The Community Fund

Supporting charities working to help people and communities at ‘Moments that Matter.’ 

Delivering meaningful impact

We run two annual funding rounds – Internal and External – supporting organisations that provide essential services, strengthen communities, and deliver critical care when it’s needed most.

Internal: We invite cardfactory colleagues to nominate charities close to their hearts. We support a variety of organisations like those supporting health and wellbeing services, welfare support, children and young people, the elderly, arts centre and hospices. We do not accept unsolicited applications during this time. 

External: This round supports organisations working in our three priority areas, providing vital support to people and communities at the moments that matter. These areas are:

  • Families experiencing financial hardship: Supporting families who are struggling to meet everyday costs such as food, housing, clothing and essential household needs.
  • People facing sudden hardship or crisis: Helping individuals and families who need urgent support due to unexpected life events such as bereavement, illness, job loss or other crisis situations.
  • Vulnerable children and young peoples: Supporting charities that provide safe spaces, practical support and opportunities that help children and young people thrive, particularly those facing disadvantage or instability.
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Guidance for Charities
External Community Fund Policy
Apply For Funding: Applications open Monday 22nd June - Friday 3rd July 2026

Key Dates & Information

  • Fund opens: Monday June 22nd 2026.
  • Application deadline: The application window will be open for 2 weeks (Monday 22nd June – Friday 3rd July).
  • Funding decisions announced: September 2026.
  • Grants paid: Approximately 6 weeks after decisions are announced.
  • Online application form: A link to the application form will be made live from Monday 22nd June 2026.
Sample Application Form

External Community Fund -Frequently asked questions

Who can apply to the External Community Fund?

Charities that meet our specific criteria are welcome to apply. To be eligible, all of your work must sit entirely within one of our priority areas or span across them. 

Guidance and our full policy can be found above. Please note we receive many more applications than we can support.

To be eligible for the External Community Fund, organisations must meet the following criteria:

  • Criteria: Charities must be working within one or more of our priority areas.
  • Annual Income: We support organisations with an income of up to £3 million per annum. We are particularly interested in supporting smaller, local charities where a £10,000 grant will deliver real impact.
  • Registration: Must be registered charities with a valid registration number.
  • Geographical Scope: Charities must operate within the UK, at a national, regional or level.
  • Operational History: Must have been actively operating for at least 18 months.
  • Annual Accounts: Previous year’s published annual accounts must be submitted.

Our External Community Fund grants are for a fixed amount of £10,000. Applications for other amounts will not be accepted.

No, the Community Fund provides unrestricted funding only. This means our grants are not tied to specific projects but can be used where they are needed most. We believe this approach strengthens a charity’s long-term sustainability, reduces administrative burden and demonstrates our trust in the charity to deliver maximum impact. 

We operate a single-stage application process. A link to the online portal will be added to the website once the fund round is live.

Please note, we do not accept applications via email, only applications submitted through the portal will be considered.

“Focusing on families facing hardship, people in sudden crisis, and vulnerable children and young people allows us to support charities delivering essential help at the moments that matter. It is inspiring to see organisations dedicate themselves to these critical areas, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact these grants will have.”

Pushpinder Gill, Head of cardfactory Foundation

Our Funding in Action posts

Supporting 11,600 young people in year one of our Centrepoint partnership

One year on from launching the three-year Bright Future Initiative with Centrepoint, we’re incredibly proud to celebrate the life-changing impact this partnership is already having for…

May 28, 2026
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The ripple effect: Strengthening youth homelessness support nationwide

Sometimes the biggest impact starts small – growing in stages and spreading outward to touch more people and organisations than you might first imagine. That’s exactly…

March 18, 2026
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Championing cancer charities of every size

Cancer touches millions of lives every year. In the UK alone, more than 420,000 people are diagnosed with cancer annually, and someone receives a diagnosis at…

February 17, 2026
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