Learning from five years of grant-making
As a data-led organisation, we believe it's not enough to measure what we've delivered, we must also understand who we're reaching, where we're making the greatest impact, and where we need to improve. That's why we've analysed five years of our grant-making data.
30 July 2026 | by Pixie Parker | Read time: 2 Minutes Read time
Over the past five years, families across the UK have faced extraordinary challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis. During this period, Buttle’s Chances for Children grants provided vital support to families experiencing severe hardship.
Between April 2020 and March 2025, we awarded more than £17.9 million in grants to nearly 11,000 families, helping children and young people access the essentials they needed to thrive.
The findings of our analysis give us plenty to celebrate. Our grants are reaching many of the communities most affected by child poverty, including single-parent families, larger households and racially minoritised communities. Throughout a period of significant national uncertainty, our funding acted as a vital financial lifeline for thousands of families.
Click here to read the full report
But the analysis also highlighted important challenges. We found that some of our own processes had unintentionally created barriers to support. Grants reaching parents under 25 declined over time, while families managing disability were less likely to have successful applications because disability-related benefits often pushed household income above our eligibility thresholds.
Our research also revealed a wider issue for the funding sector. As local charities have faced shrinking resources, referrals to Buttle have declined. Yet applications made through voluntary sector organisations continue to have high success rates, demonstrating the vital role these organisations play in connecting families with support.
These insights are already shaping our work. We’ve increased our income threshold for households managing disability while we review our eligibility criteria, and we’re working with our Youth Advisory Panel to strengthen support for young parents.
We’re sharing this report as an invitation to learn together. By being open about both our successes and the areas where we need to improve, we hope to contribute to a stronger, more equitable funding sector, one that continues to adapt so poverty and crisis do not define a child’s future.
If any of our findings resonate with your work, or if you’re interested in collaborating to tackle these systemic gaps, please reach out to Kamna directly at kamnam@buttleuk.org
Click here to read the full report
Related posts
No Easy Path: The realities of LGBTQ+ young people estranged from their families
7 May 2026
This report presents the findings of “Beyond Estrangement”, a research project which was co-delivered with estranged young people. With funding from the George Michael Fund via the Talent Fund, the research aimed to explore the role that sexuality and gender identity play in young people’s experiences of estrangement from their families.
Our Data – 360Giving
3 March 2026
At Buttle, we are an accountable and transparent funder. We are making data about our grant giving available for others to access and use, with the 360Giving Data Standard.
Surviving Estrangement – Estranged Young People Co-Produced Report
17 February 2026
In this report, we worked with a group of young people to interview other young people and frontline workers, capturing young peoples’ direct, raw experiences as they struggled through the pandemic and into the cost-of-living crisis.