Your weekly funding news and deadlines update from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Community Foundation for Northern Ireland open programmes
- Social Justice Small Grants Programme - The Social Justice Fund is part of, and supported by, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Fund (NIHRF). This collaborative Fund supports local community groups to give voice to excluded groups, and work to advance a fairer and more equal society where the human rights of all are protected. Grants will be available up to £5,000.
- Micro Community Investment Fund - The fund will provide valuable investment for community initiatives making a difference in towns and villages across Northern Ireland. The fund will enable those organisations who are making the lives of others in their communities better, by improving their financial, physical, and mental wellbeing.
- Dunmore Community Benefit Fund - Funding is available to local community projects located within 15 miles (straight-line measurement) of the Dunmore Wind Farm. Open to applications from constituted community and voluntary groups addressing Community cohesion and engagement, Energy efficiency and sustainability, Social, cultural or sporting benefit for the local community, Training and education, Environmental benefit, and Economic benefit. Grants up to £2,500.
Deadline for all schemes at various dates in October 2023 (1pm).
Rosa: Voices from the Front Line
Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline fund, now in its sixth year of running, offers one-year grants of between £500 and £7,000 to women’s and girls’ organisations to support campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change. Organisations can campaign for changes in policay and laws, address national issue, influence community leaders and power holders, gather evidence, produce, and disseminate tools, training, mentoring, and video/media campaigns encouraging participation by women. Deadline 11 October 2023 (4pm). They will be hosting two ‘How to Apply’ webinars to help applicants develop their applications. Please register for one - 21st September 1:00-2:00 pm or 3rd October 4:00-5:00 pm
The Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund: Veterans' Capital Housing Fund
Two new programmes under the Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund tol help increase the housing stock for veterans. The grants they award under these programmes will enable homes for veterans with a housing need to be brought up to date through a refurbishment grant or will support organisations with the early-stage development of more complex building projects. The Refurbishment Grants Programme will award grants of up to £75,000 for projects that will refurbish or extend existing accommodation for veterans. The Development Grants Programme can help if you would like to apply for costs of getting a building idea to provide new housing for veterans to the stage where on site works could start. Grants of up to £25,000 are available for projects lasting up to one year. Two rounds. Apply by 23 October 2023, for a decision before the end of December 2023. Apply by 8 January 2024, tol receive a decision before the end of March 2024
Hospice UK: Dying Matters Community Grants Programme
The Dying Matters Community Grants Programme – supported by Dignity Funerals – funds creative community projects that start conversations about death and grief. The grant programme focusses on working with people who they know are least likely to have already had access to existing models of support. Open to adult and children’s hospices providing project grants of between £5,000 - £8,000. Deadline 24 November 2023 (5pm).
In 2023, they will be donating £1.92m to local front-line charities. Nominations to this fund are through NFU Mutual's agency office and branches rather than through an open application process. A full list of charities supported in Northern Ireland can be viewed on their website.
Upcoming Deadlines
St. Stephen's Green Trust: Family Matters Grant Programme
St. Stephen's Green Trust (SSGT) is an independent social justice grant-maker which works across the island of Ireland. Two funding schemes contributing to improving the system of support for families affected by convictions and imprisonment to improve rehabilitation and resettlement outcomes. Strand 1 - groups can apply for one-year grants of up to €7,000/£6,000 for work which tests new approaches, adds value to current family support work and develops pathways to knowledge and learning around how to improve the situation for families. Strand 2 will fund groups – up to €25,000/£21,500 pa for one to three years which are working strategically towards the programme outcomes. Deadline 21 September 2023.
KFC Foundation: Community Grants Programme
The KFC Foundation provides grants to organisations focused on empowering young people in the UK to fulfil their potential and build a positive future by providing spaces that allow young people to feel safe and secure, by providing mentoring and helping to unlock talent and build life skills to improve their chances to gain meaningful employment. Grants of up to £2,500 to support grassroots organisations in the heart of their restaurant’s communities. Deadline 24 September 2023.
Arts Council NI: Health and Safety Capital Programme
The Arts Council has designed this programme to enable organisations to purchase equipment including IT equipment and/or carry out minor works to their premises which will address any health and safety issues or has been an outstanding maintenance issue which has rendered the space not fit for purpose. The Health and Safety Capital Programme budget is £600,000. Deadline 25 September 2023 (noon).
Beyond Borders is a co-commissioning and touring programme stimulating and strengthening cross-border collaborations between music creators, performers and presenters in partnership with Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Funding of up to £15,000 is available for projects that include new commissions, recordings and repeat performances of music written in the past five years. Open to all UK or Ireland-based not-for-profit organisations. Deadline 25 September 2023 (6pm).
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 27 September 2023 (noon).
Fundraising Support for autumn 2023
Events
Free Online Introductory Fundraising Workshops for NICVA Members
We are hosting a series of FREE workshops for NICVA members introducing a different fundraising topic or aspect of fundraising. These sessions are an opportunity to find out about an area of fundraising that's new to you, top up your existing knowledge, or be a snapshot into an element of fundraising you'd like to explore. Each workshop is led by NICVA’s Fundraising Advice Officer.
- Maximising your Income - 20 September 2023; 12:00pm to 12:45pm
- Using your internet channels for better fundraising - 18 October 2023; 4:00pm to 4:45pm
- Communicating your Need - 15 November 2023; 12:00pm to 12:45pm
Training
A Practical Guide to Completing Funding Applications
As the voluntary and community sector face a squeeze on finances from a variety of sources, securing funding is essential but it’s a competitive environment. This in-person event gives a useful overview and the practical advice you need to complete funding applications with a focus on addressing emerging funding priorities.
- 30 November 2023
- 9:30am to 12:30pm
- Paid (£35 members £50 non-members)
Fundraising Clinics
These popular, free fundraising advice clinics provide members with an hour-long chance to discuss and address specific fundraising needs. The sessions can be delivered online, in-person or over the telephone.
Taking place, the last Tuesday in September, October, and November, you can book a slot from 10am until 4pm. See links below:
- 31 October 2023 (3 places left)
- 22 November 2023
Resources
Explore the Fundraising Hub for a wide range of resources to support your fundraising journey. A few are below:
NEW Community Ownership Fund – updated prospectus and increased matched capital funding level
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has opened Round 3, Window 2. This window and future ones will now include an extended maximum funding level, increasing from £1million to £2million.
The partnership between Meta and PayPal Giving Fund to handle the processing of charitable donations means UK organisations need to act to avoid disruption to their fundraising on Facebook and Instagram. Fundraisers should also note that processing fees will now be incurred.
National Lottery funding distributors announce big changes
Both The National Lottery Community Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund have launched their new funding strategies. A summary of the changes is provided.
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