Other Funding Sources
Other funding sources
Sources of funding and support for museums in the North of England
Details correct September 2025
The organisations listed below offer potential sources of funding or fundraising support to museums and galleries in the North of England. Please refer to their websites for more details including up-to-date information on deadlines, timetabling and eligibility. Some funders that proactively seek museums to work with and do not accept unsolicited applications have not been listed here.
The bigger funders with multiple grant streams covering different areas of work are only listed once for simplicity; please check their websites regularly for the full range of grants available at different times of the year.
Museums and galleries funders
Funder with multiple grant streams. Charity connecting museums, people and art. Provides grants to help museums build collections and connect with audiences
Funder with multiple grant streams. The national development agency for creativity and culture. Grants for organisations, individual, projects, revenue and capital funding
Association of Independent Museums (AIM)
Funder with multiple grant streams for AIM members. Represents, connects and strengthens the UK’s independent museums, galleries and heritage organisations
Grants for museums and community organisations working equitably with collections to achieve shared aims for inclusion
Grants for running costs, specific activity or for capital projects
Grants for projects that demonstrate and deliver excellence in the arts, be it in performance, exhibition, artistic craft, or scholarly endeavour
Funds regional museums and galleries (including local authority museums). Main areas of interest are support for curators and acquisitions
Funder with multiple grant streams. Membership organisation campaigning for socially engaged museums and a representative workforce. Supports projects that make an impact on museums and communities, and supports individual members in need of financial support or professional opportunities
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Funder with multiple grant streams. The largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players it supports projects that connect people and communities to heritage
Funder with multiple grant streams. Includes funding for museums and galleries to improve the display of nationally significant collections
Heritage
Provides grants and loans to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities
Grants to Arts Award centres, including museums and heritage organisations, working on Arts Award projects with young people facing barriers to access and inclusion
Association for Industrial Archaeology
Grants for building restoration
Funds charities for projects of national relevance in the advancement of arts, culture and heritage
Funder with multiple grant streams. Public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment. Grant schemes help fund the cost of caring for buildings
Grants to help preserve heritage buildings of architectural significance and the works of art within them
Bursaries for ICOM UK members to attend international conferences and events
Grants towards the costs of publishing scholarly work in fields including history, archaeology, art and architecture, heritage and conservation
Funder with multiple grant streams. Official national archive for UK Government and for England and Wales. Funding opportunities for archives, including those held by museums
Funds museums and heritage in partnership with other funders, also offers some grants directly
Supports the development and practice of the skills, knowledge and experience that underpin the UK’s heritage and crafts sector
Grants to charities protecting heritage and the environment
The Sylvia Waddilove Foundation
Grants for the capital costs for the preservation of buildings of architectural or historical significance
Grants for the digitisation of archive material
Grants to support the repair and conservation of war memorials
Arts
Champions the importance of art education to give everyone, regardless of background or location, the opportunity to engage and participate
Grants for artists in the fine arts and small organisations and galleries for imaginative proposals for making or producing new work or exhibitions. Also administers grants from other trusts
Grants support the growth and development of sculpture across historical, modern and contemporary registers, and funds research that expands the appreciation of sculpture
Supports excellence and emerging talent in the arts, funds organisations with focus on making art available for public benefit and working with the Jerwood Collection
Foundation uses its resources to support social change, including a grants strand to support work enabling pupils to thrive through engagement with high quality, arts-based learning
Acquisitions
Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund
Supports the purchase of a wide range of material for the permanent collections of non-nationally funded organisations in England and Wales
Administered by trustees appointed by the Museums Association, institutional members can apply for grants for the purchase of pictures and works of art (furniture or textiles can be considered) not later than the 18th century in date
Friends of the Nations’ Libraries
To help regional, national and specialist libraries, archives and museums acquire books, manuscripts and archives that they could not otherwise afford
The Headley Museums Archaeological Acquisition Fund
Runs alongside and in collaboration with the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund. For artefacts classified as Treasure under the Treasure Act (2023
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Aims to save items of outstanding importance to the national heritage and are at risk or of memorial character. Operates as a fund of last resort
Conservation/collections care
Grants to support the development of skills in conservation
Promotes the study and preservation of historic and contemporary dress by administering several grant funds
Grants to charities for textile conservation or textile-related skills projects, projects that support young people’s entrance into the textile industry, and museum projects related to the armed forces or the textile trade
Grants for charities for conservation of historic buildings, objects and paintings. Also has other funding streams with community-based outcomes
Tru Vue Conservation and Exhibition Grant for small heritage institutions to support a conservation project that enables the safe display of an object in their collection
Supports conservation of important objects and works of art; priority given to applications that include a knowledge sharing element
Supports conservation of historically, artistically and culturally significant buildings and objects dating from before 1837 that are in urgent need of remedial treatment
National Manuscripts Conservation Trust
Grants for the conservation of important manuscripts and archives, including where there is a training opportunity within the project
Awards funding for a textile related project within a museum, archive or conservation studio which is an institutional member of the Textile Society
Finance & fundraising – support, resources, training and grant sources
Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy
Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) funded to transform the fundraising knowledge, skills and levels of success of arts, cultural and heritage organisations through programmes and training
Association for Cultural Enterprises
Charity and trade body for the arts, heritage and cultural sector that brings together learning, experience and best practice in revenue generation
Funding finder database, including categories for core funding and small charities, and links to other free charity funding directories
Provides support on financial management, governance and leadership to enable organisations deliver their charitable objectives. All Association of Independent Museums members get free membership to the Charity Finance Group
Chartered Institute of Fundraising
Professional membership body for UK fundraising. Website includes free to access resources created specifically for small charities and small fundraising teams. Full membership is free to charities with an annual income of £50,000 or less.
