Community Network Grants

About this grant

The Vegan Society Grant supports individuals and grassroots organisations with projects designed to encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan. Projects are based globally with particular emphasis on those in the Global South. The grant funds activities that raise public awareness of veganism in a positive way, promote veganism in unique or exciting ways to non-vegans, and support people from marginalised backgrounds to access veganism. Recent examples include radio programs in Tanzania to encourage veganism, community projects in Zimbabwe promoting synthetic materials in traditional dance festivals, and vegan culinary training for young adults in the UK. The programme prioritises new and innovative projects that have not been replicated by The Vegan Society or similar organisations. All funded projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving the award and must be primarily volunteer-run to ensure maximum impact of the funding.

Eligibility

Applicants must be vegans and can be either non-profit organisations or individuals with non-profit projects. Applicants cannot be Vegan Society staff members or trustees. No membership requirement exists, though members are welcome to apply without preferential treatment. Previously successful grant recipients may reapply if their new application demonstrates significant development of the idea or activity. Projects must target predominantly non-vegan audiences and should be planned for a specific audience rather than generic groups. Applicants should apply at least four months prior to their project start date. Projects must be primarily volunteer-run and should not charge participants to access or participate, or if charging is deemed essential, must offer concessions to ensure accessibility to marginalised communities.

How it's scored

Applications are reviewed by a cross-department grants panel consisting of typically five to six Vegan Society staff members representing different teams to ensure balanced perspective and varied experience. The panel assesses applications quarterly, typically in January, April, July, and October. Evaluation focuses on how well applications meet the stated criteria: raising public awareness of veganism positively, promoting veganism uniquely or excitingly to non-vegans, and supporting marginalised backgrounds. The panel assesses detail and clarity of spending plans, target audience specificity, project innovation and uniqueness, environmental impact minimisation, accessibility to disabled people and marginalised communities, and alignment with Vegan Society values of peaceful and non-confrontational tactics. Previous recipients' completed final reports are used during assessment. Applications from underrepresented groups in the vegan movement, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ community members receive prioritisation.

Key requirements

• ✓Must be a local vegan group or community initiative
• ✓Part of or affiliated with The Vegan Society's Community Network
• ✓Application via online form available on website
• ✓Specific funding amount varies by project

Recent past awardees

Knowing who's won the last rounds tells you whether you're in the strike zone.

• Radio programs to encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan in Sengerema district, Tanzania
• Culture and Tradition, a call to animal welfare
• Enjoy Soy
• Interdisciplinary research conference
• Event to engage Christians with veganism
• Art exhibition with focus on activism
• Vegan food bank project

Funder contact

The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does Vegan Society offer?

Community Network Grants offers $1,250 – $6,250.

Who can apply for Community Network Grants?

Eligibility covers organisations in GB; community-group, nonprofit, charity, social-enterprise. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Alternative protein funding backs plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins, along with the ingredients and processing they depend on. Support includes research grants, scale-up programmes and investment from specialist funds. Calls usually look for regulatory awareness, a route to lower production cost and partnerships with food manufacturers.