Funding News - 01 July 2024
Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Arts Council NI: Rural Engagement Arts Programme
The Rural Engagement Arts Programme’s (REAP) primary theme is combatting isolation and loneliness and promoting social inclusion. Open to Registered charities and other organisations including formally constituted parent-teacher associations, Local Authorities and Arts Organisations can apply for an award between £500 and £10,000 for a project. Projects can last up to 1 year duration and can take place on any dates between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025. Deadline 21 August 2024 (noon).
Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust Opens 1 July
The Trust supports registered UK charities that work with communities in the UK. The funding is intended to support those in society who face the greatest challenges and whose opportunities are the most limited. Rounds 3 & 4 focuses on Food Poverty. Priority will be given to projects that focus on enabling resilience and independence, in particular food education and cooking skills. Round 3 application window opens on 1 July and closes on 31 July 2024.
Hope for Youth NI provide grants of up to £5000 across NI for projects providing opportunities for young people aged 11-18 to come together from different cultural, ethnic or religious communities to work together on a creative, practical or outdoors project. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a cross community emphasis e.g. a focus on improving community integration in regard to cultural, ethnic or religious diversity and all applications must include a statement of accounts, including details of income and expenditure. Annual deadline of 31 July 2024.
BIFFA Award: Main Grants Scheme
Biffa Award’s Main Grants Scheme is aimed at community groups and organisations, situated in the vicinity of landfill sites, that need funding to improve the quality of life in their community or to conserve wildlife. There are four themes - Community Buildings, Recreation, Rebuilding Biodiversity and Cultural Facilities. Under these themes, funding is provided to create or improve community amenities. For example, upgrading kitchens, meeting rooms and toilets in village halls and community facilities; creating new playparks; installing new lighting and exhibitions within theatres and museums; or establishing, protecting and enhancing habitats for biodiversity. Between £10,000 and £75,000 can be awarded to projects that have a total cost of less than £200,000 including VAT. There are no deadlines for submitting an Expression of Interest to their Main Grants Scheme, they accept submissions at any time.
ORIT Impact Fund advancing transition to Net Zero
The Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT) invests in the transition to net zero. On top of their investments in renewable energy assets, they are looking to provide grants and volunteering support to innovative opportunities that enhance the environment and improve local communities. They are particularly interested in supporting initiatives that promote a "just transition", ensuring the benefits of the green economy transition are shared more widely and help those who stand to lose economically. They are accepting applications for grants up to a maximum of £10,000. Applications must have start dates after the decision date of 2nd September 2024. Deadline 1 August 2024.
Belfast City Council: Discretionary Payments
This support is open to Belfast-based organisations with governing documents that meet the objectives of the Belfast Agenda, the city’s community plan, but are not eligible for any of their other council funding programmes. The Agenda’s immediate priorities are: Creating jobs and investment, Making life better for all our residents, Creating a competitive and sustainable city, and Connecting people to opportunities. A cap of £20,000 is in place for each application/applicant. You can apply at any time. Submit applications by 4pm on 2 August 2024.
Upcoming Deadlines
National Churches Trust: Large Grants
This programme offers their largest grants of up to £50,000 towards the cost of major urgent structural repair projects costed at more than £80,000 including VAT. They will also consider projects that introduce kitchens and accessible toilets to enable increased community use, costed at more than £30,000 including VAT. Deadline 2 July 2024 (midnight).
ESRC Digital Good Network: The Public Voices in AI Fund
The Public Voices in AI Fund invites proposals for projects which seek to ensure that uses of AI are informed by the voices of people underrepresented in or negatively impacted by AI. By ‘uses of AI,’ they mean AI research, development, deployment and policy. They invite project proposals up to the value of £50,000 which are led by organisations in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector (VCSE). Deadline 3 July 2024 (5pm).
Weavers' Company Benevolent Fund
Weaver Company Benevolent Fund's principal aim is to support people in trouble, particularly young offenders and ex-offenders, and other disadvantaged young people. Preference is given to pump priming new projects, especially those which are innovative and can serve as a model elsewhere. Their Small Grants Programme has a cap of £5,000. Their Main Grants Programme is uncapped, but you are advised to research typical grant sizes previously made through their Charity Commission Annual Reports. Next deadline 4 July 2024 (noon).
Social Enterprise NI: Social Enterprise Awards
With 18 award categories to enter, they provide an excellent opportunity to highlight success, gain local recognition and enhance credibility. Applications are open, and organisations are encouraged to enter before the deadline of midnight, Sunday 7th of July 2024, to showcase their impact and key achievements in the last year.
The Irish Youth Foundation (UK) is inviting community and voluntary groups in Northern Ireland working with children and young people who are marginalised or at risk to apply for grants of up to £10,000, however grants awarded are usually in the region of £5,000. These grants will be once only awards and they should be expended within a twelve-month period. Deadline 8 July 2024.
Fundraising Support
Events
Getting the most out of GrantTracker
10 July 2024 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
This free webinar is an ideal opportunity for new subscribers, long-term users and those considering subscribing to GrantTracker to explore all the functions that GrantTracker offers.
Autumn 2024 Fundraising Clinics for NICVA Members
Up to four clinics offered per day listed below:
- 04 September 2024
- 02 October 2024
- 06 November 2024
These popular, free fundraising advice clinics provide members with an hour-long chance to discuss and address specific fundraising needs. You’re free to discuss whatever fundraising issues are most relevant to you and your organisation from identifying suitable funding sources, diversifying your income streams, regular giving campaigns, digital fundraising, communications to sounding out ideas. It’s your time; it’s your choice. Register here: Events and Training | NICVA
Save the Date - Swiftaid
Ahead of supporting the #TicktheBox campaign to raise awareness of the importance of Gift Aid to organisations, we will hosting a webinar with Swiftaid on 18 September 2024. Find out more about Swiftaid here.
Fundraising Hub
Explore the Fundraising Hub for a wide range of articles and resources to support your fundraising journey. A few are below:
A few major funding announcements have been made recently, here NICVA’s Fundraising Advice Officer, Jocelyn Horton, rounds up some of the key news.
Every year charities in the UK lose out on £564 million as in Gift Aid goes unclaimed.
Find out how you can make Gift Aid work better for you.
If you're looking to raise income for your organisation with little effort and make the most of very small donations, we've rounded up some of the options available to you.
Earth Day is celebrated annually on 22 April. But did you know you can encourage donors to support your work while taking environmental action? There are a few options out there to generate additional income for your work or save you the expense by encouraging your supporters and donors to take action on your behalf.
This resource outlines some reasons behind funders wanting organisations to address EDI in the applications alongside advice on broaching the topic in writing, getting started on your journey and where you can find further information on this topic.
Get ahead with GrantTracker and access over 1000 funding schemes in NI's leading database. Just £100 a year for NICVA members and £145 for non-members. Sign up here.