Your weekly funding news and deadlines update from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Belfast City Council’s Small Grants 2024-25 Tranche 1 now open
Applications from eligible organisations are welcome for the following grants: Community Festivals Fund, Arts & Heritage, Good Relations, Parks Events, Community Summer Scheme, Sports Events, and Support for Sport: Large Development Grant, Small Development Grant, Hospitality Grant , and Sporting Individual Grant. Deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 12 January 2024. They will be hosting a range of information sessions on how to apply. Click link to find out more.
Police Property Fund Grants Scheme opening 1 November
The Police Property Fund is made up of assets recovered by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as a result of criminal investigations. The Small Grants Scheme offers project funding in the range £1000-£10,000. Applications must demonstrate the following criteria to be eligible for consideration: Engagement with the Police Service of Northern Ireland; Contribute to community safety/ and or building confidence in policing; and Closely aligned towards a charitable purpose. If you would like more information or to register your interest, just email [email protected].
Scottish Government: Scottish Connections Fund
The Scottish Connections Fund offers funding to organisations to set up new projects to promote Scotland’s reputation and interests. It is open to worldwide Scottish diaspora organisations and their members. You can bid for a grant between £2,000 and £5,000, from an available £15,000 in 2023 to 2024. Projects must be completed by the end of March 2024. Deadline 8 November 2023 (5pm).
Peter Sowerby Foundation: Breakthrough Open Call
This is an Open Call to support up to 5 charities to receive initial scale up funding of up to £500,000 for the launch or scale of existing initiatives to tackle the UK’s most pressing health issues through innovation in process, patient care or structural and systemic changes in primary healthcare. Deadline for Expression of Interest forms is 14th December 2023 (5pm).
AIM Arts Scholars Brighter Day Grant Scheme
The Arts Scholars Charitable Trust provides funding for the AIM Arts Scholars Brighter Day Grant Scheme offering grants between £1,500 and £8,000 for AIM members. Their priority is ensuring museums at risk of closure, losing vital skills and knowledge, or unable to provide effective collections care, are supported to ensure future viability. The scheme has a special focus on small museums and others that have found it difficult to access support. The fund will support education, training, curation, and exhibition projects that address collections care and sustainability of historic and decorative arts collections. Deadline 8 December 2023 (5pm).
Arts Council of Northern Ireland- National Lottery funding for organisations
- National Lottery Organisations Digital Evolution Awards – Funding objectives are the upskilling NI arts organisations in the use of new, emerging and immersive Digital Technology and the creation of excellent Digital Art. Arts organisations the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £10,000 each for proposals that will take place between 1 February 2024 and 31 January 2025. Deadline 1 December 2023 (noon).
- National Lottery Small Grants Programme - The aim of this programme is to assist organisations to deliver arts projects which contribute to the growth of arts in the community for new and existing audiences and which reflect the diversity of Northern Ireland’s society and culture. You can apply for an award between £500 and £5,000 for any project. This a rolling programme which will remain open until the budget is spent.
Upcoming Deadlines
The Primary Club, a registered charity and membership organisation that provides financial support for a wide range of recreational and sporting facilities for the blind and visually impaired (VI), has launched a new funding initiative. Deadline 31 October 2023.
Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation
Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation aims to improve the wellbeing, welfare and education of children and adults in communities throughout the UK by making donations of up to £6,000 to registered charities. Deadline 1 November 2023.
LCCC Hardship Funding Programme 2023/2024
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has developed a Hardship Funding Programme to support constituted/legally governed community and voluntary /not for profit organisations to address hardship due to the current cost of living crisis, particularly the increase in energy and food costs. Applicants can apply for up to a maximum of £2,000 to address any of the key aims. Deadline 3 November 2023 (noon).
Public Health Agency - grants for Sports Clubs
The Clear Project, in conjunction with the Public Health Agency, are offering constituted, voluntary sector sports clubs in the Western Trust area the opportunity to avail of training which will help them support their members and get £500 worth of relevant sports equipment for the club. Deadline 6 November 2023 (3pm).
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Tackling Textiles Grant: Skills and Innovation
The launch of the second year of the Tacking Textiles Grant: Skills and Innovation follows the successful pilot grant in 2022. Applications welcome from Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (under 250 employees), Social enterprises, Charities, Not for profit organisations, and Community & voluntary groups for grants between £500 to £2,500 supporting projects tackling textile waste through waste prevention, reuse, repair and reimagine. Deadline 9 November 2023 (5pm).
The following Community Benefits Funds from the Community Foundation for NI offer Micro grants of up to £3,000 for small projects and Strategic grants of £30,000 over a 2-year period for larger scale strategic partnership projects, with one lead applicant. Applications welcome from constituted community and voluntary groups addressing Energy efficiency and sustainability, Social, cultural or sporting benefit for the local community, Educational issues with a sustainability angle, and Environmental benefit or economic benefit. Deadline for all, is 10 November 2023 (1pm):
- Long Mountain Community Benefit Fund
- Rathsherry Community Benefit Fund
- Thornog Community Benefit Fund
Fundraising Support for autumn 2023
Events
Last event in the Free Online Introductory Fundraising Workshops series
We have held 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.
- Communicating your Need - 15 November 2023; 12:00pm to 12:45pm
Chartered Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland offer FREE places to small charities
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Forum makes a welcome return this autumn, hosted at the National Football Stadium, Windsor Park on Thursday 9 November. They are offering free places for small charities on a first come, first served basis..
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:
- 22 November 2023 (2 places left)
Resources
Explore the Fundraising Hub for a wide range of resources to support your fundraising journey. A few are below:
#TicktheBox for Gift Aid – why it’s important
Every year, charities miss out on £560m in unclaimed Gift Aid. As we face a tough funding climate with increasing costs, encouraging your supporters to #TicktheBox means we can make an even bigger difference in these tough times.
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.
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