Leeds Building Society Foundation Small Grants for UK Charities

The Leeds Building Society Foundation awards grants to UK registered charities working in the housing and homelessness sector, supporting people in need of a safe and secure home. It runs a small grant scheme with rolling application windows and a large grant scheme restricted by location and turnover. The Foundation awards around £350,000 each year, with small grant application windows listed for 2026. Opportunity at a Glance

- Opportunity name: Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation grants

- Funding organization: Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation (registered charity number 1074429)

- Opportunity type: Grant funding for UK charities in housing and homelessness

- Annual grant funding pool: Around £350,000 to award each year (overall, across its grants scheme)

- Small grants (nationwide):

- Award limit: Up to £2,500 per application

- Applicant type: UK-registered charities with turnover under £500,000

- Cost types: Core, project and/or capital costs

- Average grant period: 6 months to 1 year

- Application timing: Throughout the year, with listed meeting dates/windows

- Large grants (regional):

- Award limit: Up to £75,000, across one, two or three years

- Applicant type: UK-registered charities with annual turnover £1 million or less and registered address in Yorkshire or the North East

- Cost types: Running, staff/volunteer, project and/or capital costs

- Priority themes (apply if relevant):

- Financial stress - Security and refuge - Quality and suitability of housing - Plus, a specific additional theme: Health and wellbeing support for those experiencing homelessness (if part of wraparound support and aligned with at least one other theme) - Recommended approach: Evidence of strength-based practice, trauma-informed care, and psychologically informed environments (especially if your approach is Housing First and/or relationship-based)

About the Opportunity

The Leeds Building Society Foundation supports people in need of a safe and secure home. It awards grants to UK registered charities working in the housing and homelessness sector. The Foundation delivers funding through two schemes: - Small grants - Large grants The Foundation notes that there are different criteria for each scheme to fund a range of charities. For applicants, it strongly recommends reading the Foundation’s grant giving guide, which explains what it funds, eligibility, and how its process works. Not all details are included in the source content provided. Funding and Benefits Small grants

- Maximum grant: Up to £2,500

- What you can fund: Core, project and/or capital costs

- Average grant period: Between six months to a year

- Flexibility: The Foundation states it wants applicants to apply for “what you need help with,” including core, project, and/or capital costs.

- Where applicants apply from: Organisations can be based anywhere in the UK (subject to small-grant eligibility).

Large grants

- Maximum grant: Up to £75,000

- Duration options: Awarded in one year or split across two or three years

- Average grant size guidance: Average grant size is stated as £40,000 over two years

- Application recommendation (best chance of success): The Foundation recommends applying for around £20–£25k per year

- What you can fund: The source lists:

- Running costs (rent, utilities, insurance, etc.) - Staff and volunteer costs (including full-time and part-time staff and project delivery staff) - Project costs - Capital costs - Staff pay requirement: All staff must be paid at least the National Living Wage, with an ambition for the organisation to pay the Real Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation

- Scheme status: The large grant scheme is currently closed and is due to reopen later in 2026.

Total annual funding - The Foundation states it has around £350,000 to award across its grants scheme each year. Who Is Eligible? Applicant type (both schemes)

- Must be: A UK registered charity

- Must work in: Housing and homelessness (as aligned with the Foundation’s purpose)

Small grants eligibility To apply for a small grant, your organisation must be: - A UK-registered charity - With turnover of less than £500,000 - Able to apply for core, project and/or capital costs - Based anywhere in the UK You can apply for up to £2,500. Large grants eligibility To apply for a large grant, your organisation must be: - A UK-registered charity - With your registered address in Yorkshire or the North East of England - With annual turnover of £1 million or less - Eligible to request funding for running costs, staff/volunteer costs, project costs, and/or capital costs

- Note: The source specifies that applications should not request retrospective funding.

Approach and evidence requested The Foundation welcomes applications from organisations using a Housing First and/or relationship-based approach. The source asks applicants to provide evidence in their application of: - Strength-based practice - Trauma-informed care - Psychologically informed environments Eligible Activities or Priority Areas The Foundation supports projects that help people in need of a safe and secure home. Applications must align with one or more of the following funding priorities: - Financial stress - Security and refuge - Quality and suitability of housing Additional theme Applications can also apply under the theme: - “Health and wellbeing support for those experiencing homelessness” However, the source specifies this must be: - Part of wraparound support, and - The application must also meet at least one of the other themes listed above. Why This Opportunity Matters This grant programme is designed specifically for charities working on housing and homelessness, including support that addresses underlying drivers like financial stress, safety and refuge needs, and housing suitability. It also explicitly welcomes service models such as Housing First and relationship-based approaches and asks for evidence related to trauma-informed and psychologically infor