details, activity description, beneficiaries and need, other services, difference made, safeguarding, inclusion, finances, grant request and budget, and beneficiary monitoring
  5. Upload the supporting documents or confirm you will email them to applications@wscf.org.uk or post them
  6. Submit; the Grants Team then arranges a call or assessment meeting to talk through your application
  7. A panel decides; for applications received 18 July to 17 October 2026, the panel meets in December and decisions arrive by 31 December 2026

2026/27 application windows: 3 March-17 July 2026 (decision by 30 September 2026), 18 July-17 October 2026 (decision by 31 December 2026), 18 October 2026-17 January 2027 (panel in March 2027, decision by 31 March 2027). The Foundation may change dates or drop rounds if heavily oversubscribed.

Multi-year grants need a brief interim report before each later payment, and an end-of-grant report is required.

Have ready

  • Most recent accounts (or, if none, last year's income and expenditure records and year-end balance)
  • Financial plan or budget for this year
  • Recent bank statement
  • Safeguarding policy
  • Equalities policy
  • Constitution or governing document (not needed for registered charities)

Documents can be uploaded with the form, or emailed to applications@wscf.org.uk or posted afterwards.