Cole Charitable Trust grants
Cole Charitable Trust makes grants typically of £1,000 to £2,000 to small local registered charities with an annual income below £1.5 million.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Small, local charities with an annual income below £1.5 million are Cole Charitable Trust's core audience, and grants are typically £1,000 to £2,000. You need to be registered with the Charity Commission, or exempt from registration. A local branch of a national charity qualifies if it holds its own accounts. It funds social welfare for all age groups, housing and homelessness, and community and environmental development. It also funds opportunities for young people, improved quality of life, and personal or community empowerment. It will not support large building appeals, animal charities, research or further education, evangelical projects, or individuals. Requests are considered twice a year, in April/May and October/November, with a deadline six weeks before each meeting. It expects a grant to be used reasonably soon, certainly within a year.
What they fund
The Charity Commission register records a wide list of areas this trust funds. Its own guidance names six fields more precisely.
Who and where
The register records who the trust helps and the regions it operates in.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Cole Charitable Trust 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.
Who they say they'll fund
“are small and local (as opposed to regional or national), or are a local branch of a national charity if you hold your own accounts, AND are registered with the Charity Commission or are exempt from registration, AND have an annual income below £1.5 million.”
Source: colecharitabletrust.org.uk — Eligibility - The Cole Charitable TrustThe Cole Charitable Trust →
“We support charities that work in the fields of: social welfare, all age groups housing/homelessness community and environmental development opportunities for young people promotion of improved quality of life personal or community empowerment.”
Source: colecharitabletrust.org.uk — Eligibility - The Cole Charitable TrustThe Cole Charitable Trust →
What they say they won't fund
“we do not support large building appeals, animal charities, research or further education, or evangelical projects, nor do we support individuals.”
Source: colecharitabletrust.org.uk — Eligibility - The Cole Charitable TrustThe Cole Charitable Trust →
Grant sizes they mention
“Grants are typically in the range of £1,000 - £2,000. Occasionally grants can be outside this range.”
Source: colecharitabletrust.org.uk — Apply for a grant - The Cole Charitable TrustThe Cole Charitable Trust →
Deadlines they mention
“Requests are considered twice a year, in April/May, and October/November. Applications should be received by the deadline date, which is six weeks beforehand.”
Source: colecharitabletrust.org.uk — Meeting timetable - The Cole Charitable TrustThe Cole Charitable Trust →
How they say to apply
“Yes we would expect you to use the grant reasonably soon, certainly within a year.”
Source: colecharitabletrust.org.uk — FAQs - The Cole Charitable TrustThe Cole Charitable Trust →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
For such legally charitable objects or object or for such legally charitable purposes or purpose in such amouts proportions and manner and at such times as the trustees shall from time to time ghink fit.
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 Cole Charitable Trust typically give?
Grants are typically in the range of £1,000 to £2,000, and occasionally outside that range. Its most recent published accounts record £231,200 in grants to organisations.
What does Cole Charitable Trust fund?
It supports charities working in social welfare for all age groups, housing and homelessness, and community and environmental development. It also names opportunities for young people, promotion of improved quality of life, and personal or community empowerment.
Who can apply?
Charities that are small and local, as opposed to regional or national, or a local branch of a national charity that holds its own accounts. You must be registered with the Charity Commission or exempt from registration, and have an annual income below £1.5 million. The register records the trust as working in the West Midlands, the East of England and the South East.
What won't it fund?
It does not support large building appeals, animal charities, research or further education, or evangelical projects, and it does not support individuals.
How do I apply?
Requests are considered twice a year, in April/May and October/November, and applications should be received by the deadline date, which is six weeks beforehand. Check the funder's own website (www.colecharitabletrust.org.uk) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 264033) for the current deadline dates and guidance, as processes can change.
Is your charity a fit for Cole Charitable Trust?
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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 Cole Charitable Trust.