Grassroots Fund

What is the Grassroots Fund?

In partnership with the LGBT+ Fund Donor Circle and through funds raised at City for LGBT+ event, the LGBT+ Fund: Grassroots Fund will be distributing a total amount of £28,093 to low-income LGBT+ groups and organisations across the UK, in the form of small grants of between £500 and £2,000.

LGBT+ grassroots organisations and groups are on the frontlines – embedded in communities, trusted by those they serve, and best placed to change hearts and minds. These groups are resilient but stretched to breaking point. Volunteers and tiny staff teams juggle everything from bookkeeping to activism in a hostile climate.

The picture is stark: 70% of Consortium member organisations and groups operate on under £10,000 a year, and nearly half on less than £1,000. Our research has shown that smaller LGBT+ groups are supporting large numbers of people and achieving so much on low budgets.

This fund is designed to strengthen LGBT+ groups and organisations, rather than pay for the direct costs of delivering a specific project. We can fund things that help build capacity, resilience, skills and sustainability such as training or expert support, leadership development, wellbeing and burnout-prevention support or IT equipment.

For more examples of what we can fund, please read the fund guidance document.

The fund opens to applications on Wednesday 15th July 2026 at 12pm midday and will close to new applications on Wednesday 9th September 2026 at 12pm midday.

who can apply?

UK based LGBT+ led by and for organisations and groups with a yearly income of £10,000 or less in the last 12 months/financial year are eligible to apply to the fund.

Applicants must have been in operation for a minimum of 1 year.

Our guidance document includes more information on which geographic areas and LGBT+ communities we are prioritising funding.

Please be aware that funding is limited, and we expect the programme to be oversubscribed. We are unlikely to be able to fund all applications received, and only a limited number of larger grants are likely to be awarded. Based on similar programmes we have delivered, approximately 1 in 5 applications may be successful.

how to apply

Applications can be submitted online using the link on this page via a written form or video application. We encourage you to visit the eligibility checker page and fund guidance before applying. We also have a frequently asked questions page.

We have a plain text version of the application form to view here. Applicants cannot use this to apply, all applications must be submitted via our online forms.

We appreciate it may be some people’s first time submitting a funding application and/or some people may find form-filling challenging. We want to remove as many barriers to receiving funding as possible through this Fund. The Giving team are available to provide support and advice with your application and are also happy to do a supported application where we accept application form answers via a call.

If you think you may need assistance in applying, please do get in contact early once the fund opens to ensure there is enough time for the team to provide appropriate support.

decision turnaround

Once the fund closes to applications, light-touch due diligence checks are undertaken, and the decision-panel make their assessments of the applications. Due to the number of applications we are expecting, we anticipate communicating funding decisions by the end of November 2026.

fund timeline

Wednesday 15 July 2026

Fund Launches

The fund will open to applications at 12pm midday.

Wednesday 15 July 2026

Wednesday 9 September 2026

Application Window Closes

The fund will close to applications at 12pm midday.

Wednesday 9 September 2026

September/October 2026

Due Diligence Checks

All applications will go through a light-touch due diligence process by our Giving Team to ensure eligibility and to provide any relevant information to our community panellists.

September/October 2026

October/November 2026

Community Panel Assessments

Decisions will be made by a community panel, formed of LGBT+ people with a diverse range of lived experiences.

The panellists will look to make a collective decision on whether to award a grant, based on eligibility and priority of need.

October/November 2026

By 30 November 2026

Outcomes Communicated

All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by the end of November 2026.

By 30 November 2026

Time Left to Apply

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Applying is as simple as 1, 2, 3...

1. Check your eligibility

Check whether you are eligible to apply for this fund before you begin your application. Click on the button below to find out more.

Eligibility Checker

2. Read the guidance

It is essential that you read the fund guidance before you begin your application. Access the guidance document using the button below.

Download Guidance

3. Create your application

Once you've checked your eligibility and read the guidance, you can begin your application by clicking on the button below.

Apply Here

Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions, as well as some questions which are specific to this fund.
Click on the button below to find out more.

FAQ's

If you have any other questions about the fund, that you can't find answers to using the resources above, then please get in touch with the Giving Team who will be more than happy to help.