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There are around 4,000 grantmakers in the UK that make grants to individuals and families, with the majority being very small – over 1,000 of them distribute under £50,000 a year.
Since the last edition of UKGrantmaking, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has shared additional data with 360Giving, from the new questions reported in the Annual Returns for 2023 and 2024. This has greatly expanded the data available and improved our understanding of the grantmaking picture in relation to grants to individuals.
Very limited data is available from local authorities, so amounts for local schemes including the Community Chest are not available. We did not include universities as a funder group in the research, but some provide bursaries and welfare support for students from endowments and other funds.
The new data has more than doubled the estimate of the total amount of grants to individuals from approximately £400m in the previous edition of UKGrantmaking to a new estimate of £850m, including some assumptions about grantmaking by local authorities. It is important to note that this is additional data, rather than an increase in grantmaking.
Our analysis includes over 3,600 organisations that make grants to individuals. The 2,625 largest of these, where data on grants to individuals is available, distributed £824m in 2023-24. Of these, over 90% also distributed grants to institutions.
Grantmakers providing grants to individuals: Summary
Segment
Make grants to individuals
Number of organisations with data available
2023-24 grantmaking to individuals data available (£m)
General Foundation
2,567
1,779
273.6
Charity
176
125
285.6
Member/Trade Funded
350
226
146.8
Family Foundation
44
40
33.7
Corporate Foundation
24
22
22.8
Donor Advised Fund
5
5
17.1
National Lottery Distributor
7
7
17.7
Fundraising Grantmaker
387
373
14.3
Community Foundation
33
27
6.7
NHS/Hospital Foundation
18
18
3.3
Government/Lottery Endowed
1
1
2.0
Arms Length Body
2
2
0.0
Total
3,614
2,625
823.6
Source: 360Giving analysis of data from charity regulators and charity accounts.
The grants to individuals distributed by these 100 organisations totalled £638m – compared to £584m in the previous year. This represents a 9% increase in grants to individuals and families by this group of funders – including an increase of £10m by the Royal British Legion alone, mainly through an increase in cost of living grant awards.
Largest 100 organisations making grants to individuals by grantmaking spend
2023-24 and previous year
2023-24 Rank
Name
2023-24 Grantmaking Spending (£m)
2023-24 Grantmaking Spending Individuals (£m)
2022-23 Grantmaking Spending (£m)
2022-23 Grantmaking Spending Individuals (£m)
Grants to individuals percentage change
1
Royal Society
110.2
106.7
108.8
104.8
2
2
Motability
101.1
81.5
93.2
78.6
4
3
Cambridge Commonwealth Trust
39.7
39.7
35.2
35.2
13
4
Family Fund Trust
38.8
38.8
37.9
37.9
2
5
SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity
22.6
22.5
21.7
21.7
3
6
Royal British Legion
25.1
20.9
16.6
10.9
92
7
The Rhodes Trust
20.4
20.4
16.8
16.8
21
8
Macmillan Cancer Support
67.3
16.9
79.4
19.1
-12
9
Stewardship
109.6
15.5
101.8
15.2
2
10
Masonic Charitable Foundation
19.4
13.7
18.0
11.1
23
11
Masonic Samaritan Fund
13.1
13.1
11.1
10.8
21
12
Council for at-Risk Academics
11.2
11.2
5.7
5.7
97
13
British Gas Energy Trust
16.3
10.3
20.6
17.1
-40
14
Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
10.9
10.2
9.7
9.0
13
15
Amud Hatzdokoh Trust
15.9
8.7
13.4
7.6
14
16
National Zakat Foundation (NZF)
7.6
7.6
5.5
5.5
37
17
Association of Jewish Refugees
6.8
6.5
6.2
5.9
10
18
Clergy Support Trust
6.5
6.3
5.0
4.8
31
19
Creative Scotland
86.7
6.1
82.9
6.4
-5
20
Rehabilitation Trust
6.6
5.8
6.3
5.3
10
21
Buttle UK
5.5
5.3
5.6
4.3
22
22
Mifal Hachesed Vehatzedokoh
5.5
5.2
4.7
4.3
20
23
Darwin Trust Of Edinburgh
4.8
