Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation grants
Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation is a national corporate foundation giving around £2.45m to organisations in its latest year, with a typical grant of £10,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
The Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation (charity number 1093028) is a national corporate foundation supporting general charitable purposes, the prevention or relief of poverty, economic and community development and employment, and education and training, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In its latest recorded year it gave around £2.45m across 724 recorded grants, with a typical award of £10,000. It runs named programmes such as the Green Opportunities Fund, offering grants of £50,000 to £100,000, and the £4.5m Young Gamechangers Fund, supporting youth-led social action.
What they fund
It funds general charitable purposes centred on the prevention or relief of poverty, economic and community development, and education and training, including through named programmes such as the Green Opportunities Fund and the Young Gamechangers Fund.
Who and where
It supports other charities and voluntary bodies, other defined groups, and the general public, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, at a national scale.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“We are searching for young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs to lead youth-led social action across the UK, with two types of funding available”
Source: coopfoundation.org.uk — Young Gamechangers Fund | Co-op Foundation →
Who they say they'll fund
“We welcome applications from a wide range of organisations, including: • Charities • Community Interest Companies (CICs) • Co-operatives • Community Benefit Societies”
Source: coopfoundation.org.uk — Co-op & Co-op Foundation Green Opportunities Fund →
What they say they won't fund
“We cannot fund educational establishments, schools or government-funded bodies such as local authorities. We also cannot fund PLCs or Companies Limited by Shares. Individuals are also ineligible for funding from the Green Opportunities Fund.”
Source: coopfoundation.org.uk — Co-op & Co-op Foundation Green Opportunities Fund →
Grant sizes they mention
“Applicants can apply for between £50,000 and £100,000 for their project.”
Source: coopfoundation.org.uk — Co-op & Co-op Foundation Green Opportunities Fund →
How they say to apply
“We believe co-operation is at the heart of strong communities and this makes us a different kind of funder. Co-operative values are reflected throughout our funding, from applications and grant-making, to learning and celebrating.”
Source: coopfoundation.org.uk — How we fund | Our co-operative approach to funding →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £10,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £9,847 – £40,000 |
| Grants published openly | 724 |
| Most recent published grant | 2025 |
Recent grants
- The Footprints Project-£150,000December 2025
- Refocus Project Ltd-£150,000December 2025
- Tailored Futures-£150,000December 2025
- Inspired Futures-£150,000December 2025
- Mwanzo Project CIC-£150,000December 2025
- Exit Foundation-£150,000December 2025
From grants Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation publishes openly via 360Giving (the UK open grants-data standard), used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
To support, through donations from co-operative organisations, members, customers, projects that contribute to the relief of poverty, the advancement of education of other such charitable purposes which will benefit benefit the communities in which businesses of co-operative group (cws) limited operate throughout the…
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does the Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation typically give?
The median grant is around £10,000, with the middle half of its 724 recorded grants (latest recorded year: 2025) ranging from about £9,847 to £40,000. Its Green Opportunities Fund offers grants of £50,000 to £100,000 per project.
What does the Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation fund?
It funds general charitable purposes centred on the prevention or relief of poverty, economic and community development and employment, and education and training. Its named programmes include the Green Opportunities Fund and the £4.5m Young Gamechangers Fund, which seeks young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators and social entrepreneurs to lead youth-led social action across the UK.
Who can apply to the Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation?
Its Green Opportunities Fund welcomes applications from charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), co-operatives, and Community Benefit Societies.
What won't the Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation fund?
Its Green Opportunities Fund cannot fund educational establishments, schools, or government-funded bodies such as local authorities. It also cannot fund PLCs or Companies Limited by Shares, and individuals are not eligible.
How do I apply to the Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation?
Full guidance is on the Foundation's own website (coopfoundation.org.uk) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1093028).
Is your charity a fit for Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation?
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation.