Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation

We have a great deal of experience in giving grants to local charitable, voluntary and community groups working hard and effectively to mitigate local challenges and needs – though we will help donors give regionally or even nationally

Local charities, voluntary and community groups are set up to meet a need. At any time in life, people can be affected by serious illness, homelessness, debt, violence, family breakdown, job loss, addiction, untimely bereavement, loneliness and other life challenges. An estate may have no homework support for children, a town no activities for disabled adults, a village no youth club. older people. When money is tight, in a family or a community, it can be very hard to get the help needed.

Some needs are simply met;  others more complicated and long-lasting and need specialist help. 

Hundreds of charitable groups, often set up by local people, work effectively, in neighbourhoods and communities to improve challenges like these, as well affordable access to sport and the arts, or enjoying or protecting the natural environment

Many groups are small, almost none are household names, but together, and with donor and funder support, they help maintain the social and economic stability of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland by making it a good place to live and work.

Donors and funders choose the geographical area, the need they want to support, the size of their grant, and if their donation will be spent immediately (or a timescale they prefer) or invested for ongoing charitable income – a little of both.

If your grant-giving is £40,000 or more at one time, for a specific need or area, we will set up a “standalone” fund for you, with its own application process, open and close dates, criteria, all applications fully checked and assessed, a decision-making panel if you wish, and a report of the grants after they have been spent.  

If you have broader charitable aims, or like to give responsively, or throughout the year, or have less than £40,000 (which can result in many good applicants having to be turned away) we’d suggest you use our year-round Making Local Life Better grant programme.

This is open to all groups to apply for anything they need.  We send you a quarterly list of fully checked and assessed applications, clear on the area of need and where they are working, so you can choose, say, only children’s projects, or only Rutland. Every application is still fully checked and assessed, and you get report of the grants after they have been spent.