David and Elaine Potter Foundation grants
David and Elaine Potter Foundation is a national and overseas family foundation giving around £367k to organisations in its latest year (2024), with a typical grant of £30,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
David and Elaine Potter Foundation is a family foundation funding registered charities and educational institutions, with the majority of its grants supporting Education and Civil Society. It is willing to make multi-year grants of up to three years. In its latest year (2024) it made 275 grants, with a median award of £30,000. Applications are strictly by invitation only.
What they fund
David and Elaine Potter Foundation mainly funds Education and Civil Society projects, alongside the prevention or relief of poverty, arts and culture, economic and community development, and human rights or equality work.
Who and where
It funds registered charities and educational institutions, and the general public, across England and Wales, with some grants extending overseas.
Who they help
Where they fund
What David and Elaine Potter 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
“The majority of our grants will be used to support projects in Education and Civil Society”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
Who they say they'll fund
“registered charities and educational institutions”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
What they say they won't fund
“religious organisations that work only for the benefit of members of their own religion”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
“political organisations”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
“building or rebuilding schools”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
Grant sizes they mention
“We are willing to provide multi-year grants up to a maximum of three years”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
How they say to apply
“applications are strictly by our invitation only. We do not accept or consider uninvited or unsolicited applications”
Source: potterfoundation.com — Apply for funding - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £30,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £10,000 – £49,866 |
| Grants published openly | 275 |
| Most recent published grant | 2024 |
Recent grants
- ReprieveCore funding£30,000July 2024
- Transparency International UKCore funding£30,000July 2024
- Death Penalty ProjectCore funding£30,000July 2024
- Spotlight on CorruptionCore funding£30,000July 2024
- Trust for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, TheCore funding£250,000April 2024
- Lumiere Creche & Day Care CentreCore funding£42,542April 2024
From grants David and Elaine Potter 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):
The trustees shall hold the trust fund and its income upon trust to apply them for:-(1) the advancement of education of the public in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the education of the public through scientific research and the dissemination to the public of the useful results…
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 David and Elaine Potter Foundation typically give?
In its latest year (2024) it made 275 grants. The median award was £30,000, with the middle half of grants falling between £10,000 and around £49,866. It is willing to provide multi-year grants of up to three years.
What does David and Elaine Potter Foundation fund?
The majority of its grants support projects in Education and Civil Society, alongside its wider charitable purposes covering the prevention or relief of poverty, arts, culture and heritage, economic and community development, and human rights, religious or racial harmony, equality and diversity.
Who can apply to David and Elaine Potter Foundation?
It funds registered charities and educational institutions. However, applications are strictly by invitation only, and it does not accept or consider uninvited or unsolicited applications.
What won't David and Elaine Potter Foundation fund?
It does not fund political organisations, the building or rebuilding of schools or school equipment, or religious organisations that work only for the benefit of members of their own religion.
How do I apply to David and Elaine Potter Foundation?
As applications are by invitation only, unsolicited approaches are not considered. Its website (www.potterfoundation.com) sets out its funding guidance, and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1078217) lists its accounts and trustees.
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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 David and Elaine Potter Foundation.