International funderBased in United Kingdom

The Shears Foundation

United KingdomWebsite

About The Shears Foundation

The Shears Foundation is a family foundation focused on practical community benefit, with a strong emphasis on the North East of England. It tends to fund small-to-medium charitable organisations working in culture and the arts, education, environmental and wildlife projects, community development, and health or medical research/education, alongside occasional disaster relief. Its giving suggests a preference for locally rooted groups and long-term relationships, with some support for smaller grassroots projects through the Linden Fund.

Annual Giving$700K

Focus Areas

North East England Community ProjectsArts and Cultural ProgrammingEnvironmental and Wildlife ConservationYouth and Education InitiativesHealth and Medical Research/EducationDisaster and Emergency Relief

Giving Approach

Primarily small grants of roughly £3,000-£6,300 through a quarterly application process for charities with annual income under £1.5m, plus invite-only core funding for established partners. The foundation also maintains a separate small-project fund for Tyne & Wear and uses a special, outside-the-normal-process route for disaster/emergency grants.

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The Shears Foundation

About The Shears Foundation

Focus Areas

Giving Approach

Want a Personalized Pitch for The Shears Foundation?

How to approach this funder

Notable grantees:

Open Grant Opportunities

Small Grants Programme

The Shears Foundation

About The Shears Foundation

Focus Areas

Giving Approach

Want a Personalized Pitch for The Shears Foundation?

The Grant Brief

How to approach this funder

Notable grantees:

Open Grant Opportunities

Small Grants Programme