Deadline: 30-Sep-2026
The Fat Beehive Foundation provides grants of up to £2,500 to small UK registered charities that want to improve their websites, online resources, digital tools and overall digital communications. The grants are designed for charities with annual income below £1 million that need support to reach more people, engage users and increase their impact through better digital platforms.
Applications are reviewed twice a year at trustee meetings in April and October. The Foundation particularly welcomes applications from traditionally hard-to-fund organisations, including charities supporting prisoners, refugees and disadvantaged youth.
What are Fat Beehive Foundation Grants?
Fat Beehive Foundation Grants support small UK charities that want to strengthen their digital presence.
The grants help charities improve how they communicate online, provide information, engage communities, support fundraising and campaigning, and reach people more effectively.
The Foundation focuses on charities that may struggle to fund digital improvements from their own resources.
Main Purpose of the Grants
The main purpose of the grants is to help small charities use digital tools to increase their reach, visibility and impact.
The grants aim to support:
- Better charity websites
- Online resources
- Digital tools
- Improved digital accessibility
- Digital fundraising
- Online campaigning
- Stronger user engagement
- Improved communication with beneficiaries
- Wider public reach
- Greater organisational impact
Funding Amount
Grants of up to £2,500 are available.
The funding is intended to support practical digital projects that improve a charity’s online presence, digital communications or digital service delivery.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible applicants must be UK registered charities.
Applicants must also:
- Have annual income below £1 million
- Have a clear goal for improving their digital presence
- Be able to contribute staff or volunteer time
- Be able to provide resources towards the project
- Submit a supporting quote for the proposed work
- Be able to begin work within three months of receiving the grant
Priority Applicants
The Foundation particularly welcomes applications from traditionally hard-to-fund organisations.
Priority may be given to charities supporting:
- Prisoners
- Refugees
- Disadvantaged youth
- Other groups that may face barriers to funding and digital visibility
What Types of Projects Are Supported?
The Foundation supports digital projects that help charities communicate better and reach more people.
Supported projects may include:
- Website improvements
- New website development
- Online information resources
- Digital accessibility improvements
- Digital tools for beneficiaries
- Digital platforms for campaigning
- Digital fundraising improvements
- Online engagement tools
- Digital resources that help charities deliver services
- Projects that improve user experience and online communication
Digital Priorities
The Foundation’s priorities include:
- Building better websites
- Developing online resources
- Improving digital accessibility
- Supporting fundraising through digital platforms
- Supporting campaigning through digital platforms
- Providing information through digital tools
- Helping charities connect with users
- Helping charities reach more people
- Increasing charity impact through digital communication
What is Not Funded?
The Foundation does not fund some digital costs or activities.
Funding cannot be used solely for:
- Ongoing digital costs
- Hosting and support
- Staff digital training
- Digital staff salaries
Applicants should ensure that the proposed project is focused on improving digital presence, digital tools, online resources or digital communications rather than covering routine operating costs.
Partnership Projects
Partnerships with other organisations may be supported.
This may be relevant where a digital project requires more resources, expertise or reach than one organisation can provide alone.
Partner organisations should have clear roles and the project should still support the digital goals of the applicant charity.
Application Review Timeline
Applications are reviewed at trustee meetings held twice a year.
The review meetings take place in:
- April
- October
Applications can be submitted at any time.
Applicants should allow up to three months for a response.
Application Deadlines
The application deadlines are linked to the trustee review meetings.
Applicants should submit by:
- End of March for the April trustee meeting
- End of September for the October trustee meeting
Submitting early can help ensure enough time for review and follow-up information requests.
Supporting Quote Requirement
Applicants must provide a supporting quote for the proposed digital work.
The quote will be reviewed by specialist advisors at Fat Beehive Ltd.
The review considers:
- Value for money
- Feasibility
- Suitability of the proposed work
- Whether the digital project can realistically be delivered
Due Diligence Requirements
Organisations that progress further in the application process will need to provide additional information.
This may include details about:
- Charity identity
- Financial standing
- Project delivery team
- Capacity to deliver the project
- Project feasibility
Grant Conditions for Successful Applicants
Successful applicants must begin work on the funded project within three months of receiving the grant.
They must also acknowledge support from the Fat Beehive Foundation on funded work for three years after the project launch.
Key Concepts Explained
Digital Presence
Digital presence refers to how a charity appears and communicates online. This includes its website, online resources, digital tools, campaign pages, donation platforms and user-facing digital content.
Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility means making websites and online tools easier for everyone to use, including people with disabilities, older users, people using assistive technology and people with limited digital confidence.
