List of major grant funders for church buildings
There are a great many grants available for work to church buildings.
Some only fund very specific activities, or support buildings in specific geographic areas. But, there are some who offer grants for general projects to churches across the UK. These also tend to be the major grant givers, those who can give the largest amounts.
This page lists the major grant givers for churches, chapels and meeting houses in the UK.
To generate a full list of potential funders, or for details of specific or local grant givers please search our list of support organisations.
Also refer to our page on Where to Search for Grant Funding.
Repair
The National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund)
The Heritage Fund has a variety of programmes which might suit your project if it has a heritage and community angle. Their new Strategic Funding Framework 2019-24 includes a new programme structure. Places of Worship can apply to any of their 3 programmes which have been designed on a sliding scale according to project size. We recommend you visit their website to view the range of outcomes they require, and to read their guidance notes. Contact your local fund office for a chat: www.heritagefund.org.uk/in-your-area
Garfield Weston Foundation
Gives grants for reordering in order to give greater flexibility of use, including assistance with disabled access and creating kitchen and toilet facilities. Applications are considered on an individual basis monthly. It normally takes 3 or 4 months for an application to be processed.
AllChurches Trust
Has a general fund which responds to requests for financial assistance from Anglican churches, churches of other denominations and the Christian community. The Trust supports appeals from churches for building and restoration projects, repair of church fabric, church community initiatives, religious charities, charities preserving the UK heritage and other charitable causes.
Headley Trust
Fabric repairs to listed medieval parish churches in sparsely populated and less prosperous rural areas in England & Wales; and the provision of toilet facilities and disabled access within these churches.
Landfill Communities Fund
Since 1996 Landfill Operators can choose to re-direct part of their tax bill to local communities near landfill sites rather than paying it to the Treasury. The funds are distributed through Environmental Bodies (such as WREN, Veolia Trust, Suez Communities Trust, Biffa, Viridor Credits, Cory Environmental etc.) and is able to support the repair and wider community use of historic places of worship. Check postcode eligibility on each individual own website, or search funds available at ENTRUST
Wolfson Grants via Churchcare
ChurchCare can award Wolfson Fund grants towards fabric repairs (i.e. structural repairs) to Grade I and II* (or equivalents)listed churches in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Community / Installation of Facilities
The National Lottery Community Fund (formerly the Big Lottery Fund)
Has a variety of programmes which might suit your project, if it has a community angle. Get in touch with your local office and have a chat with them.
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
Gives grants for helping established projects which work in the fields of community support, arts, education & heritage, disability & health.
Dulverton Trust
Provides money to UK registered charities and to organisations with charitable status. Supports a wide range of activities in the following categories: youth and education; general welfare; conservation; preservation, peace and humanitarian support, and Africa.
The Aviva CommunityFund
Grants of up to £25,000 for “important causes in the community”
Joseph Rank Trust
Installation of facilities
Artwork and Monuments
Memorial Grant Scheme VAT rebate
Apply for a rebate of the VAT incurred on work
Churches Conservation Foundation
Grants of £250 to £2,000
The Idlewild Trust
Conservation of artworks and objects
Friends of Friendless Churches
Funds for new art in churches
Heating and lighting
These items are often best funded as part of larger projects. Some of the funders listed above such as the Big Lottery Fund or funds available from the Landfill Communities Fund may be worth exploring.
Windows and stained glass
Memorial Grant Scheme VAT rebate
Apply for a rebate of the VAT incurred on work
Heritage Lottery Fund
The HLF has a variety of programmes which might suit your project, if it has a heritage angle. The HLF will be launching details of new programmes at the end of January 2019. Find out more here. Until then, projects of this nature have had some success under the Sharing Heritage fund. We suggest contacting your local office for a chat: www.hlf.org.uk/inyourarea
Glaziers' Trust
Gives grants for the restoration and conservation of historic and important stained glass.
William and Jane Morris Fund
Gives grants for the conservation of decorative features.
ChurchCare
Grants for the conservation of stained glass and historic plain glazing.
Churches Conservation Foundation
This new fund can support historic churches and chapels in England with grants of £250 to £2,000.
Pilgrim Trust
The trust makes an annual block grant to the Council for the Care of Churches for the conservation of historic contents (organs, bells, glass, monuments etc.) and important structures and monuments in churchyards for places of worship of all denominations.
Organs and music
Arts Council Arts Lottery Fund
Organ appeals in connection with concert and other performances should approach the Arts Lottery Fund. The Heritage Lottery Fund Your Heritage scheme may also be appropriate for major works to historic instruments.
ChurchCare
Grants for the conservation of organs and organ cases.
O N Organ Fund
Offers grants for the provision and restoration of pipe organs in the British Isles.
Ouseley Trust
Where there is an active choral tradition, this Trust offers grants to promote and maintain a high standard of choral services.
Heritage Lottery Fund
The HLF has a variety of programmes which might suit your project, if it has a heritage angle. The HLF will be launching details of new programmes at the end of January 2019. Find out more here. Until then, projects of this nature have had some success under the Sharing Heritage fund. We suggest contacting your local office for a chat: www.hlf.org.uk/inyourarea
Bells
Sharpe Trust
Grants for the maintenance, repair, and restoration of church bells in England and Wales.
Central Council of Church Bell Ringers
Administers two funds for bell restoration, the Central Council's Bell Restoration Fund and the Fred E Dukes International Bell Fund (for bell restorations outside the British Isles). When funds are available, applications for the Bell Restoration Fund are invited by notices in The Ringing World and on the CCCBR website.
ChurchCare
Grants for the conservation of bells and bellframes.
The Barron Bell Trust
Grants towards the provision, installation, inspection, repair and maintenance of carillons of bells in churches
Heritage Lottery Fund
The HLF has a variety of programmes which might suit your project, if it has a heritage angle. The HLF will be launching details of new programmes at the end of January 2019. Find out more here. Until then, projects of this nature have had some success under the Sharing Heritage fund. We suggest contacting your local office for a chat: www.hlf.org.uk/inyourarea
