Essex Community Foundation grants
Essex Community Foundation is a local community foundation giving around £3.35m to organisations across Essex, Southend and Thurrock, with a typical grant of around £4,520.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Essex Community Foundation is a community foundation funding charitable work across Essex, Southend and Thurrock, covering themes including education and training, health, poverty relief, the arts, environment and conservation, and economic and community development. In a recent year it gave around £3.35m to organisations, through 4,570 recorded grants with a typical (median) award of around £4,520. It accepts applications all year round and works to match funding needs with the criteria of the many charitable funds it manages.
What they fund
Essex Community Foundation funds education and training, health, poverty relief, the arts, environment and conservation, and economic and community development, among other charitable purposes.
Who and where
It supports disabled people, children and young people, elderly people and other charities, funding work across Essex, Southend and Thurrock only.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Essex 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.
Who they say they'll fund
“Unfortunately, we cannot support groups that are limited by shares or for profit.”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Grant Eligibility - Essex Community Foundation →
“For any work with children or adults at risk, we need to see safeguarding policies before funds can be released.”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Grant Eligibility - Essex Community Foundation →
“Our funding is only available for work in Essex.”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Grant Eligibility - Essex Community Foundation →
“Do you have at least three unrelated trustees/directors/decision makers”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Grant Eligibility - Essex Community Foundation →
“Are you a not-for-profit organisation or limited by guarantee?”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Grant Eligibility - Essex Community Foundation →
How they say to apply
“You can apply for support at any time, as we accept grant applications all year round.”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Apply For Support - Essex Community Foundation →
“Our team will work hard to match your funding needs with the criteria of one of the many charitable funds we manage.”
Source: essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk — Apply For Support - Essex Community Foundation →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £4,521 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £1,400 – £7,500 |
| Grants published openly | 4,570 |
| Most recent published grant | 2026 |
Recent grants
- Pioneer Sailing Trustan unrestricted donation to support the operational costs of the Pioneer Sailing Trust£34,294March 2026
- Kool Carers South East Limitedtowards the salary costs of their Family Support Worker post, which provides emotional and practical support as well as advocacy for young carers and their families across Basildon and Brentwood areas£10,000March 2026
- The Gateway Academyto support the operational and development costs of a recently formed Combined Cadet Force at a Secondary Academy in Chadwell-St-Mary£3,311March 2026
- Plan International UKtowards the running of an organisation supporting children to reach their full potential and striving for every girl to choose her own future£600March 2026
- Worldwide Cancer Researchto support the funding of discovery research into any cancer, anywhere in the world£300March 2026
- NSPCCtowards the running costs of an organisation supporting children£250March 2026
From grants Essex 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(a) The promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the county of Essex and its immediate neighbourhood;(b) Other exclusively charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and elsewhere which are, in the opinion of the Directors, beneficial to the community with a preference for those in 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 Essex Community Foundation typically give?
Based on 4,570 recorded grants, its typical (median) award is around £4,520, with the middle half of grants ranging from £1,400 to £7,500.
What does Essex Community Foundation fund?
It funds a wide range of charitable purposes, including education and training, health, poverty relief, the arts, environment and conservation, economic and community development, disability, and accommodation and housing.
Who can apply to Essex Community Foundation?
Applicants must be not-for-profit organisations or limited by guarantee, with at least three unrelated trustees, directors or decision-makers. It cannot support groups limited by shares or run for profit, and its funding is only available for work in Essex, Southend and Thurrock. Organisations working with children or adults at risk must have safeguarding policies in place before funds are released.
How do I apply to Essex Community Foundation?
Applications are accepted all year round; its team works to match funding needs with the criteria of the charitable funds it manages. More information is on its website, essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk, and the Charity Commission register under charity number 1052061.
Is your charity a fit for Essex 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 Essex Community Foundation.