Cumbria Community Foundation grants
Cumbria Community Foundation is a regional grant-maker that gave around £6.5m to organisations across Cumbria in its latest recorded year (2023), with a typical grant of £3,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Cumbria Community Foundation is a regional community foundation supporting organisations and individuals across the County of Cumbria. Its priorities include reducing poverty, improving health and tackling social inequality, with individual funds also covering arts, children, education, employment, environment, foreign travel, mental health, homelessness and older people. In its latest recorded year (2023) it made 2,502 grants, with a median award of £3,000.
What they fund
Cumbria Community Foundation funds initiatives that reduce poverty, improve health and tackle social inequality, with funds also covering arts, children, education, employment, environment, mental health, homelessness and older people.
Who and where
It supports organisations and individuals across the County of Cumbria, including people with disabilities, children and young people, and older people.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Cumbria Community 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
“Grants to organisations for initiatives that reduce poverty, improve health, tackle social inequality, and help people reach their potential”
Source: cumbriafoundation.org — Cumbria Community Foundation - Connecting People Who Care With Causes That Matter →
“Tick any relevant boxes that relate to what you require a grant for. If you want to see all types of funding, leave all boxes blank. Arts Children Education Employment Environment Foreign Travel Health Hidden & emerging need Homelessness Mental Health Older People”
Source: cumbriafoundation.org — Cumbria Community Foundation - Connecting People Who Care With Causes That Matter →
Who they say they'll fund
“Step 2 Please select the district you are looking to apply in. Selecting "County" will only show grants that are available to every district in Cumbria.”
Source: cumbriafoundation.org — Cumbria Community Foundation - Connecting People Who Care With Causes That Matter →
“Step 1 Are you applying on an individual or group basis? GROUP INDIVIDUAL”
Source: cumbriafoundation.org — Cumbria Community Foundation - Connecting People Who Care With Causes That Matter →
How they say to apply
“Most of our grants panels meet every three months. Please make sure you submit your application well in advance, and at least three months before your project start date”
Source: cumbriafoundation.org — How to Apply - Cumbria Community Foundation →
“we are unable to fund activities which have already started”
Source: cumbriafoundation.org — How to Apply - Cumbria Community Foundation →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £3,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £1,000 – £5,943 |
| Grants published openly | 2,502 |
| Most recent published grant | 2023 |
Recent grants
- Gilcrux Social FundEvents for 2023£1,000March 2023
- Workington Heritage Group Ltd (WHG)Memories of Workington and lunch£500March 2023
- Haig Angling ClubRestocking of the Top Pond due to predation from cormorants and otters£968March 2023
- Cumbria County CouncilBedrock Awards£5,000March 2023
- TEG Virtual CICBespoke business mentoring and coaching.£21,504March 2023
- Netherhall SchoolBreakfast Club£30,000March 2023
From grants Cumbria Community 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):
1 Objects and Powers The Company is established for:- (A) the support or promotion of any charitable purposes for the relief of poverty, the advancement of education (including training for employment or work), the advancement of religion, the preservation, conservation or protection of the environment, the protection…
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 Cumbria Community Foundation typically give?
In its latest recorded year (2023) it made 2,502 grants. The median award was £3,000, with the middle half of grants falling between £1,000 and around £5,940.
What does Cumbria Community Foundation fund?
Its grants support initiatives that reduce poverty, improve health, tackle social inequality, and help people reach their potential. Depending on the fund, priority areas can include arts, children, education, employment, environment, foreign travel, health, hidden and emerging need, homelessness, mental health, and older people.
Who can apply to Cumbria Community Foundation?
Funding is available to organisations and individuals in the County of Cumbria, with different funds open to different districts (or countywide). Both group and individual applications are accepted, depending on the fund.
How do I apply to Cumbria Community Foundation?
Most of its grants panels meet every three months, so applications should be submitted well in advance and at least three months before the intended project start date, as it is unable to fund activities that have already started. Full guidance is on its website (www.cumbriafoundation.org). Its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1075120) lists its accounts and trustees.
Is your charity a fit for Cumbria Community 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 Cumbria Community Foundation.