Department for Business and Trade
Listings of finance and support for businesses, can be filtered by region
Figurative (previously Arts & Culture Finance by Nesta, and the New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture group)
Supports impact, investment and innovation in the cultural and creative sector
UK charity database which evaluates every registered UK charity based on the digital data available and helps charities to find new sources of funding
Leading funding database in the UK covering local, national, and international sources of funding
Membership body representing the independent heritage movement in England
Database of funders and resources for charities, provided by a partnership of The Heritage Alliance and The Architectural Heritage Fund
Database of grant funding and social investment sources, for organisations with an annual income below £1m and free for with an annual income under £30,000
Charity helping organisations publish and use open grants data – a useful tool to search for funders and the grants they have previously distributed
Supporting charitable organisations and outcomes for local communities
Supports grassroots community groups to transform spaces at the heart of their local community
Benefact Group – Movement for Good
Nominate a charity to be entered into the draw to receive funding. The Group’s partnership funding also supports charities working in education and skills, heritage and arts, and climate change and the environment
Supports charities to provide greater opportunities for the young, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged
Grants to support the education and development of young people, including through cultural and educational projects
Funding for small charities to improve their digital presence
Funding to small charities that creates a sustained transformational change
King Charles III Charitable Fund
Grants to non-profit organisations working in areas including heritage and conservation, environment, social inclusion, health and wellbeing
National network of community-led organisations, working with local communities to change and improve
The National Lottery Community Fund
Grants for voluntary and community organisations through National Lottery Awards for All
Persimmon Homes Community Champions
Provides donations to local community organisations
Provides grants to charities and not for profit organisations to support projects to improve a physical building
Open to any charity or group which is at the heart of its local community
Grants to small and mid-sized charities for youth development projects
St James’ Place Charitable Foundation
Supports smaller charities to support young people
Weavers’ Company Benevolent Fund
Provides grants for projects to support disadvantaged young people; preference is given to pump-priming new projects
Provides grants to organisations that support children up to aged 11, including out of school educational programmes and activities to benefit wellbeing
Region-specific
North
People’s Postcode Lottery – Postcode Neighbourhood Trust
Supports smaller charities and good causes in the north of England to make a difference to their community for the benefit of people and planet
The national membership organisation for accredited community foundations around the UK, containing links to all regional community foundations including these in the North.
Community Foundation for Lancashire
Community Foundation for Merseyside
Community Foundation Tyne Wear & Northumberland
Point North (County Durham Community Foundation)
Two Ridings Community Foundation (North, East Yorks, York & Hull)
Leeds Community Foundation (includes Bradford)
Community Foundation for Calderdale
One Community Foundation (Kirklees)
South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation
North West
Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund
Supports community and environmental projects along the North Wales and English coast within a defined area, including Sefton and the Wirral
Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund
Supports local worthwhile causes and community initiatives, located primarily within the County Palatine
Supports small charitable organisations in the North West and South Lakeland
Funding to organisations in the North West to promote the study, practice and appreciation of arts and science
Merseyside Funding Information Portal
Sources of local funding for Merseyside
The Ulrike Michal Foundation for the Arts
Supports projects that meet the purpose of the foundation for the benefit of adults and/or children in specific geographical areas including Merseyside and Cheshire
Yorkshire
Covering the boundaries of the old North Riding of Yorkshire
The JG Graves Charitable Trust
Supports community based projects and facilities, activities that improve health, well-being and quality of life, and projects that celebrate the heritage of Sheffield
Patricia and Donald Shepherd Charitable Trust
Makes small grants to charitable organisations in York for work with disadvantaged people and for the benefit of society. Awards tend to range from £5,000 – £20,000. No website. To apply, send a cover letter and proposal to:
The Trustees
129 The Mount
York
YO24 1DU
Two Ridings Community Foundation
Organisational Development Fund for small organisations in York and rural north and east Yorkshire
Location-specific
Biffa Award – Cultural Facilities
Funding for cultural organisations based within five miles of a significant Biffa operation and 10 miles of a licensed landfill site
Regional funding through railway companies
TransPennine Route Upgrade Community Fund
LNER Customer and Community Investment Fund
Northern Customer and Community Improvement Fund
Avanti West Coast Customer & Communities Improvement Fund
Funding for charities within a given distance of railway routes across the North