4.8
4.2
4.2
14
24
GroceryAid
5.1
4.6
2.6
2.6
79
25
Bederech Kovod
4.2
4.2
3.4
3.4
24
26
Methodist Church in Great Britain
16.2
4.2
10.9
2.5
65
27
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
4.3
3.7
4.7
3.4
10
28
Ezer Viznitz Foundation
4.1
3.6
3.5
3.4
5
29
UK Sport
46.2
3.4
51.4
3.8
-8
30
Help Musicians UK
3.5
3.4
4.4
4.3
-21
31
Arts Council of Wales | Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru
51.1
3.4
69.8
2.3
46
32
ABF The Soldiers' Charity
7.1
3.4
6.7
3.2
7
33
Yishaya Adler Memorial Fund
3.4
3.3
3.2
3.2
5
34
Turn2us
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.4
-4
35
Yesamach Levav
4.8
3.1
3.5
2.0
56
36
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
3.1
3.0
3.2
3.2
-4
37
Royal Society of Chemistry
4.0
2.9
3.4
2.8
4
38
United Utilities Trust Fund
3.0
2.9
3.0
2.9
0
39
North London Welfare and Educational Foundation
4.3
2.7
2.8
1.8
52
40
Transport Benevolent Fund (CIO)
2.7
2.7
0.8
0.8
248
41
Motor Neurone Disease Association
9.3
2.6
9.5
1.9
34
42
Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity
9.6
2.6
9.6
2.2
17
43
Severn Wye Energy Agency
2.6
2.5
2.1
1.5
75
44
sportscotland
20.0
2.3
19.2
2.0
13
45
Robertson Trust
29.3
2.2
19.1
1.7
35
46
World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities
8.8
2.2
12.1
1.8
18
47
Colchester Catalyst Charity
2.3
2.2
0.6
0.3
714
48
R L Glasspool Charity Trust
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
10
49
King's Trust
2.2
2.1
1.8
1.3
61
50
Unite Foundation
2.1
2.1
1.9
1.9
12
51
Campden Charities Trustee
2.6
2.1
2.2
1.7
24
52
St Mungo Community Housing Association
2.1
2.1
0.1
0.1
2,614
53
Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
2.1
2.0
3.5
3.5
-42
54
School for Social Entrepreneurs
2.2
2.0
3.2
2.7
-23
55
UnLtd
3.9
2.0
8.7
4.3
-55
56
Henry Smith Charity
46.4
2.0
65.2
1.6
24
57
Civil Service Benevolent Fund
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
0
58
Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust
4.7
1.9
3.0
1.9
3
59
Dover Sholem Community Trust
2.1
1.9
2.4
2.2
-15
60
Just4Children
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
3
61
Bankers Benevolent Fund
2.4
1.8
4.3
1.5
24
62
Bauer Radio's Cash for Kids Charities (Scotland)
2.0
1.8
2.3
2.1
-12
63
St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity
4.0
1.8
3.2
2.4
-25
64
Medical Research Scotland
1.8
1.8
2.3
2.3
-20
65
The Community Foundation for Staffordshire
3.6
1.8
3.6
1.9
-7
66
Caudwell Children
1.8
1.8
2.4
2.4
-27
67
WST Charity Limited
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
0
68
Sovereign Housing Association Limited
2.4
1.7
0.0
0.0
0
69
Royal National Children's Springboard Foundation
1.8
1.7
1.9
1.8
-6
70
Greggs Foundation
4.6
1.6
3.5
1.4
11
71
Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond
4.7
1.6
3.5
2.2
-28
72
Community Concern London
1.6
1.5
1.3
1.3
16
73
Manchester Hachnosas Kalloh Fund
1.5
1.5
1.1
1.1
37
74
Care Workers Charity
1.5
1.5
1.0
1.0
52
75
Central Hardship and Relief Trust
1.6
1.5
1.2
1.2
31
76
Royal Logistic Corps Association Trust
2.1
1.5
1.8
1.3
14
77
Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
2.7
1.5
3.1
2.2
-29
78
Impact Giving UK Trust
1.6
1.5
2.1
0.6
145
79
Shaarei Orah Ltd
1.5
1.5
1.0
1.0
58
80
Naval Children's Charity
1.7
1.5
1.0
1.0
44
81
Quintin Hogg Trust
6.3
1.5
4.8
2.0
-24
82
Royal Society of Edinburgh
1.5
1.5
1.6
1.6
-8
83
RFU Injured Players Foundation
1.6
1.4
0.1
0.1
2,200
84
Leverhulme Trust
128.5
1.4
103.5
1.3
13
85
Chevras Mo'oz Ladol
10.2
1.4
11.6
0.9
53
86
Shipwrecked Mariners' Society
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
6
87
Performing Right Society Foundation
3.2
1.4
3.3
1.5
-3
88
Blind Veterans UK
1.4
1.4
0.9
0.9
53
89
Gray's Inn Scholarships Trust
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
6
90
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
21.0
1.3
21.9
1.4
-2
91
Architects Benevolent Society
1.3
1.3
1.0
1.0
34
92
Yorkshire Water Community Trust
