Leeds Community Foundation Reports Progress Towards Fairer City

July 28, 2026 Off By

Annual review highlights funding priorities and future plans

Leeds Community Foundation has published its Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) Year End Report for 2025/26, outlining progress made in its ongoing strategy to promote fairness and support disadvantaged communities across Leeds. The report details funding distribution, community involvement, and plans for the coming year as part of the foundation’s 2024-2029 strategy.

Flexible funding to support local needs

One of the foundation’s main priorities during 2025/26 was to increase the proportion of flexible funding available to community organisations. Flexible, unrestricted grants allow groups to respond more effectively to local needs and improve organisational stability. The report states that 60% of grant payments during the year were flexible, exceeding the target and marking the highest level of flexible grant making achieved by the foundation to date.

Targeting investment in disadvantaged areas

Creating a fairer Leeds remains central to the foundation’s mission. In 2025/26, 64% of grant funding was directed towards the city’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This approach aims to ensure that resources reach communities facing the greatest challenges.

The foundation also worked to enhance its equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practices. Efforts included improving data collection through grant applications, increasing outreach to underrepresented groups, and embedding equity considerations throughout funding programmes and decision-making processes.

Community participation in funding decisions

The report highlights the role of community members with lived experience in shaping funding decisions. During the year, local participation influenced 11 of the foundation’s 23 grant programmes, helping to ensure that funding distribution reflects community priorities.

Increasing long-term investment

Multi-year grants have become a larger part of the foundation’s funding portfolio. Two- and three-year grants accounted for the majority of grant value awarded in 2025/26, providing greater stability for organisations and supporting sustained impact rather than short-term responses.

Examples of impact beyond grant funding

The report includes a case study of a £20,000 grant awarded through The Leeds Fund’s Collective Impact programme to Climate Action Leeds. This initial funding helped leverage an additional £480,000 in investment, strengthened the programme’s equity focus, and positioned Leeds favourably for future national funding opportunities. This example illustrates how strategic investment can generate wider benefits beyond the original grant.