Across Sussex, small charities make an invaluable contribution to the lives of thousands of people, communities and causes.

Just as with businesses, there are a smaller number of very big charities in the UK and lots of smaller ones. Small charities make up 96% of  UK voluntary organisations and overall 80% have an income of less than £100,000.

Small charities provide specialist support that is often not available from other organisations. They take a person-centred approach, supporting people to access the different systems they need to be able to live an independent life. They also provide safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces for individuals, groups and the wider community, that support inclusion and belonging.

At the Foundation, we pride ourselves on connecting our donors to the small- grassroots organisations they want to support. We give grants to organisations at the heart of our communities, who have expert local knowledge and are positioned to build relationships with people that are hardest to reach. Using their well-established and far-reaching networks it is these small organisations that act as the ‘glue’ that holds communities together.

In the last year, over half of the organisations given funding from Sussex Community Foundation were small charities or community groups, with an income of less than £100,000. It is these organisations where a small grant can go a long way.

Find out more about groups we’ve supported here.