Dfn Uk

Registered charity 1122937 · since 2008dfn.org.uk·India·Updated 29 October 2026

At a glance

£353k

Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025

From filed accounts

Key takeaways

DFN UK's stated work centres on education for children from poor and marginalised communities, healthcare, economic empowerment and community development, and its priority is India, so projects in those areas and that place are the closest fit.
No grant range is stated, so there is no typical size to aim for; the annual report shows £353,341 paid, but the register does not confirm that scale, so ask the funder what size of request it considers before you set your figure.
No application process is published in the annual report, the register entry or its website, so start by getting in touch with the contact shown rather than sending a full application cold.
For LAMP grants, the funder does not fund people other than women and men from poor and marginalised communities, or businesses other than cottage businesses, so organisations working outside those groups should not apply for LAMP grants.
How competitive its giving is and when it makes decisions are not known.

Overview

DFN UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1122937).

DFN UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales that exists to serve the poor, marginalised and outcastes of South Asia. Its movement was asked by community leaders to provide more inclusive education, to enable dignity and freedom for those of Dalit heritage and other marginalised groups. It serves more than 21,000 children in 79 Good Shepherd schools across India. Its programmes focus on education, healthcare, economic empowerment and community development.

What they fund

Priority Areas

DFN UK describes its aim as helping the poor, marginalised and outcastes of society transition to living in dignity and freedom, through programmes designed, led and staffed by nationals and a network of indigenous partners responding to community leaders. Its work centres on quality, English-medium, values-based education primarily for children from poor and marginalised communities; healthcare through community health workers, primary clinics and HIV/AIDS centres; economic empowerment through business start-up grants, self-help groups and vocational training; and community development programmes helping prevent the exploitation of women and girls. The annual report also records grants to a partnering charity in India.

Themes

Education
Healthcare
Economic empowerment
Community development

Geographic Focus

Priority: India.

What they don't fund

LAMP grants only: people other than women and men from poor and marginalised communities; businesses other than cottage businesses

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

India

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Dfn Uk.

The Arisaig Partners FoundationRollingGave £232k N and R Karnani TrustNo public processGave £401k Narayan Seva Sansthan UKNo public processGave £346k The Maarif Foundation UKNo public processGave £765k Ethnic Inclusion FoundationNo public processGave £13,000 Arora FoundationInvitation onlyGave £687k Palan FoundationRollingGave £84,676 The Pakhar FoundationNo public processGave £340k Human Welfare International Charitable TrustInvitation only human capability foundationInvitation onlyGave £1.9M

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2021	£848,079	£844,439	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£760,401	£747,494	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£1,355,774	£1,344,598	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£665,389	£684,485	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£543,019	£542,806	£353,341	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.

— No grants figure for those years.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.