GrantRadar

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation

Community Grants

Grants of £750 to £6,000 a year for one, two or three years for voluntary and community organisations working in Wiltshire and Swindon, for projects and activities that improve people's lives, particularly people on low incomes or affected by the rising cost of living. Core and running costs are eligible, and capital costs up to £6,000. Applicants must have average annual income under £1 million over the last three years, and small and grassroots groups are prioritised. The programme is always open, with panel decisions four times a year, and the Foundation talks every applicant through their application.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£750 – £6,000
Deadline
91 days left
17 January
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted voluntary or community organisations, registered charities, and not-for-profit companies including CICs where most directors are unpaid, the company is limited by guarantee and has a suitable asset lock (CICs limited by shares must speak to the Foundation first)
  • Average annual income must have been under £1,000,000 over the last three years (talk to the Foundation first if just above)
  • Organisations must be based and operating in Wiltshire and/or Swindon (including local branches of national organisations with their own local management committee and bank account), or be based outside but applying for work in Wiltshire/Swindon with most other services in neighbouring counties, having worked with local people to identify need and not duplicating existing support
  • Requirements: a committee or board of at least three unrelated people not living at the same address; an appropriate constitution; a safeguarding policy with a named lead and an equalities policy, both in the organisation's name; a bank account with two unrelated signatories; unrestricted reserves under 12 months' running costs
  • Most beneficiaries must live in Wiltshire or Swindon and be on low incomes
  • Organisations already holding a Community Grant cannot apply
  • New groups lacking some of the above may be able to apply through another charitable organisation

What it funds

  • Projects and activities that improve people's lives, particularly work with people on low incomes or people impacted by the increased cost of living
  • Continuing something you are already doing
  • New activity
  • Core or running costs
  • Project and activity costs
  • Capital costs (buildings and equipment) up to a maximum of £6,000, provided you already have all or most of the rest of the total cost

The Foundation is particularly interested in projects that tackle poverty and inequity and its effects, prevent or alleviate poor mental health and promote wellbeing, or support children and young people, but can consider other needs that groups identify. Applications for activities for general community benefit are unlikely to be successful.

It is particularly open to including capacity building for your organisation and lessening negative environmental impacts, though this is not a requirement. Spending must start within 6 months of the award.

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 and/or activities that don't target programme specific priorities
  • Individuals, schools, statutory bodies (city, county or parish councils, health institutions), charities that operate nationally, or companies limited by shares
  • Organisations already in receipt of one of the Foundation's Community Grants

How to apply

  1. Check eligibility and the round dates on the Community Grants page
  2. Complete the online application form (FormAssembly) linked from the page
  3. The Programmes Team arranges a call or assessment meeting to talk through your application
  4. A panel decides; applications received 18 October 2026 to 17 January 2027 go to the March 2027 panel, with decisions by 31 March 2027

Later rounds: 18 January to 17 April 2027 (June panel, decision by 30 June 2027) and 18 April to 17 July 2027 (September panel, decision by 30 September 2027). The Foundation may change dates or remove rounds if heavily oversubscribed.

If you are new to fundraising, complete the form without worrying about getting it right; the Foundation will call to talk it through.

Have ready

  • Constitution appropriate to the size and structure of the organisation
  • Safeguarding policy in the organisation's name, with a named safeguarding lead
  • Equalities policy in the organisation's name
  • Financial records or accounts showing income, expenditure and reserves for the most recent financial year
  • Financial plan or budget showing this year's expected income, expenditure and reserves
  • A recent bank statement

If you don't have some of these, talk to the Foundation for advice.

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.

Community Grants — Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation — GrantRadar