Evidence library

This report, by 360Giving, uses data published by funders about the grants they made between March 2020 and October 2021 during the Coronavirus pandemic to understand how they and wider civil society responded during that time.

Key Findings

• Data released by 174 grantmakers on their relief and recovery funding during the Coronavirus pandemic covers 66,000 grants worth almost £2.4 billion.
• The majority of grants were small. 67% of grants in the dataset were for £10,000 or less with a further 29% for between £10,000 and £100,000.
• Most grants to registered charities went to those charities with an income between £100,000 and £1 million.
• Grants were distributed quickly with 42% of grants awarded in, or before, June 2020.
• Around half of all registered charities that received a grant (48%) received more than one grant in the dataset, including 26% that received three or more grants. This is a recognition of the small size of many of the grants, and that needs changed and developed as the pandemic unfolded.
• 15% of charities in England and Wales that are registered to work with people of a particular ethnic or racial origin received a grant - a larger proportion than for other groups of service users. This reflects efforts by funders to target and reach communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
• 26% of grant recipients had not previously received funding from the grantmakers featured in the report, suggesting increased outreach by funders to reach new organisations and more flexible funding programmes.