What is Cornerstone?
The Cornerstone grants database contains 624 grants at the time of writing (June 2025) and is totally free to use. All the grants are suitable for churches, and you can filter your results by the activity you need money for, or your location, or even by the method of application. With a single click you can add a funder to your shortlist and print this to share with your PCC.
- Find out more about the Cornerstone grants database on the Church of England website.
- To request access to the Cornerstone grants database, contact Martin Kenward on martin.kenward@elydiocese.org.
Helen Simpkiss, National Fundraising Manager said,
“Funding from charitable grants is the cornerstone of many church projects. But finding these pots of money can be a lot of work for time-pressed clergy and volunteers. The National Giving Team wants to support this important lifeline for churches by investing in tools and resources that make it easy for churches to identify which funders are right for their project and give them the best chance to craft a successful application.”
What next?
Finding suitable grants to apply for is a big part of the funding puzzle, but making the application is also vitally important. The Pathways section of Cornerstone takes a single topic and breaks it down into steps, so it can guide you through ‘Building a Case for Support’ and ‘Applying for Grant Funding‘ - both vital parts of most applications. If you’d like to know more about Pathways and the other functions of Cornerstone, contact Martin Kenward on martin.kenward@elydiocese.org.