ForRefugees grants
ForRefugees is a national and overseas grant-maker supporting refugees and displaced people across Europe, with a typical grant of £2,800.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
ForRefugees funds grassroots NGOs supporting refugees and other forcibly displaced people, working across Europe in countries including Greece, Italy, Lithuania, France, Cyprus, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has given around £487k to organisations, through 219 recorded grants with a typical (median) award of £2,800. Its trustees aim to make payments within one month, and no longer than four months, of a grant being approved.
What they fund
ForRefugees funds the relief of poverty, economic and community development, housing, education and training, and human rights and racial harmony, in support of refugees and displaced people.
Who and where
It funds work across Europe, including in Greece, Italy, Lithuania, France, Cyprus, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Who they help
Where they fund
What ForRefugees 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
“Only grassroots-level NGOs (non government organisations) are eligible to apply.”
Source: forrefugees.org — Partner Application - forRefugees →
What they say they won't fund
“The Trustees do not, as a rule, accept NGO's whose main services are in-country refugee settlement and integration projects. There can be UK exceptions to this.”
Source: forrefugees.org — Partner Application - forRefugees →
“We regret that we are unable to support outside Europe.”
Source: forrefugees.org — Grant Policy - forRefugees →
How they say to apply
“The Trustees aim to make payments within one month and no longer than four months.”
Source: forrefugees.org — Grant Application - forRefugees →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £2,800 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £2,000 – £4,000 |
| Grants published openly | 219 |
| Most recent published grant | 2026 |
Recent grants
- Collective AidReliable access to essential supplies for displaced people in Mytilene, Lesvos, depended on this funding for Collective Aid's logistics operations - covering warehouse rent, transportation, fuel and supply chain coordination. As the only organisation providing consistent non-food item and hygiene distributions on the island, this grant filled a critical funding gap, enabling more flexible, responsive and longer-term planning to meet evolving needs on the ground.£2,000April 2026
- Avocats Sans Frontières France - Samos Legal Centre ProjectA grant supported the Samos Legal Centre Project in providing free, independent legal assistance to asylum seekers on Samos, most living in the 'Closed Controlled Access Center.' With interpretation services having been inconsistent since May 2024, this funding helped bridge the gap - equipping people with the legal knowledge to navigate their asylum cases confidently and preparing them for interviews with the Greek Asylum Service, where no supporting case file exists.£3,000April 2026
- EmpowervanA grant supported EmpowerVan to equip displaced women and girls in Malakasa and Oinofyta refugee camps in Greece with vital GBV prevention tools. Funding provided essential equipment for weekly self-defence classes following the ESD curriculum, helping 100 students build physical and emotional resilience, set verbal boundaries, and reclaim agency over their bodies. For women in some of Europe's most under-resourced environments, this created a safe space to heal, connect and thrive.£2,000April 2026
- AMURTEL GreeceA grant supported the launch of AMAMÉ - The Atelier, a new women-only, child-friendly creative space in Athens run by AMURTEL Greece. Refugee and migrant mothers - many supported by AMURTEL for years through perinatal and psychosocial care - told the organisation they needed more than emergency help. Funding covered start-up costs including skills training, interpretation and coordination, enabling the first mothers to be welcomed into a space to create, heal and build dignified livelihoods.£2,000March 2026
- Equal Legal AidLegal representation was secured for asylum seekers in Greece facing wrongful rejections and systemic barriers in the appeals process. Without support, these individuals risked refoulement, homelessness, and prolonged uncertainty. This grant acted as matching funding, unlocking dedicated resource for representation fees covering both individual cases and strategic litigation - helping to set precedents that strengthened fairness and accountability in the Greek asylum system for many beyond those directly supported.£2,000March 2026
- Mobile Info TeamA grant supported the Mobile Info Team in sustaining its frontline casework operations during a critical funding gap. Caseworkers and legal interns - many at the early stages of their careers - provided vital support across six helplines in 10 languages, ensuring displaced people could access information in their own language. The grant helped cover stipends, keeping this essential team in place and able to respond to thousands of enquiries from people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives.£2,000March 2026
From grants ForRefugees 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):
For the public benefit the relief of the needs and the advancement of the education of refugees and other forcibly displaced people, wherever they are in the world, particularly, but not exclusively, by the provision of grants and other assistance to charities and other organisations which work with them. In the above…
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 ForRefugees typically give?
Based on 219 recorded grants, its typical (median) award is £2,800, with the middle half of grants ranging from £2,000 to £4,000.
What does ForRefugees fund?
It funds the prevention or relief of poverty, economic and community development, accommodation and housing, education and training, and human rights and racial harmony, supporting refugees and displaced people across Europe, including in Greece, Italy, Lithuania, France, Cyprus, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Who can apply to ForRefugees?
Only grassroots-level NGOs supporting refugees on the move in Europe are eligible to apply. As a rule, its trustees do not accept NGOs whose main services are in-country refugee settlement and integration projects, though there can be UK exceptions. It cannot support work outside Europe.
How do I apply to ForRefugees?
Its trustees aim to make payments within one month, and no longer than four months, of approval. More information is on its website, forrefugees.org, and the Charity Commission register under charity number 1168435.
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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 ForRefugees.