Funding News – 09 September 2024
Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
The National Lottery Community Fund: Sustainable Community Buildings
This funding is part of their new strategy which includes supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable. They’ll be open for applications from 11 September 2024 to 23 October 2024 for: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council or Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. Suitable for Voluntary or community organisations (with an annual income of less than £500,000), they offer up to £50,000 (capital funding only) for community buildings built before 2005.
Trees on the Land: Tree Planting for Winter 2024 - Spring 2025
Trees on the Land is a cross-border initiative working to establish young native trees across the 32 counties of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The project has been developed by the Green Economy Foundation in collaboration with the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland. Applications are open to all landowners: farmers, smallholders, councils, community groups, schools, colleges, sports clubs, golf clubs, youth groups, healthcare and hospital grounds, church and faith communities, gardeners and other landowners. Applications for trees will close 14th October 2024 (5pm), but it is advisable to apply early as they have a limited number of packs available.
The Theatres Trust: UK Theatres Small Grants Programme
Theatres Trust's Small Grants Programme, supported by The Linbury Trust, funds small projects that make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability, accessibility, or diversity. This scheme will provide grants of up to £5,000 for eligible not-for-profit project’s such as small capital works, the installation of key plant and machinery and works which make theatre buildings digital-ready. Apply by 17 January 2025 (noon).
Arts Council NI: National Lottery Arts and Older People
The Arts & Older People Programme aims to strengthen the voice of older people and promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing through the arts. The proposed projects should reflect the partnership approach with the target groups they plan to engage with and have the support from them in the delivery. To ensure a strong advocacy message there will be an opportunity to showcase the projects funded throughout the year. Applicants should endeavour to build this into their project programme and budget. Grants from £1,000 to £10,000 are available. Deadline 17 October 2024 (noon).
Probation Board for NI: Community Service Work Placements - Fermanagh, Omagh and Mid-Ulster
PBNI has responsibility for securing local placements for individuals who are subject to Community Service / Supervised Activity Orders imposed by the Courts. PBNI invites applications from organisations working in Fermanagh, Omagh and Mid-Ulster in the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) to provide such placements. PBNI will fund each placement to the value of £150 with a minimum of 6 placements per application. Deadline 7 October 2024 (4pm).
The Naturesave Trust’s September – October 2024 funding for energy efficiency
The Naturesave Trust supports environmental projects across the UK. The September – October 2024 funding window is now open. The theme of this funding window is energy efficiency. They offer grants between £500 and £5,000. Our buildings are responsible for contributing 20% of the UK’s total emissions, the majority of which come from heating. Over 90% of our buildings are heated by fossil fuels, accounting for a third of UK total gas use. Improving energy efficiency can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants, as well as decrease water use. It can also lower individual utility bills, create jobs, and help stabilise electricity prices. If you have a project or initiative working to combat this problem, they encourage you to apply.
Upcoming Deadlines
James Brown & Sons Community Fund
James Brown & Sons have pledged £25,000 to help local communities in greater Belfast. The Community Fund is a rolling programme during 2024/2025; applications can be submitted at any time during the application window. Organisations can request the total cost of the project or a contribution towards the project up to a maximum of £2000. They are seeking to fund projects that will run for a duration of six months or longer but will consider shorter projects where the organisation can demonstrate there will be ongoing community benefit after the project concludes. Deadline 10 September 2024 (noon).
W G Edwards Charitable Foundation
The W G Edwards Charitable Foundation is an independent grant-making charity, which assists with the provision of care for older people. The Foundation assists with capital projects, refurbishment and equipment in addition to innovative schemes for ongoing care. Grants usually between £1,000 to £3,000, with the average grant being £1,700. Deadline 10 September 2024.
British Ecological Society: Outreach Grants
BES provides funding of up to £2,000 for individuals, teams and organisations to engage public audiences with the excitement of ecological science. Open to BES members, the grant will support diverse formats that reach and engage public audiences in innovative, creative and impactful ways, whether through in-person events, digital formats, or physical resources. Deadline 11 September 2024.
Department for Communities: Job Start 50+ scheme
This new scheme, aimed at boosting the employment opportunities of the over-50s, has been announced by the Department for Communities. Employers in Northern Ireland can receive 100% government funding to create 6-month job opportunities for 50-64 year-olds without employment, education or training. Funding for each JobStart opportunity will pay: the relevant National Living Wage for 25 hours per week*, the associated employer National Insurance contributions, and an employer's minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions. A support grant of £1,000 is available for 6-month opportunities. Deadline 13 September 2024.
KNIB: Tackling Textiles Grant: Skills and Innovation (Year Three)
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have launched the third year of the Tacking Textiles Grant: Skills and Innovation. The Tackling Textiles Skills and Innovation Grant offers funding of between £1,000 and £3,000 to support innovative projects that focus on textile repair, reuse, and waste prevention. By promoting green skills and supporting local businesses in adopting sustainable practices, the grant aims to extend the life of textile products, minimise waste and embed reuse and repair across the fashion and wider textiles industry. Open to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (under 250 employees), Social Enterprises, Charities, Not-for-Profit Organisations, and Community & Voluntary groups. Deadline 20 September 2024 (6pm).
Fundraising Support
Events
25 September 2024, 10am to 11:30am, In-person at NICVA
Ahead of the #TicktheBox campaign, 3 October 2024, join NICVA and our experienced panellists in a free event discussing Gift Aid aimed at supporting registered charities to raise awareness of Gift Aid with your supporters.
Fundraising Clinics
These popular clinics offer NICVA a free, one-hour tailored session addressing your fundraising needs. Clinics can be arranged by contacting Jocelyn Horton, Fundraising Advice Officer at [email protected].
Fundraising Hub
Explore the Fundraising Hub for a wide range of articles and resources to support your fundraising journey. A few are below:
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.
Passive income and Micro donations
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.
Supporting the Planet and Your Organisation
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.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion in your grant applications
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.
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