Kent Community Foundation grants
Kent Community Foundation runs grant funds for charities and community groups in Kent and Medway, across a wide range of causes, with amounts set by each fund.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Kent Community Foundation runs a number of separate grant funds for charities and community groups in Kent and Medway. Because of that, the amount you can ask for depends on which fund you apply to. It advertises grants of up to £6,000 for community-led projects that protect and improve the natural environment, and grants of up to £2,000 towards essential costs under its SWEF business grants. It also offers unsecured loans of £10,000 to £100,000, with up to 30% as a grant. Its registered objects are charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the County of Kent and the Borough of Medway, in particular education, good health both mental and physical, and the relief of poverty and sickness. Organisations with an annual income over £1 million are outside its criteria, and it only funds projects and activities planned for the future, not work that has already taken place. It generally does not fund statutory organisations, unless you can clearly show the project is outside the state's obligations. Its guidance also excludes projects taking place outside Kent and Medway and mentions the London boroughs of Bexley and Bromley in that context, so check with the foundation if you are in either. Decisions usually take four to six months on its general route, or about eight weeks on its micro route.
What they fund
These are the areas of work recorded on the Charity Commission register, which reflects the breadth of the separate funds the foundation runs.
Who and where
These are the groups and areas recorded on the register. The foundation's own objects focus on the County of Kent and the Borough of Medway.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Kent 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
“Projects taking place outside Kent and Medway (including London boroughs of Bexley and Bromley)”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
What they say they won't fund
“We generally do not fund statutory organisations, unless you can clearly show the project is outside the state's obligations.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
“No – we only fund projects and activities planned for the future. Unfortunately, we cannot provide funding for work that has already taken place.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
Grant sizes they mention
“Apply for grants of up to £6,000 to support community-led projects that protect and improve the natural environment”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Kent Community Foundation - funding with purpose for Kent and Medway →
“Unsecured loans of £10,000–£100,000, with up to 30% as a grant.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Charities, Community Groups & Individuals | Kent Community Foundation →
“grants of up to £2,000 are available to help cover essential costs.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — SWEF business grants →
Income limits they mention
“Organisations with annual income over £1 million”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
How they say to apply
“General route – After we have all the required information, decisions usually take four to six months.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
“Once your application has been approved and the award announcement has gone out, we aim to make payment within about one month.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
“Micro route – Once we have everything we need to assess your application, we aim to give you a decision within eight weeks.”
Source: kentcf.org.uk — Funding for Organisations | Grants for Charities and Community Groups in Kent and Medway →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
3 the objects for which the charity are established are: 3.1 the promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the county of kent and the borough of medway and in particular the advancement of education the protection of good health both mental and physical and the relief of poverty and…
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 Kent Community Foundation typically give?
It does not publish a single typical grant size, because amounts are set by each fund. Examples it advertises include grants of up to £6,000 to support community-led projects that protect and improve the natural environment, and grants of up to £2,000 to help cover essential costs under its SWEF business grants. It also offers unsecured loans of £10,000 to £100,000, with up to 30% as a grant. In its most recent financial year on the register it made £2,890,515 in grants to organisations.
What does Kent Community Foundation fund?
Its registered objects are the promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the County of Kent and the Borough of Medway, and in particular the advancement of education, the protection of good health both mental and physical, and the relief of poverty and sickness. The Charity Commission records it across a wide range of areas, from poverty and community development to sport, disability, health, the arts, housing, education and the environment.
What will Kent Community Foundation not fund?
It says it only funds projects and activities planned for the future, and cannot provide funding for work that has already taken place. It also says it generally does not fund statutory organisations, unless you can clearly show the project is outside the state's obligations. Its guidance lists projects taking place outside Kent and Medway among the things it will not fund.
How long does a decision take?
It describes two routes. On the general route, it says that after it has all the required information, decisions usually take four to six months. On the micro route, it says that once it has everything it needs to assess your application, it aims to give you a decision within eight weeks. Once an application has been approved and the award announcement has gone out, it aims to make payment within about one month.
How do I apply to Kent Community Foundation?
Applications are made to individual funds, so the first step is to see which funds are currently open and which route applies to you. Check the funder's own website (www.kentcf.org.uk) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1084361) for current guidance, as processes and deadlines can change.
Is your charity a fit for Kent 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 Kent Community Foundation.