Your weekly funding news and deadlines update from GrantTracker.
Funding News
From 30 March 2023: Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund
Aviva has partnered with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature) and RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) on the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund. Up to £1million additional match funding is available for Projects that are accepted to the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund. They have made changes to the Aviva Community Fund to Support this important initiative. Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations in the UK who can raise their initial funding through a crowdfunding campaign for projects that protect and restore nature in their local communities. Pledges will be matched at a rate of £2 to every £1 donated. Maximum value: £ 5,000. Groups should contact their local network leader by email for further information: For Northern Ireland contact [email protected]
Special EU Programmes Body: PEACE PLUS 2021-27
Visit their website for up-to-date content and support resources for open and upcoming funding calls around 6 key themes: Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities, Delivering Economic Regeneration and Transformation, Empowering and Investing in Young People, Healthy and Inclusive Communities, Supporting a Sustainable Future, and Building & Embedding Partnership and Collaboration. Next Pre-application Support Workshop - 3.2 PEACEPLUS Youth Programme for the Quality and Impact Body: Wednesday 19 April 2023 10:00am arrival for 10:30am start The Junction, Dungannon. Register by 3pm on 14 April 2023. Upcoming deadlines for the following Investment Areas include: 2.4 Smart Towns and Villages - 26 April 2023 (5pm). 2.2 Innovation Challenge Fund - 4 May 2023. 2.1 SME Development and Transition - 4 May 2023 (5pm). 5.3 Water Quality and Catchment Management - 10 May 2023 (midnight).
BFSS: Main Fund – UK & International Projects
The British & Foreign School Society supports charitable organisations running UK and International projects to improve access to education or the quality of education for children and young people under the age of 25. They award approximately £900,000 in new grants every year through 2 grant rounds. UK projects can be funded between £30,000 to £100,000 per project (maximum £30,000 per year for multi year projects) and International projects between £5,000 to £60,000 per project (maximum £30,000 per year).
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
Applications are now open for eligible groups in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. Supporting Community Grants, Arts, Culture, and Events Grants, and Good Relations Grants. Virtual information sessions are being held on: Tues 4 April at 7pm Wed 5 April at 2pm. To register, email [email protected].
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Community Facilities Fund
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is calling for local community/voluntary organisations to apply for funding from a further round of its ‘Community Facilities Fund’. They can apply for between £5,000 and £10,000 to support capital or digital projects at their community facilities. The council is particularly encouraging applications from areas which were under-represented in the first round of this funding. These include Lisburn South, Downshire West, Castlereagh East and Castlereagh South.
Upcoming Deadlines
Clarion Housing Group: Digital Grants
Grants available of up to £5,000 for innovative digital inclusion projects. Clarion Housing Group support projects that help Clarion residents and the wider community to get online, and safely and confidently use the internet as an everyday tool. Deadline 5 April 2023 (Noon).
UK Youth: Cost of Living Fund for youth organisations
This new fund is a three-year unrestricted grant programme aimed at mitigating the devastating impact the cost of living crisis is having on the youth sector. The UK Youth Fund in partnership with Pears Foundation will provide targeted funding to youth organisations delivering high quality youth work to ensure doors stay open, bills get paid and youth workers receive the salaries they deserve. Deadline 6 April 2023 (Noon) for large grants. They will continue to accept applications for under £10,000 until further notice.
Woodward Charitable Trust: Playschemes
The Woodward Charitable Trust is a grant-making trust and is one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. Each year the trustees of the Woodward Charitable Trust set aside funds for summer playschemes for children between the ages of 5-16 years. Most grants awarded are in the range of £500 to £1,000. Around 35 grants are made each year. Deadline 6 April 2023 (Noon).
Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme - Imminent Deadline for 2023/24 Applications
The annual programme for sectoral organisations in Northern Ireland for projects and activities that promote quality regional food and increase its consumption within Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain is inviting applications. Not-for-profit groups, regional development agencies and registered charities based in Northern Ireland are eligible to apply. Successful applicants can apply for funding up to a maximum grant of £150,000 and a further management fee of 10% of total project costs may also be available. Deadline for projects occurring between 21 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 is 6 April 2023 (23:59 BST).
Final Round: Groundwork NI: Whitemountain Programme
Funding for the Whitemountain Programme is through the Landfill Communities Fund and is derived from Breedon Ireland’s operations at Mullaghglass landfill site near Lisburn.Grants of between £5,000 to £25,000 are available for projects making a positive impact at ground level, either developing facilities for community use or encouraging biodiversity and environmental improvements. Deadline 7 April 2023 (Noon).
Fundraising Training
Getting the most out of GrantTracker - Online
Six events throughout April; dates and times vary.
This 45 minute session covers using the Home keys to keep in touch and get support, maximising your searches, tracking schemes, funders and email notifications, and using “My Tracker” and “My Notes” to make GrantTracker work for you and in managing your funding applications.
26 April 2023 - 10:00am to 12:30pm
The session will include how the income from contracts fits into your wider funding strategy and how to find contract opportunities, how to prepare effectively for writing a proposal so you are able to respond to opportunities quickly and efficiently, what makes a successful application or tender, and how bids are assessed and scored.
NEW - Meet the Funder: The Pilgrim Trust’s Young Women’s Mental Health programme
16 May 2023 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Online
The Young Women’s Mental Health programme aims to help improve the mental health of women aged 16-25 in the UK and the Trust have committed £5 million in funding over five years (2021-2026). Their grants go to organisations that increase young women’s access to high quality, age and gender specific mental health services. Grants of £60,000 to £90,000 spread across three years are available. To be eligible, charities need to be working in Northern Ireland, North East or North West of England or Yorkshire and Humber, have an annual turnover between £100k to 1 million and be a registered charity that has been operating for at least 3 years. NICVA is hosting a Meet the Funder event with their Grants Manager, Sonja where you can learn more about the Trust’s work and the Young Women’s Mental Health programme. Find out more here.
Fundraising Hub
NICVA Fundraising Advice has a range of articles from contributors supporting fundraising alongside a range of topics. See a few below:
Guest Blogs
Celia Currie, Stakeholder and Policy Manager for Northern Ireland, reflects on the importance of volunteers in fundraising and why it's important for charities to understand what type of fundraising is being carried out.
Guest Blog: The Chartered Institute of Fundraising in Northern Ireland | NICVA
Paul Montgomery, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland gives an overview of the work they do and how you can get involved. Plus, Paul details of their spring Fundraising Forum in Lisburn.
Mark Creaney, from The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF), talks about how the largest community funder across the UK is supporting communities who are seeking to minimise their impact on the environment.
Topics
Earlier this year, Benefact Trust announced changes to their grant funding including the permanent closure of their General Grants programme. The new grant framework aims to make a lasting impact on communities facing social challenges.
Making a Sustainable Difference in your Organisation
The environment affects all aspects of our lives and there are numerous benefits for organisations to address environmental issues such as improved finances and greater appeal for employees, supporters, and funders. Find out more here including potential funders.
Charities and the cost-of-living crisis | NICVA
Being concerned about rising costs is something that many charities and voluntary organisations are potentially facing as inflation has climbed to historic levels. But what can you do to address this?
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 here.