The venture philanthropy fund The Fore will raise its maximum unrestricted grant funding by 50 per cent from autumn this year.
The increase will raise its maximum amount of unrestricted grant funding from £30,000 to £45,000 for charities with an annual turnover of less than £500,000.
The uplifted funding, which can be spread over one to three years, forms part of The Fore’s wider support package, which includes non-financial support such as upskilling opportunities, access to expertise through its pro-bono network, peer support groups and impact measurement training.
The announcement marks the end of Small Charity Week and comes ahead of the opening of The Fore’s next funding round on 22 July 2025.
The funder said the uplift reflected the rising cost of living and the changing funding landscape, ensuring that its offer “remains ambitious, differentiated and impactful for high-potential small charities and social enterprises”.
It comes after The Fore found that between 2012 and 2016, just 29 per cent of its grants were awarded at the maximum £30,000 level – but by July 2024, 81 per cent of 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,” the grantmaker said.
Mary Rose Gunn, founder and chief executive of The Fore, said: “The best small charities can deliver extraordinary impact, both in their communities but also as examples of innovation that solve wider challenges for the whole country, but rising costs are strangling their ability to succeed.
“This uplift keeps us focused on what The Fore was set up to do: back brilliant leaders with bold ideas, and give them the freedom to grow their impact.”