Funding Type consultation learning

Understanding the nature of a grant – whether it is for capital assets, unrestricted funding, or specific project costs – is a crucial part of the grantmaking picture. For years, researchers, analysts, and users of 360Giving data have frequently asked for better information about these funding types to understand the sector’s impact more comprehensively. In fact, keyword searches for terms like ‘core’ and ‘capital’ have consistently been among the most common queries in GrantNav.

Our approach

To solve this problem, we decided to introduce a recommended, shared set of categories for the Funding Type field. In January and February 2026, we launched an open consultation to ask publishers and data users for their thoughts. We shared our draft list of categories – which included options like Unrestricted, Running costs, Project costs, Salary costs, and Capital – and asked the community if anything was missing.

What we heard

We were thrilled to receive 44 responses to our survey, with 75% coming directly from grantmaking organisations. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, as 91% of respondents told us they supported the introduction of these optional categories. Furthermore, 73% of those who publish 360Giving data said they would find these specific categories useful for their own reporting. We also received requests for extra categories and questions about how to handle grants with a mix of funding types.

You can read the full outcome of the consultation in a paper to our Stewardship Committee in June.

How we responded

Most of the requested changes reflected scenarios that are already captured within our existing draft categories. To address the feedback, we have clarified the category descriptions, and our guidance will provide additional context on how each category applies across a range of scenarios.

We also added two new categories in response to specific gaps: ‘Capital and project costs’ to cover grants that fund a mixture of assets and project work, and ‘Endowment’ to capture financial assets intended for long-term income.

Next steps

Thanks to these insights from our community, we are now preparing to publish the final categories and updated guidance on the 360Giving website in summer 2026. Ultimately, we hope that as more funders adopt these categories, we will be able to introduce a dedicated filter in GrantNav and unlock richer, more actionable insights into the UK grantmaking landscape.