Sussex Community Foundation grants
Sussex Community Foundation is a regional funder giving around £5.4m to charities across Sussex, with typical grants of £10,000 or less.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Sussex Community Foundation is a regional funder supporting charitable causes across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, including poverty relief, health, education, disability and the arts. It gave around £5.4m in grants to organisations, with a typical grant of £5,000 and applications capped at £10,000 or less.
What they fund
Sussex Community Foundation funds a wide range of local charitable work, including poverty relief, health, education, disability and the arts, welcoming applications from underrepresented-led and small-to-medium-sized community groups.
Who and where
It supports not-for-profit organisations based in East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Sussex 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
“We particularly welcome applications from organisations led by and supporting people from, underrepresented communities. And those from small-to-medium-sized community groups.”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — Grants - Sussex Community Foundation →
Who they say they'll fund
“Does your project provide support for communities in Sussex?”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — How to Apply - Sussex Community Foundation →
“Was your annual income last year less than £2 million?”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — How to Apply - Sussex Community Foundation →
“Does your governing body have at least three people who are unrelated? And are these entirely voluntary roles? Or for social enterprises, CICs and Companies Limited by Guarantee, are the majority not paid?”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — How to Apply - Sussex Community Foundation →
“Sussex Community Foundation is a registered charity that exists to make Sussex a fairer and more equal place. We do this by enabling local people to support local causes and making grants to small charities and voluntary groups working in communities across Sussex.”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — Grants - Sussex Community Foundation →
Grant sizes they mention
“Are you applying for a grant of £10,000 or less?”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — How to Apply - Sussex Community Foundation →
How they say to apply
“See our Additional grants available and how to apply for them. These grants have their own separate deadlines, application forms and requirements.”
Source: sussexcommunityfoundation.org — How to Apply - Sussex Community Foundation →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £5,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £2,500 – £5,000 |
| Grants published openly | 3,823 |
| Most recent published grant | 2025 |
Recent grants
- Rye Harbour SailabilityFunding was provided towards a Wheelyboat, enabling wheelchair users to get out on the water.£5,000March 2025
- Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival TrustFunding was provided towards a music workshop programme led by practitioner Sam Glazer.£3,750March 2025
- Friends Altogether in Rother / FAiRFunding was provided towards supporting existing services.£3,500March 2025
- Tilling Green Events CICFunding was provided towards a classic village fete/festival for 2025£2,400March 2025
- Rye Wurlitzer AcademyFunding was provided towards maintenance costs.£800March 2025
- Camber Residents AssociationFunding was provided towards transport for the Warner Corton trip for their members.£500March 2025
From grants Sussex 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 the promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the counties of east sussex, west sussex and the city of brighton and hove and in particular the advancement of education the protection of good health both mental and physical and the relief of poverty and sickness;3.2 other exclusively…
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 Sussex Community Foundation typically give?
Based on 3,823 grants it has recorded (the most recent dated 2025), the median award was £5,000, with the middle half of grants ranging from £2,500 to £5,000. Applicants can apply for grants of £10,000 or less.
What does Sussex Community Foundation fund?
It supports a wide range of charitable purposes including accommodation and housing, education, human rights, the environment, disability, health, the arts and poverty relief. It particularly welcomes applications from organisations led by, and supporting, underrepresented communities, and from small-to-medium-sized community groups.
Who can apply to Sussex Community Foundation?
Applicants must be not-for-profit organisations based in Sussex whose project supports communities in Sussex, with an annual income of less than £2 million, and a governing body of at least three unrelated people in entirely voluntary roles (or, for social enterprises, CICs and companies limited by guarantee, where the majority are not paid).
How do I apply to Sussex Community Foundation?
Its main grants and additional grants have separate deadlines, application forms and requirements. See its website, www.sussexcommunityfoundation.org, and its charity registration (number 1113226) on the Charity Commission register for current guidance.
Is your charity a fit for Sussex Community Foundation?
Type your charity’s name and we’ll check this funder — and every other active UK grant-maker — against your purposes, your area and your size. Free, and nothing to fill in: we read your entry on the official register.
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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 Sussex Community Foundation.