What Is Match Funding? A Plain English Guide
What match funding means, what counts as match (including volunteer time), typical percentages, and where small organisations actually find it.
Match funding means the funder pays part of your project's cost and expects you to bring the rest from somewhere else. If a fund offers "up to 50% match funding" on a £10,000 project, the funder contributes £5,000 and you need to show where the other £5,000 comes from. That other half is the match.
Funders ask for it because it spreads their risk and proves commitment. A project that has persuaded two or three backers is more likely to be sound than one nobody else would touch, and an organisation with its own stake in a project tends to see it through.
What counts as match
Match is broader than cash in the bank, and this catches people out in a useful way: many organisations have more match than they think.
- Cash you already hold. Reserves, trading income, or money raised through donations and fundraising events.
- Other grants. A grant from one funder can usually count as match for another. Check both funders' rules first: some public funds will not accept other public money as match, and some programmes exclude specific sources. The fund's guidance will say.
- In-kind contributions. Things you receive free that the project would otherwise pay for: donated materials, free use of a venue, a professional donating their time. You count them at a fair market rate.
- Volunteer time. Many funders let you value volunteer hours as match, at a set hourly rate that varies by fund and by the kind of work. For a community organisation this is often the largest source of match available.
Always check which of these a specific fund accepts. "50% match, of which at least half must be cash" is a common shape, and it changes what you need to raise.
Typical percentages
There is no universal figure, but the common patterns are:
| What the fund says | What it means on a £10,000 project |
|---|---|
| 100% funded, no match required | Funder pays £10,000 |
| Up to 90% (10% match) | Funder pays £9,000, you find £1,000 |
| 50% match | Funder pays £5,000, you find £5,000 |
| "Match funding welcomed" | No fixed rule, but match strengthens the application |
Small community grants usually require no match at all. Match requirements appear more often in capital projects, heritage work, business support programmes, and larger public funds.
Where small organisations find match
Work through these in order of effort:
- Count what you already have. Volunteer hours on the project, donated venue time, and any reserves you plan to spend all count where the rules allow. Price them properly before you go looking for new money.
- Community foundations and local trusts. Small local grants stack well as match for a bigger bid, and local funders are used to playing that role.
- Your council. Ward budgets, community chest schemes, and councillor discretionary funds are small but quick, and public money often pairs well with charitable money as match.
- Fundraising with a deadline. A crowdfunding campaign or local appeal tied to a specific bid gives people a concrete reason to give, and some programmes will match what you raise.
- Corporate and supermarket schemes. Local business sponsorship and community schemes can provide the final slice, in cash or in kind.
Browse live UK grants to find the smaller funds that can serve as match for a larger application. Many of the grants listed require no match themselves, which makes them the easiest starting point.
Showing match in your application
Funders distinguish between match that is secured (confirmed in writing), applied for (a decision pending), and anticipated (you intend to raise it). Label each line honestly. A budget that claims everything is secured when it is not will surface at the grant agreement stage, which is the worst possible moment.
Set the match out in the budget so the funder can see the whole project:
- Total project cost: £10,000
- This application: £5,000
- Parish council grant (secured): £2,000
- Volunteer time, 200 hours (in kind): £2,000
- Community fundraising (anticipated, event booked for October): £1,000
That layout answers the funder's real question, which is whether the project happens if they say yes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the match before I apply? Usually no. Most funders accept applications with match still being raised, and some will make an offer conditional on you securing it. The fund's guidance will say whether match must be secured at the point of application.
Can volunteer time really count as money? Yes, where the fund allows in-kind match. You record the hours, apply the rate the funder specifies, and keep a log. For volunteer-run organisations this is often worth thousands of pounds of match.
Does match funding mean a loan? No. Match is money or value you bring alongside the grant, from any source the funder accepts. Some funding programmes do include loan components, which is a separate thing. Read the terms of any programme carefully, and take independent advice before taking on repayable finance.
What if we cannot raise the match? Tell the funder early. Options usually include scaling the project down, extending the timetable, or in some cases the funder increasing their percentage. Silence followed by a shortfall is the outcome that damages the relationship.
Your next step
Before you look for new money, price the match you already have: volunteer hours, donated space, and any grant you have already won. Then find the fund you want to apply to and read its match rules before writing a word. If you are new to applications, our guide on how to write a grant application covers the budget section where the match sits.