Online Resources
Online resources are digital materials that provide information, guidance or support to users. These may include downloadable guides, information pages, toolkits, directories, videos or interactive tools.
Digital Communications
Digital communications include the online methods charities use to share their message, engage supporters, provide information and connect with beneficiaries.
Value for Money
Value for money means that the proposed digital work is reasonably priced, realistic and likely to deliver meaningful benefit for the charity and its users.
How the Grant Works
Small UK charities apply for funding to improve their digital presence.
The charity submits an application with a clear project goal and a supporting quote.
Applications are reviewed at trustee meetings in April and October.
If the application progresses, the charity may be asked to provide additional information for due diligence.
Successful applicants receive grant support and must begin work within three months.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a clear digital project proposal before applying.
Suggested Application Steps
- Confirm that the organisation is a UK registered charity.
- Check that annual income is below £1 million.
- Identify a clear digital need or improvement goal.
- Decide whether the project will improve a website, online resource, digital tool, accessibility, fundraising or campaigning.
- Obtain a supporting quote for the proposed work.
- Prepare information about the charity’s digital goals and target users.
- Explain how the project will help the charity reach more people or increase impact.
- Confirm staff or volunteer time available to support delivery.
- Submit the application before the relevant review deadline.
- Prepare additional due diligence information if requested.
Assessment Considerations
Applications may be assessed based on eligibility, digital need, feasibility and potential impact.
Review may consider:
- UK registered charity status
- Annual income below £1 million
- Clarity of the digital project goal
- Benefit to users or beneficiaries
- Value for money
- Feasibility of the proposed work
- Strength of the supporting quote
- Staff or volunteer capacity
- Potential to increase reach and impact
- Relevance to hard-to-fund communities
- Ability to begin work within three months
Expected Results
Funded projects should help charities improve their digital communication and impact.
Expected results may include:
- Better charity websites
- Improved user experience
- More accessible digital content
- Stronger online information resources
- Increased reach to beneficiaries
- Better digital fundraising capacity
- Improved campaigning tools
- Stronger community engagement
- Clearer charity messaging
- Greater organisational impact
Why It Matters
Small charities often need strong digital platforms but may lack the funding to improve websites, online tools and digital communication systems.
A better digital presence can help charities reach more beneficiaries, attract supporters, share information, strengthen campaigns and increase public awareness.
The Fat Beehive Foundation helps small UK charities make practical digital improvements that can increase their visibility, accessibility and long-term impact.
Tips for Strong Applications
A strong application should clearly explain what digital improvement is needed and why it matters.
Applicants should focus on:
- Clear digital goal
- Strong user or beneficiary benefit
- Realistic project scope
- Clear supporting quote
- Good value for money
- Practical delivery plan
- Staff or volunteer contribution
- Accessibility and usability
- Strong explanation of expected impact
- Evidence that the charity needs digital support
Applicants should avoid vague digital upgrade requests and clearly explain how the project will help the charity reach, support or engage people more effectively.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should carefully check eligibility and funding restrictions before applying.
Common mistakes include:
- Applying without UK registered charity status
- Applying with annual income above £1 million
- Submitting no supporting quote
- Requesting funding only for hosting or ongoing support
- Requesting staff digital training only
- Requesting digital staff salaries
- Providing unclear project goals
- Not explaining user or beneficiary benefit
- Missing the March or September review deadlines
- Not showing staff or volunteer capacity to support the project
- Failing to begin work within three months after receiving the grant
FAQ
What is the Fat Beehive Foundation?
The Fat Beehive Foundation is an independent UK grant-making charity that supports small charities to improve their digital communications and online presence.
How much funding is available?
Grants of up to £2,500 are available.
Who can apply?
UK registered charities with annual income below £1 million can apply.
What can the grant support?
The grant can support website improvements, online resources, digital tools, digital accessibility, digital fundraising, online campaigning and digital communication improvements.
When are applications reviewed?
Applications are reviewed at trustee meetings held twice a year in April and October.
What are the application deadlines?
Applications should be submitted by the end of March for the April meeting and by the end of September for the October meeting.
What costs are not supported?
Funding cannot be used solely for ongoing digital costs such as hosting and support, staff digital training or digital staff salaries.
Conclusion
The Fat Beehive Foundation provides grants of up to £2,500 to help small UK charities improve their websites, online resources, digital tools and digital communications. The programme is especially valuable for charities with limited digital budgets that want to reach more people, connect with users and increase their impact.
Strong applications will demonstrate clear eligibility, a focused digital goal, a realistic quote, strong value for money, staff or volunteer commitment, and a clear explanation of how the project will improve the charity’s online presence and benefit its users.
For more information, visit Fat Beehive Foundation.
