GrantRadar

Charity Link

Charity Link Small Grants Scheme

Small grants of up to £500, usually £100-£300, for charitable organisations working in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland whose work relieves poverty, hardship and distress, relieves physical or mental illness, advances the education of people in need, or supports people aged 60+. Charity Link runs the scheme for the Leicester Indigent Old Age Society and the R Daphne Plunket Charitable Trust. Grants can go to a specific project or to running costs. Northamptonshire is normally covered too, but the scheme currently has no funds for projects there.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £500
Deadline
55 days left
12 December
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Charitable organisations working in Leicester City, Leicestershire or Rutland; Northamptonshire is normally covered but currently has no funds
  • Registered charities give their charity number; other charitable organisations must send their governing document (constitution)
  • CICs must provide evidence of three unrelated directors and at least two unrelated signatories on the business bank account, and the project must meet one of the 13 legal charitable purposes
  • Local branches of national organisations must send branch accounts as well as the main accounts
  • Grants are paid only to the applicant organisation

What it funds

The costs of a specific project, or operational/running costs, for charitable organisations whose activities address one or more of:

  • Relief of poverty, hardship and distress
  • Relief of physical or mental illness
  • Advancing the education of people in need
  • Supporting people aged 60+

Most grants are expected to be £100-£300, and the scheme may fund only some of the items applied for.

What it will not fund

  • Individuals
  • Projects in Northamptonshire (no funds currently available)
  • More than one grant to the same organisation in a financial year (organisations funded in the previous financial year are unlikely to be funded again)

How to apply

  1. Read the Small Grants Scheme Guidelines
  2. Complete the Small Grants Scheme Application Form (PDF) and sign the Section 6 declaration (a scanned or digital signature is fine)
  3. Email the form with your accounts and policies to trustadmin@charity-link.org, or post or deliver it to Trust Administration, Charity Link, 20a Millstone Lane, Leicester, LE1 5JN, by 12 December 2026 for the January 2027 round

Rounds are considered four times a year, in January, April, July and October; deadlines are 12 December, 12 March, 12 June and 12 September.

Apply well ahead of your start date (the web page says three months, the guidelines say at least two months).

There may be times when no funds are available; Charity Link will tell you when to re-apply. Unsuccessful applicants can re-apply at any time after addressing the reasons given, or appeal within 3 months.

Have ready

  • Completed and signed Small Grants Scheme Application Form
  • Most recent annual accounts (new organisations: an income and expenditure forecast for the first year; local branches: branch accounts plus the national accounts)
  • Safeguarding policy (reviewed within the last 12 months)
  • Equality/Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy
  • Health and Safety policy
  • Data Protection policy or statement of compliance

Organisations that are not registered charities must also send their governing document, and CICs must send evidence of three unrelated directors and two unrelated bank signatories.

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Charity Link Small Grants Scheme — Charity Link — GrantRadar