Databases Compared

Database	Funders	Price	Free/Paid
360Giving GrantNav	1.8M+ grants	£0 (Free)	Free
DSC Funds Database	8,000+ funders	£120-£180/year	Paid
Funds Online (Idox)	7,500+ funders	£195-£295/year	Paid
GrantFinder (Wilmington)	6,000+ funders	£150-£250/year	Paid
Charity Commission Register	180,000+ charities	£0 (Free)	Free

Detailed Comparisons

1. 360Giving GrantNav - FREE (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Strengths

• Completely free
• 1.8M+ actual grant records
• See what funders actually fund
• Real grant amounts and recipients
• Regularly updated

Weaknesses

• Only shows past grants (not eligibility)
• No application guidance
• Limited search filters
• Not all funders participate

Best for: Researching what funders actually give to whom. Perfect starting point before paid databases.

2. DSC Funds Database - £120-£180/year (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

What You Get:

• 8,000+ UK trusts and foundations
• Detailed eligibility criteria
• Application deadlines and processes
• Average grant sizes
• Recent funding priorities
• Contact details verified annually

Verdict: Industry standard for UK funder research. Worth the investment for serious grant seekers.

3. Funds Online (Idox) - £195-£295/year (⭐⭐⭐½)

Comprehensive database with broader scope:

✓ Includes government grants (not just trusts)
✓ EU and international funding
✓ Good search and filtering
✓ Regular updates
✗ More expensive than DSC
✗ Interface less intuitive

Best for: Organizations pursuing government/EU funding alongside trusts.

4. GrantFinder - £150-£250/year (⭐⭐⭐)

Solid mid-tier option:

✓ Good UK trust coverage
✓ Reasonable price
✓ Some corporate grant programmes included
✗ Less comprehensive than DSC
✗ Updates less frequent
✗ Limited search sophistication

Verdict: Decent but not best-in-class. Consider DSC instead for similar price.

5. Charity Commission Register - FREE (⭐⭐⭐½)

Often overlooked free resource:

✓ All UK registered charities
✓ See charity accounts (what they give)
✓ Grant-making charities identifiable
✓ Completely free
✗ No eligibility criteria
✗ Must research each charity individually
✗ Time-consuming to use

Best for: Finding local/niche funders not in paid databases.

Feature Comparison

Feature	360Giving	DSC	Funds Online
UK Trust Coverage	~	✓✓	✓✓
Government Grants	✗	~	✓✓
Eligibility Criteria	✗	✓✓	✓✓
Past Grant Examples	✓✓	~	~
Application Guidance	✗	✓✓	✓

Cost-Benefit Analysis

ROI Calculation:

If DSC database (£150/year) helps you:

• Identify 3 additional perfect-fit funders you wouldn't have found
• Save 10 hours of manual research (@ £30/hr = £300)
• Win just 1 additional grant due to better targeting...

ROI = Massive. Even £10K grant = 67x return on £150 investment.

Our Recommendations

Start Free: 360Giving + Charity Commission

Begin with free resources. If pursuing 5+ grants annually, upgrade to paid database.

Best Paid Option: DSC Funds Database (£120-£180)

Industry standard, comprehensive UK coverage, regularly updated. Best value for trust/foundation research.

For Government Grants: Funds Online (£195-£295)

Only if targeting government/EU programmes. Otherwise DSC sufficient.

The Optimal Strategy

Don't rely on single database:

Layered Approach:

1. Start with 360Giving: See what funders actually fund in your area
2. Use Charity Commission: Find niche local funders
3. Invest in DSC: Get detailed eligibility and application info
4. Check funder websites: Always verify directly before applying

Final Verdict

Best Overall Strategy: 360Giving (Free) + DSC Database (£120-£180)

Start with free 360Giving for discovery. Invest in DSC if pursuing 5+ applications annually. This combination covers 95% of UK funding opportunities for ~£150/year.

UK Grant Databases: Which Funder Research Tool Is Worth It?