GrantRadar

Milton Keynes Community Foundation

Sapling Grants

MK Community Foundation grants of £750 to £5,000 to develop and strengthen community projects and emerging organisations in Milton Keynes. There is a deadline at midday on the last Friday of every month, and decisions usually come within three to four weeks.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£750 – £5,000
Deadline
27 days left
20 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted, not-for-profit organisations supporting beneficiaries in the Milton Keynes unitary authority area: unincorporated associations, registered charities, CIOs, sports clubs, and faith groups where the main activity is community-focused and not the promotion of religion (beneficiaries must not have to take part in religious activities, and no one may be excluded on grounds of faith or belief)
  • Organisations with income over £5,000 must be registered with the Charity Commission or relevant regulator (or be registering)
  • The governing document must include an asset lock; at least three unrelated people must sit at the top level of governance; the bank account must be in the organisation's name with two unrelated signatories
  • Organisations holding more than 12 months' running costs in reserves cannot normally be funded, and those with over six months' free reserves must explain why
  • Individuals, for-profit companies, political groups and statutory bodies cannot apply, and all monitoring from previous MKCF grants must be returned first
  • Projects must start within six months of the award; apply well before the start date (MKCF recommends at least three months)
  • CICs can apply only for project start-up costs: they must have been incorporated no more than three months before applying, submit a first-year business plan and agree it with the Philanthropy Team first

What it funds

Projects that develop and strengthen community projects and emerging organisations, helping them grow, increase their impact and create lasting local benefits, especially those that:

  • Respond to issues raised in the annual Vital Signs MK report (stronger communities, disadvantage and poverty, local economy, diversity, transport, health and wellbeing, work, crime and safety, education, housing, environment, arts and heritage)
  • Address local needs
  • Work in partnership
  • Aim to strengthen the voluntary sector

CICs can be funded only for project start-up costs, after speaking to the Philanthropy Team.

What it will not fund

  • Core/running costs, except where these are essential to project delivery, or where they meet eligibility under the Cost of Living grant programme (for example, increases in utilities, rent, or staffing costs linked to rising living expenses)
  • Statutory activities, or purchase of equipment that will become the property of a statutory body
  • Animal welfare projects
  • Retrospective costs (anything that has already been bought or committed to); rare exceptions may be made where deposits are required, agreed in advance with the Philanthropy Team
  • Medical research or treatment
  • Deficit funding or repayment of loans
  • Unspecified expenditure
  • Contingencies and miscellaneous expenses
  • Events or activities where the primary purpose is to fundraise
  • Redistributing funds to other charitable organisations (except for specific partnership arrangements)
  • Food and drink (unless vital to the project)
  • Travel and accommodation (unless vital to the project)

How to apply

  1. Read the Sapling Grants guidelines and the MKCF grants policy
  2. Register on the MKCF grants portal and complete the online Sapling Grant application by midday on the monthly deadline
  3. Answer questions on need, beneficiaries and impact, how you will know it worked, sustainability, partnership and inclusion, with a full project budget
  4. An internal panel of MKCF staff and an external community representative scores the application out of 50; 30 or more is successful, possibly for part of the amount

deadlines are the last Friday of each month: 20 Nov 2026, 18 Dec 2026, 29 Jan 2027, 26 Feb 2027. Submit any outstanding monitoring from earlier grants first.

Have ready

  • Governing document or constitution giving the organisation's name and purpose, with an asset lock and confirmation that it is not for profit
  • Details of at least three unrelated trustees or management committee members (names and addresses for unincorporated groups)
  • Most recent annual accounts or financial records covering at least the past 12 months (a bank statement if under a year old)
  • Bank statement dated within the past 3 months, in the organisation's name, for an account with at least two unrelated signatories
  • Equal opportunities / EDI policy covering the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010
  • Child and adult safeguarding policies naming the local lead person
  • Evidence of registration with the Charity Commission or relevant regulator if income is over £5,000
  • CICs: business plan covering the first year of operations

quotes or other evidence of costs may be requested by the Philanthropy Team.

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