Your weekly funding news and deadlines update from GrantTracker.
Funding News
National Lottery Communities Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund
Up to £100,000 for individual organisations. If you are working with other organisations to share services or are considering merging with another organisation, talk to them before you apply as they may consider awarding more than £100,000. A number of changes have been made to the scheme. For example, you might need them to fund salaries to free up time of existing members of staff, personal development and training, leadership programmes, digital capacity, and so on. They will consider any reasonable cost if it’s the best way to achieve the change you are working towards.
ASDA: Empowering Local Communities Grant
Empowering Local Communities is an Asda Foundation grant for local groups aimed at supporting a broad range of activities which contribute towards transforming communities and improving lives. They know the rising cost of living is having a big impact on communities and this grant is open to groups helping to address this issue. Groups supporting refugees arriving to the UK are also welcome to apply under this grant. The application window is 30th May – 19th August.
Their funding rounds this year are scheduled for the beginning of March; June; September; and December; you can apply at any time ahead of the deadlines. Applications must align with their themes and be for children aged 16 years or under.
- Shine Bright Funding - Grants are awarded to purchase educational and art materials; toys; books; and emotional support items for young people aged 16 and under who have been challenged by abuse; addiction; homelessness; or those who are child carers. Please note, they are only able to fund charitable organisations.
- Project Funding - Project grants awarded up to £2,500 to support young people aged 16 years and under responding to one or more of the 7 stars priorities: abuse, addiction, homelessness and child carers.
In 2022, Coca‑Cola will donate a further €100,000 to youth-orientated non-profit groups committed to support young people to build sustainable communities. For the purposes of the Fund, young people are defined as those aged between 16 and 25 years of age. This year, the Fund will focus on one overall theme – Investing in Sustainable Communities - enabling everyone to live in a community where economic and environmental sustainability as well as social equity is at its heart. The Fund will help to nurture a generation of change champions who will help to shape, create and maintain sustainable communities for the benefit of all.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA): Forestry Grants
The Forest Service encourages the creation of new woodlands and the management of existing woodlands by providing grant aid towards the cost of the work. There are various schemes available. Currently accepting applications for Small Woodland Grant and Forest Expansion Scheme.
Community Foundation for Northern Ireland: Micro Community Fund
The Foundation is making changes to the application process and will be hosting an online Information Workshop into the new application process to be held 4th July at 7pm. Click link to find out more and register.
Upcoming Deadlines
The Slieve Rushen Wind Farm Fund is a community fund managed in conjunction with the Fermanagh Trust. The Fund is inviting applications in the 2022 / 2023 round of funding towards: One-off grant aid up to a maximum of £2,000 to support community initiatives taking place up to 31 March 2023 and Capital projects up to a maximum of up to £8,000 per annum in any financial year, over a 3 year period which will have a lasting legacy on the lives of people living in the area. The fund is open to community and voluntary organisations/projects which are not politically affiliated, and which are located within a twelve-mile radius of the Slieve Rushen Wind farm.
Application deadline 12noon on 24 June 2022.
BBC Northern Ireland: Broadcast Appeal
Applications are now being invited for upcoming Broadcast Appeal slots on local television and radio. These opportunities will be available from December 2022 onwards. The Community Life programme is broadcast four times a year on BBC Northern Ireland television. It profiles the work and support needs of a featured charity and also includes news about developments within the community and voluntary sectors.
Application deadline 5pm, 29 June 2022.
Grind Coffee Small Grant Scheme
Social Farms & Gardens have partnered with sustainable coffee brand GRIND to offer three grants of £1,300 each to support composting activities in community gardens. Only members of Social Farms & Gardens are eligible to apply. Membership is free.
Application deadline 5pm, 29 June 2022.
Rural Community Network: Ours to Share Grant Programme
The ‘Ours to Share’ grant programme is for rural community groups/organisations who are interested in developing heritage projects in rural areas. Grants for up to £1,000 and £5,000 are available. This grant programme has been created to help support rural communities in developing and delivering heritage projects that will bring people together to celebrate our diverse heritage.
Application deadline 5pm, 30 June 2022.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Covid Recovery Small Settlements Regeneration Programme:
- Village & Rural Enhancement - capital grants between £50,000 and £100,000 at a grant rate of 100% for community groups/associations. Expression of Interest deadline 12 noon 30 June 2022.
- Vacant to Occupied - Capital funding up to £40,000 at a grant rate of 80% is available to encourage owners of vacant commercial premises to invest in their buildings, enhance the aesthetics of the village/rural settlement, attract tenants, reduce long term vacancy and create local employment. Application deadline 12 noon 30 June 2022.
Articles and Resources
Guest Blogs for the voluntary and community sector
Our goal is to help the voluntary and community sector to innovate, develop and improve to meet the needs of the communities it serves. To do this, NICVA works with a diverse range of organisations to provide information, guidance, and resources. Click link to view a few of the recent Guest Blogs from local, regional and national organisations including Friends of the Earth, Fundraising Regulator, Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and many more.
Other articles & resources
Upcoming Fundraising Training
Develop your fundraising skills and support your organisations long-term stability with our training:
22 June 2022 - 10:30am to 12:30pm
This two-hour webinar will help you evaluate your current funding position and plan for the future. Using a range of planning tools, we’ll explore the key components of a fundraising strategy and the steps needed to create one.
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