Major UK trusts that fund the arts
There are a number of UK grant-giving trusts and foundations that provide significant funding for the arts:  

• National Foundation for Youth Music distributes lottery money to music based arts projects working with young people from birth to 25 years of age
• Jerwood Charitable Foundation provides funding for a wide range of arts based activities from circuses to literature
• Paul Hamlyn Foundation funds arts projects that address issues of inequality and disadvantage, particularly in relation to young people
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation funds arts projects which “serve audiences” and “support artists”
• Clore Duffield Foundation has an emphasis on supporting children, young people and vulnerable individuals
• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation supports the development of new art-making in any art form
• Baring Foundation provides funding for arts based programmes; guidelines for each year’s grant-making appear on its website

Need help applying?
The Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) promotes good practice among trusts and foundations and seeks to educate the public about their work.

ACF website contains useful tips on how to apply for funds and a list of charitable organisations.

The Directory of Social Change (DSC) has published a number of detailed guides on grant-making trusts, along with a CD:ROM and a website that you can access through an annual subscription.

See the DSC website for further details.