What our applicants told us: 2026 Grants Survey results
Every two years we ask the charities and community groups who apply to us for a grant how we're doing. This spring we sent a short three question survey to 300 organisations that had applied in the last two years and heard back from more than 50 of them.
The headline
Applicants rated us highly across every measure we asked about. 98.2% told us we're helpful and supportive, fair and transparent, and addressing local needs. 96.4% said we're compassionate and 96.3% said we provide added value and run an accessible application process. Every one of these scores has improved since we last surveyed in 2024.
All respondents had been awarded a grant at some point, and 19% had also been unsuccessful with an application on another occasion. None of those respondents felt that a "no" had damaged their view of us, which reflects the transparency our team tries to bring to every decision.
In their own words
"Every person I have dealt with either by phone or email has been extremely helpful and understanding."
"The team are approachable and informative, providing support that made the process feel collaborative."
"I have always found the Foundation to be very helpful, especially when completing the application form. The money provided has helped to fund a range of footballing activities for the county's youngsters, for which we are very grateful."
And one applicant summed up why the funding matters:
"Your support has been invaluable. Your commitment makes a real difference to the people we support."
We're listening
Since 2024 we've made £1,382,680 of multi-year grants, giving grantees more stability. In 2025 we changed our Main Grants programme so applicants can include a contribution to core running costs. Respondents also asked for a forum where grantees could support each other, and we're looking into setting one up for 2027. We're also moving to a more user friendly online system for applying and reporting back.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete this survey. If you have feedback for us at any point, we'd like to hear it: grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk.
