Green Fund
In 2024, we asked the Rothschild Foundation’s grant holders about their approach to environmental sustainability. Highlights from what we learnt can be found here.
In response in 2025, we launched the Green Fund to explore how we can support our grantees to address the challenge of climate change within their own organisations.
We are delighted to announce we will run a second round of the Green Fund in 2026.
Our Support:
We are pleased to offer Green Fund grants of up to £10,000 for one year. These grants are offered in additional to existing Community and Strategic Fund support, and are only available to current holders of Community or Strategic Fund grants. You do not need to be a specialist environmental charity to apply.
Applicants can apply for capital and project funding.
We’re especially interested in activity that will:
- Reduce carbon emissions
- Improve energy efficiency
- Promote biodiversity or restore habitats
- Reduce waste or improve recycling
- Bring audiences along with the sustainability journey
For organisations with an environmental purpose, this isn’t an opportunity for further funding for your main work. A Green Fund application needs to be for something additional to your core work that will progress your organisation’s approach to environmental sustainability.
How to Apply:
The application window for Green Fund Round 2 will open on 6th May 2026, with a submission deadline of 31st July. We will offer Green Fund round 2 grants of up to £10,000 to existing Community and Strategic Fund grantees from September 2026. For more information please email: [email protected]
For support with your application, please see the Access Support Fund below.
For support with your application, please see the Access Support Fund below.
What Do We Fund:
We’re interested in supporting grant holders to take action where it would have the greatest impact for their organisation, such as:
- Developing a sustainability audit to inform future action
- Staff and volunteer training to embed environmental improvements
- Installing solar panels or insulation in your building
- Running a composting scheme
- Habitat restoration projects
What we funded in Round 1 (2025)
The range of grants awarded in Round 1 reflects the diverse organisations that we fund, and the different challenges they face towards environmental sustainability:
- Improvements to premises and facilities to enhance efficiency and reduce energy and resource consumption
- Creating a reed bed facility to improve water management on site
- Sustainability auditing and planning to inform future work and developments
- Developing policies and strategies that will embed sustainability into organisations’ planning
- Communicating sustainability to audiences, service users and local people
This is just an overview of what we have funded in round 1 – it’s by no means a list of the only things we will fund in round 2. We are interested in hearing about your environmental sustainability priorities and challenges.
Learning Together:
Applicants to the Green Fund should expect to be part of a learning journey, exploring what makes a successful approach to encouraging environmental improvements. There will be opportunities for reflection, peer learning and networking over the course of the grant.
Recipients of Green Fund grants will be asked to provide a report on activity and learning after 12 months.
We expect that strong applications will:
- Be specific about environmental impact
- Include measurable outcomes
- Have a clear and realistic budget
The Green Fund workshop took place on 6 May 2026 and marked the launch of the Green Fund Round 2. The workshop explored some of the principles of sustainability and how they might apply to organisations, led by Dickon Leigh-Wood, Head of Sustainability at the Rothschild Foundation, and concluded with a short overview of the Green Fund itself. The presentation shares a framework you could use to think about your organisation’s environmental sustainability.
Exclusions:
We are unable to support the costs of activities that have already taken place. Campaigning or lobbying are also not supported.
FAQs
Who can apply for a grant?
Only organisations who hold either a Community or Strategic Grant from the Rothschild Foundation can apply for a grant.
How much can I apply for?
The maximum grant is £10,000 over one year. The pot is limited so please only apply for what you need.
What can I use the grant for?
We are flexible on the specific application of the grant, as long as it’s used to increase the environmental sustainability of the organisation. Advice, additional staff costs, staff training or capital costs would all be eligible for funding.
What are timescales for applying?
You can apply from the Wednesday 6th May until the deadline of 5pm Friday 31st July. Funding decisions will be announced in September.
Can I apply to Green Fund round 2 if I had a grant in the first round?
Generally, the Green Fund grants are for community and strategic fund grantees who have not received a green fund grant before. There may be cases where we would consider a re-application, however it is highly likely that in assessment we will prioritise proposals from first-time applicants. We recommend getting in touch with a grant manager via the [email protected] inbox to discuss this before applying again.
We work with our local community on environmental sustainability, could we use the grant to further this?
No, these grants are ring fenced for improving the environmental sustainability of the organisation, not to support the core work of environmental charities.
Can we use the grant for an audit of our environmental sustainability?
Yes.
Do we need an environmental sustainability policy to apply for the grant?
Our most recent survey showed that around half of our funded organisations do not yet have an environmental sustainability policy, so we recognise this is an area where support is needed. We expect applicants to be at different stages in their environmental journey, and not all will have a policy in place at the time of applying. However, for those who don’t, we would expect a policy to be developed and in place by the end of the grant period.
Can the grant be used to for activity which has already taken place?
No, funding cannot be used for completed activity or projects, but it could be used to enhance or scale an existing initiative.
Can I use the grant to contribute to staffing costs?
Yes, if a staff member is taking on additional hours specifically to carry out sustainability work for the organisation, this can be covered by the grant. Otherwise, the grant should be used for direct sustainability improvements within the organisation.
Do you expect to see match funding on capital projects?
No, there is no expectation that any suitable capital projects will need to have match funding. The grant can be used to contribute to a larger sustainability project if needed.
What do we need to do if we get the grant?
We require a report at the end of the grant period to understand what has been achieved and learnt. We will set up a group for shared learning across all funded organisations.
What is the Rothschild Foundation doing about its own sustainability?
The Green Fund was launched in May 2025. You can also find out more about the Rothschild Sustainability Strategy launched in 2025 here Sustainability – Rothschild Foundation