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.2
5
93
Bikur Cholim and Gemiluth Chesed Trust
1.3
1.3
1.4
1.4
-10
94
Charity Link
1.3
1.3
1.4
1.4
-5
95
Northamptonshire Community Foundation
3.0
1.3
2.5
0.8
61
96
Royal Marines Association - The Royal Marines Charity
2.0
1.3
2.0
1.2
7
97
Foothold
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
0
98
Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe
6.0
1.2
6.7
1.4
-9
99
Carnegie Trust For Universities Of Scotland
1.7
1.2
1.8
1.3
-7
100
Film and Television Charity
1.2
1.2
1.0
1.0
17
Source: 360Giving analysis of data from charity regulators and charity accounts.
The Association of Charitable Organisations (ACO) is the membership body for charities that provide financial and wellbeing support to individuals. They encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration, and best practice across the network. ACO enables members to benefit from the collective expertise, experience, and resources of its members to address common issues and develop shared solutions.
In March 2025, ACO had 117 members. Of these, the 102 with data available spent £867m including £248m in grants, of which £167m were distributed to individuals and families. For those where data is available in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, this represents a 14% increase in grantmaking to individuals. The increase was not universal; around half of the organisations increased grantmaking to individuals by more than 5%, whilst 28 organisations saw a decline in grantmaking to individuals of more than -5%. The increase overall was driven by a £10m increase from the Royal British Legion.
ACO summary
Totals
2023-24 Total
2022-23 Total
Percentage Change
Grantmaking (£m)
247.7
246.1
0
Grantmaking to individuals (£m)
167.4
144.9
14
Income (£m)
727.0
676.7
7
Expenditure (£m)
876.3
811.2
8
Net Assets (£m)
4,684.0
4,575.0
2
Employees
7,375.0
7,169.0
3
Source: 360Giving analysis of data from charity regulators and charity accounts.
Figures are based on a sample of 102 organisations where data was available.
Percentage change calculated only for organisations with data in both years.
In 2023, 360Giving implemented changes to the 360Giving Data Standard to support the publication of grants to individuals. By April 2025, 20 grantmakers had shared data on grants to individuals for the 2023-24 financial year.
There isn’t enough data to be able to draw conclusions or interpret the information on 2023-24 in any meaningful way, as it is skewed by the organisations which had published their data at that time, but looking at the overall grantmaking in 2022-23 and 2023-24 together does provide an illustration of grantmaking patterns for this group.
The most common grant amounts were between £200 and £500, reflecting that grants were often to cover the costs of household appliances and furniture in this price range.
Grants were most commonly awarded to individuals or families affected by financial hardship and/or poor mental health – although the largest amount of money was awarded based on financial hardship alone, due to a funder in the group with a higher average grant rate recording nearly all their grants under the financial hardship category.
The most common purpose of grants awarded in the period was for furniture and appliances.
Where geographical data on the location of the recipient by ward is available, the majority of the individuals and families are in the most deprived areas by the index of multiple deprivation decile.
The view from ACO
We continue to see a direction of travel for many ACO charities (particularly occupational/benevolent funds) in terms of transition from primarily grantmaking (financial) providers to delivering a broader platform of financial and wellbeing support services designed to provide a more holistic, longer-term approach to meeting the needs of their respective beneficiaries
