Church Urban Fund

Name

Church Urban Fund

Legal name

Church Urban Fund

Website

https://cuf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Faith-based social action
• Interfaith community cohesion
• Volunteer mobilization networks
• Poverty alleviation charity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Gifts: Regular giving from individual donors. The organization reported 978 regular donors making gifts of £209,724, indicating a donor-funded model typical of charitable organizations.
2. Grants and Funding: Grants awarded to support interfaith and community cohesion initiatives. Reported £248,978 in grants fostering interfaith and community cohesion, suggesting grant funding from trusts, foundations, and government sources.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Church Urban Fund is a Church of England-affiliated charity that mobilises churches, community groups, and volunteers across England to tackle poverty and social exclusion. It delivers grant funding for interfaith and community cohesion projects, runs a network of welcoming community venues, provides training programs combining theology with community action, and offers practical tools and resources (including a parish data lookup tool and an asset-based community development guide) for churches and community groups free of charge.

Product overview

Church Urban Fund operates as a unified portfolio of social action programs and knowledge resources rather than a technology platform. The core programs include Places of Welcome (900+ venue network), Near Neighbours (grassroots leadership and interfaith cohesion), Growing Good (theological/action training), Together Network (faith-based partnerships), and Just Finance Foundation (financial education). Supporting these programs are the Knowledge Bank (practical tools and guides) and Look Up Tool (parish data and deprivation statistics). The organization mobilizes churches and local groups to tackle poverty and exclusion through community-driven approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Together Network: A union of faith-based partnerships, driven by the desire to tackle social inequality across England.
• Near Neighbours
• Just Finance Foundation
• Places of Welcome
• Growing Good

Products and services

• Places of Welcome A network of 925+ registered venues across England providing welcoming spaces where local residents can connect, belong, and get involved in their community. Operated as a standalone program under the Church Urban Fund umbrella.
• Near Neighbours A program making diverse communities stronger by encouraging people to build relationships of trust across ethnic, cultural, and faith differences. Has equipped 3,089 grassroots leaders and distributed grants of £248,978 for interfaith and community cohesion work.
• Growing Good A training course combining action and theology to help churches integrate faith with practical community engagement. Features 7 sessions helping groups reflect on scripture, learn about their community, discover gifts, and put ideas into action.
• Together Network A union of faith-based partnerships driven by the desire to tackle social inequality across England, operated by Church Urban Fund as a core network partnership.
• Just Finance Foundation A national charity dedicated to improving financial education so that every child and family has equal opportunity to thrive. Operated as a program partner under the Church Urban Fund umbrella.
• Knowledge Bank A collection of practical tools and resources for churches and community groups including ABCD guides, volunteer management guides, project planning resources, and more to help transform communities.
• Look Up Tool A tool providing parish-level data including deprivation statistics, poverty metrics, life expectancy, demographics, and updated parish boundaries to help build the case for community action.

Quantifiable outcome

• 925 registered Places of Welcome venues providing welcoming community spaces
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Together NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogether Network is described as 'a union of faith-based partnerships, driven by the desire to tackle social inequality across England.' It represents a core network partnership within CUF's structure, bringing together faith-based organizations to address social challenges collectively.
• Near NeighbourscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNear Neighbours focuses on 'making diverse communities stronger by encouraging people to build relationships of trust.' The program has equipped 3,089 grassroots leaders and provides grants for interfaith and community cohesion work totaling £248,978.
• Just Finance FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJust Finance Foundation is described as 'a national charity dedicated to improving financial education so that every child and family has equal opportunity to thrive.' This partnership extends CUF's reach into financial capability and inclusion.
• North Birmingham 4 UkraineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with North Birmingham 4 Ukraine to support Ukrainian refugees and hosts living in north Birmingham. CUF's Near Neighbours network provides funding, while North Birmingham 4 Ukraine runs ESOL sessions and wellbeing activities.
• Holy Trinity Sutton ColdfieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal church partnership hosting sessions for Ukrainian men in partnership with North Birmingham 4 Ukraine and funding from CUF's Near Neighbours network. The church provides venue and volunteers for the cross-cultural integration program.
• Springfield ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Springfield Project operates a Place of Welcome venue supported by CUF's Places of Welcome network. This community organization provides weekly gatherings for local residents, particularly supporting vulnerable individuals and families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cinnamon Network: UK faith-based network mobilizing churches for social action and community transformation — overlapping with CUF's core mission of equipping churches to serve their local communities.
• Locality: UK membership organization supporting community-led organizations and community anchors — closely matches CUF's work helping grassroots groups access resources, networks, and training.
• Power to Change: Independent trust funding and supporting community businesses across England, combining grantmaking with capacity-building resources for grassroots organizations — directly comparable in operating model.
• Lloyds Bank Foundation: UK grantmaking foundation supporting charities tackling disadvantage, with a strong focus on small and local organizations. Comparable model of funding + capacity-building support for community-based charities.
• Tudor Trust: UK grantmaking trust funding small-to-medium charities working on community-led change, with a particular emphasis on reaching disadvantaged communities — closely comparable to CUF's grass-roots funding approach.
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: One of the UK's largest independent grantmaking foundations, funding community development, social action, and place-based work that closely mirrors CUF's grantmaking + capacity-building model across the UK.
• Together Network: Operated by CUF itself as a 'union of faith-based partnerships tackling social inequality across England'; included as a peer because it represents a comparable faith-based community partnership model in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Garfield Weston Foundation: Major UK grantmaking foundation supporting charities across community, education, and social action. Comparable funder profile though with a broader thematic remit and significantly larger cheque sizes.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK umbrella body for the voluntary sector, providing capacity-building resources, research (including the volunteer wellbeing data CUF cites), and policy representation for community organizations.
• The National Lottery Community Fund: The UK's largest community grantmaker, distributing hundreds of millions of pounds to community projects across England (and the UK). Operates in the same grantmaking/communities space but at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/church-urban-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Church Urban Fund