Match funding

Match funding turns one funder’s money into a lever for more. A grant-maker agrees to fund part of a project if you raise the rest, which spreads the risk and shows the project has wider backing. You will see it most on large trust and statutory programmes, and on match-funded giving days.

Match funding can usually be met with cash from other sources or, where a funder allows it, ‘in-kind’ support such as volunteer time or donated goods valued fairly. (Source: funder programme guidance — e.g. The National Lottery Community Fund; NCVO, accessed 9 July 2026.) The required ratio varies: some funders want pound-for-pound, others a smaller proportion.

Plan your match before you apply, and set out clearly in the budget which funder covers which cost. Check readiness with the grant-readiness checker and see how to build a funding mix in the Complete Guide to Grant Funding.