Fundraising News

Belfast City Council Small Grants: Community Festivals Fund

The Community Festivals Fund is jointly funded by Belfast City Council and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure to recognise the role that festivals can play in increasing social cohesion, celebrating cultural identity and strengthening community relations. Funding is available for Arts and heritage activities; and other cultural events that contribute to the cultural identity of an area or group and celebrate the uniqueness of that area or group.

DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning)

‘Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning’ (DRILL) is the world’s first major research programme led by disabled people. Its aim is to fund research and pilot projects which increase disabled people’s participation in society and foster independent living. It is fully funded by the Big Lottery Fund and will be delivered by Disability Action Northern Ireland, Inclusion Scotland, Disability Rights UK and Disability Wales.

I have received a handful of calls from people who re having trouble logging into the new GrantTracker since it was revamped recently. There are three main reasons why you could be having trouble logging.

1. Trying your old Username

For new GrantTracker you need to use the email account registered on your subscription as the Username. The old username is no longer valid (unless it was your email address anyway) You can use your email address registered on the account to request a new password from the website.

When the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland finally gets its online register of charities up and running it will transform local grant-making research. Ironically, it is harder for us to see the full extent of a grant-making from a local Northern Ireland Trust than it is from an English or indeed American foundation.

New GrantTracker is here, with some new features I hope will make your grant tracking easier. Things have changed a lot since we first launched GrantTracker in 2001. I remember getting CDROMs 'burned' to post to subscribers to install on their machine. Today, you can subscribe online and search for funding from any internet enabled phone, tablet, laptop or PC.

You can create your own funding directory on the 'cloud' - so every time you log in to your account your funding schemes, dates and notes are there.

The new MyNotes tool on GrantTracker allows you to add notes, comments and attach files to funding schemes.

So, for example, you may want to attach a draft Awards for All application to the scheme - or attach quotations, research documents and completed proposals.

Its up to you how you use the notes - you can add a date and the status of your proposal to build a grants management page to keep all your application information together in one place.

It's amazing what can happen in one day. Now you can access GrantTracker for one day for £10 and see millions of pounds worth of funding opportunities. You can get instant access by purchasing 1 day access using your debit or credit card.

Want to avoid the last minute plane, trains and automobiles to get your application in on time?

New GrantTracker will send reminders of upcoming deadlines 9 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 weeks in advance by email for funding schemes you track.

Members of NICVA benefit from £45 off their annual subscription. For the latest Coupon code check your latest NICVA news, the members section of the NICVA website or contact the NICVA membership offer.

If you are not an NICVA member and are interested in benefiting from the members discount, NICVA membership starts from £10.