The Fore will be increasing it’s maximum (unrestricted) grant size from £30,000 to £45,000. They're making this change to reflect the rising cost of living and the changing funding landscape.
The announcement marks the end of Small Charities Week and the new grant ceiling will apply from their Autumn 2025 funding round onwards. The Autumn funding round opens for registrations of interest for one week from 12pm(noon) on 22nd July.
The Fore supports small charities and social enterprises with a turnover under £500k. It focuses on organisations with exceptional leadership that demonstrate potential for significant growth and impact.
The enhanced unrestricted grant funding of up to £45k can be spread over 1–3 years. This forms part of The Fore's wider support package, which also includes high-value non-financial support. This includes upskilling opportunities, access to expertise through The Fore's Pro Bono Network, workshop programmes, peer support groups, and impact measurement training.
As the UK's only venture philanthropy fund dedicated to small charities, they have raised their unrestricted funding by 50% to help organisations unlock their full potential. The uplift aims to ensure The Fore’s offer remains ambitious, differentiated and impactful for high-potential small charities and social enterprises, and means their grants continue to create transformational impact.
This decision arises from The Fore's research which shows increasing demand for higher grant values. Between 2012 and 2016, only 29% of grants were awarded at the maximum £30k level. By 2022, this had risen to 52%. By July 2024, 81% of funded organisations requested the maximum amount. This indicates that the previous ceiling was limiting organisations' transformational aspirations against a backdrop of rising operational costs and economic uncertainty. You can read the full explanation.
No other changes will occur. Their application process remains the same. To find out more and to register your interest in applying, visit The Fore.
