Macmillan Cancer Support
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This funder suits small community organisations whose work directly benefits people affected by cancer, such as cancer self-help and support groups, and its stated focus is the UK.
- A modest request fits best: a Support Grant is a one-off payment of up to £15,000, while the Macmillan CARE Grants Programme states a range of £50,000 to £150,000 for work tackling unfairness in cancer care.
- For a Support Grant, contact your Macmillan representative before requesting an application form, and for CARE, send three years of annual accounts and a Budget Template, with the project designed by and with the people most affected and with clear leadership and goals; CARE applications close on 23 January.
- Do not apply to CARE if you are an unincorporated group, an unregistered charity, an individual, an NHS trust, a local authority or a commercial business, and do not seek Support Grant money for salaries, carers' or bereavement support, or holidays.
- Neither programme funds retrospective activity, and CARE does not fund core costs beyond 15% of the project budget.
Overview
Macmillan Cancer Support is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 261017).
Macmillan Cancer Support exists to provide support, assistance and information directly or indirectly to people affected by cancer, to further and build cancer awareness, education and research, and to promote and influence effective care, involvement and support for people affected by cancer. It funds community groups, system partners and Macmillan professionals across the UK, with grants to institutions and partner organisations resulting in expenditure of £38,486,000 and grants to individuals totalling £8,027,000. Its programmes include the Macmillan CARE Grants Programme, which supports community organisations to tackle unfairness in cancer care, and Support Grants, one-off payments of no more than £15,000 that directly benefit people living with cancer.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Macmillan funds community groups, system partners and Macmillan professionals across the UK to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. Its funding includes community-based activities for cancer self-help and support groups, system-change work bringing cancer care and support closer to home, and education, development and wellbeing support for Macmillan Professionals. Healthcare professionals can seek funding for their Professionals to use the Macmillan name to enhance cancer care. Community organisations can also apply for work tackling unfairness in cancer care, including culturally responsive care, shared decision-making and dementia-friendly care. Support Grants are one-off payments for groups and activities that directly benefit people living with cancer. Grants to institutions and partner organisations also support employment and development costs of Macmillan post holders and related service developments, including health, financial, information, emotional and practical support.
Themes
- Cancer support groups
- Cancer care system change
- Professional development
- Financial support
- Cultural responsiveness
- Shared decision-making
- Dementia-friendly cancer care
Geographic Focus
UK.
What they don't fund
- Interventions that do not align with Macmillan Cancer Support’s charitable objectives
- Funding to support oversea interventions
- Political campaigning and/or affiliations
- Private businesses/organisations
- Grant recipients with outstanding monitoring requirements for a previous grant, such as an Evaluation Form
- Macmillan CARE Grants Programme only:
- Informal support groups without a legal structure (Unincorporated groups)
- Unregistered charities
- Individual healthcare professionals
- NHS trusts or hospitals
- Local authorities or government bodies
- Commercial businesses and sole traders
- Political lobbying
- Costs that should be covered by statutory funding
- Retrospective activities
- Core costs beyond 15% of the project budget
- Pre-diagnosis cancer care activities
- Support Grant only:
- Activities that do not specifically benefit people living with cancer
- Carer’s support, bereavement support
- Salaries, on-costs, and overheads
- Anything not in line with Macmillan’s charitable objectives and constitution
- Learning and Development for professionals (Including online HOPE facilitator training, printing of HOPE manuals and HOPE worksheets, HOPE delivery costs e.g., room hire, refreshments)
- Retrospective funding
- Holidays for groups or individuals
- Activities that support fundraising
- Mobile device contracts and software
- Any consultancy work that Macmillan would be the direct beneficiary of
- You have not received a Support Grant application in the previous 12 month period
- If you have received a Support Grant previously, the funding period for the previous Support Grant must have ended
- You have no outstanding evaluations from previously approved Support Grants
- You are not applying for items or projects that have previously been funded through a Macmillan Support Grant
How to apply
For a Support Grant, applicants contact their Macmillan representative to discuss their proposal and request an application form.
Application windows:
- Macmillan CARE Grants Programme: Applications close on 23 January
Who can apply:
- Macmillan CARE Grants Programme: Voluntary, community, faith or social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations based in the UK, including: Registered charities; Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO); Community Interest Companies (CIC); Companies Limited by Guarantee; Faith-based organisations; Residents/tenants association and community groups; Local sports clubs and Recreational/Social clubs; Community benefit societies
- Support Grant
- Cancer self-help and support groups; Macmillan Professionals and wider workforce; Voluntary, third-sector, and community groups; Partner organisations
- You have not received a Support Grant application in the previous 12 month period.
- If you have received a Support Grant previously, the funding period for the previous Support Grant must have ended.
- You have no outstanding evaluations from previously approved Support Grants.
- You are not applying for items or projects that have previously been funded through a Macmillan Support Grant.
What to send:
- Macmillan CARE Grants Programme
- Three years of annual accounts (or all available accounts if your organisation is less than three years old).
- Complete the Budget Template with your proposed project budget.
- Macmillan CARE Grants Programme, Support Grant: Application Form
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Support Grant applications should aim to support diverse communities, promote inclusion and encourage peer-to-peer support.
- CARE projects should be designed by and with the people most affected.
- CARE projects should have clear leadership and understand what partnerships are needed for success.
- CARE projects should have capacity to create change, with clear goals, good plans and an understanding of their wider context.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2020 | £194,889,000 | £147,803,000 | £28,511,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2020 |
| year to 31 December 2021 | £230,707,000 | £234,055,000 | £76,430,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £227,145,000 | £251,660,000 | £60,331,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £232,537,097 | £265,208,343 | £50,394,689 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £245,546,254 | £225,920,085 | £38,486,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2020; year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2024: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- macmillan.org.uk
- macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/macmillan-funding-grants · read on 31 October 2026
- macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/macmillan-funding-grants/care-grants · read on 31 October 2026
- macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/macmillan-funding-grants/support-grant · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2024)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Macmillan Cancer Support?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Applying to Macmillan Cancer Support?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required