Imagine Foundation

The Imagine Foundation is a grant-making trust registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (number 1152864), established by trust deed on 24 January 2013. Its core mission is to enhance the UK charitable sector by providing grants to small-scale projects and young charities in England, Scotland, and Wales, with a focus on empowering disadvantaged and marginalised communities. Rooted in values of opportunity, inclusion, learning, and community cohesion, it supports initiatives that build organisational capacity, resilience, and sector-wide insights, governed by a voluntary board of five trustees emphasising robust risk management and catalytic impact over large-scale operations.

It prioritises funding for grassroots and emerging charities tackling social disadvantage through pilot schemes, capacity-building, organisational development, and core costs that foster resilience and learning. Beneficiaries include individuals and communities facing marginalisation, with grants advancing empowerment, collaboration, and innovative models replicable across networks—rather than ongoing capital or established programmes.

Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities operating in England, Scotland, or Wales, with a strong preference for small, early-stage organisations closely tied to disadvantaged communities and demonstrating potential for wider sectoral learning; no strict income thresholds apply, but patterns favour those with limited resources. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—funding is invite-only via a selective, relationship-based model, with trustees identifying partners proactively on a rolling basis and no public deadlines or forms. Typical grants range from £5,000 to £25,000, reflecting modest, targeted support. Distinctively, it avoids generalist or publicity-driven giving, differentiating through its emphasis on privacy, innovation in small charities, and emphasis on shared learning for community-led change.