Apply for a grant
Grow and thrive with a grant from MK Community Foundation
Growth through grants
Applying for a grant can help you secure funding that will allow your organisation, group or project to expand its reach.
MK Community Foundation’s grant making supports Milton Keynes to grow and thrive, through strong communities, a healthy voluntary sector and engaged individuals.
Projects may benefit Milton Keynes generally, individuals through our bursary programme; individual estates or areas of need as well as emergency responses.
Applications are welcomed that respond to issues raised in the Vital Signs report.
Our aim is to fund a wide range of non-profit organisations working to create social change across all 12 Vital Signs thematic areas: Strong Communities, Disadvantage and Poverty, Diversity, Health and Wellbeing, Crime and Safety, Housing, Arts and Heritage, the Local Environment, Economy, Transport, Work, and Education.
We particularly welcome applications from organisations looking to address new, emerging, and/or unmet needs, those working collaboratively or in partnership, and/or those working to improve the efficiency and capacity of the local voluntary sector.
We look to support projects that are impact-focussed and promote equality, diversity and inclusion and are creative, where organisations have a clear understanding of the difference they will make.
Funding Programmes
We aim to deliver most of our funding through general programmes in order to prioritise projects by their individual merits. However, from time to time we may need to deliver criteria or fund-specific programmes.
Our standard programmes include Small Grants and Community Grants.
Transformation Grants
Bi-annual grant programme for grants over £10,000 for projects taking place within a 12-month period, addressing new and priority needs.
An Expression of Interest is required in the first instance through a pre-application meeting, and only shortlisted projects are invited to submit a full application.
Organisations must have a history of managing significant or equivalent levels of grant funding.
The project must either transform the organisation or be transformational for its beneficiaries and / or Milton Keynes.
Applications are approved by an external Grants Committee, made up of Community Representatives and Trustees.
Please contact the team for more info by calling 01908 690 276 or emailing info@mkcommunityfoundation.co.uk.
Large Strategic Grants
An annual programme for larger grants which will be delivered over more than one financial year, up to a maximum of three years.
Projects must make a Strategic Impact on the work of the organisation or its beneficiaries.
Expression of Interest is required in the first instance through a pre-application meeting and only shortlisted projects are invited to submit a full application.
Organisations must have a history of managing significant or equivalent levels of grant funding.
As there are limited funds available to accommodate awards of this size, additional criteria to the general grants Eligibility Criteria (see Appendix 1) are applicable in this round and will be detailed on the website at programme launch.
Applications are recommended by an external Grants Committee, and subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
Please contact the team for more info by calling 01908 690 276 or emailing info@mkcommunityfoundation.co.uk.
Should you be interested in applying for either a Large Strategic Grant or a Transformation Grant please contact a member of the Philanthropy team for the appropriate application form.
Other grants programmes currently available:
All applications are via an online application form only
However we do have a PDF copy of the questions we ask in the application forms for your reference.
Should you have any accessibility issues with accessing the forms, please get in touch with us either at info@mkcommunityfoundation.co.uk or on 01908 690 276.
Make an enquiry
Have any questions? Feel free to get in touch with our team.