This Week’s Funding News wc 2nd November 2020

New or Updated Funds

Department for Communities (Via CFNI):  COVID-19 Culture, Language, Arts and Heritage Support Programme (Opening 2nd November)

A £2m support fund from The Department for Communities (DfC) to address the ongoing pressures on the Arts, Culture, Heritage and Disability sectors due to COVID-19, as well as provide support renewal and new ways for arts and culture to engage and benefit grassroots communities, and those with disabilities.  Managed by the Community Foundation for NI, the fund opens on 2nd November 2020 with grants between £2,000 to £20,000.

Department for Communities  (Via Arts Council of NI):  Stability and Renewal Programme for Organisations (Closing 12 Noon, 27th November)

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland will deliver, on behalf of the Department for Communities, a £7.75m programme of support, aimed at helping arts and cultural sector recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.   Through the Stability and Renewal Programme for Organisations, grants of up to £500,000 are available to organisations working in the arts and cultural sector to help them respond to the immediate impacts of the Covid-19 crisis, including help with re-opening, adapting and stabilising their organisations in the long-term

Department for Communities (Via National Lottery Heritage Fund): Heritage Recovery Fund Northern Ireland (Opening 2nd November)

Grants of £3,000 to £250,000 for organisations across the heritage ecosystem that were financially sustainable before COVID-19, have exhausted all other reasonable financing options and are now at risk of failure.  This fund will support these organisations to ensure that successful applicants can reopen by 31 March 2021. If reopening under social distancing is not permissible or does not represent a value for money approach, the fund will support organisations to operate on a sustainable and cost-efficient basis so that they are able to reopen at a later date.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

New funding strategy and way of working.  Funding priorities now to improve their natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. Their grants support organisations’ core or project costs, including staff salaries and overheads. They also provide unrestricted funding for charities. They do not fund building or equipment costs, or individuals.  Minimum grant size is £30,000.

National Church Trust: Gateway Grants

Grants of £3,000 to £10,000 towards project development and investigative work up to RIBA planning stage 1, to support churches preparing for a major project, and in developing their project to the point at which they can approach a major grant funder. Also grants of £3,000 to £10,000 to local church trusts to support organisational development, increase their capacity to churches in their area or that deliver new ways of supporting churches in their area.

The Isla Foundation: Immediate Impact Grants (Next Closing Date 12th November)

The Immediate Impact Grant responds to the needs expressed by local communities.  They award grants of between £300 and £2,000 for entrepreneurial individuals, voluntary/community organisations, schools/PTAs, clubs and societies in the UK. They can cover a wide range of projects aimed at creating positive changes in people’s lives and in their communities.

Dates to Note

Black Santa Appeal (Closing Date Extended to 27th November)

The Black Santa Appeal by the Dean of St. Anne's Cathedral supports a broad range of charitable causes including: medical research; children and young people; older people; the improvement of employment opportunities for young people and a host of small charities which cannot afford to employ paid fundraisers.  For 2020, the Dean especially welcomes applications from organisations supporting those who have faced the greatest impact of the Covid pandemic, including charities working in the areas of Mental Health, Unemployment, Care of the Elderly, and the Arts.​

Trusthouse Charitable Foundation (Major Grants Programme Opens 8th November)

Trusthouse is a medium-sized, UK-wide, independent grantmaking foundation which makes grants totalling around £2.5 million a year to projects relating to rural issues and urban deprivation.  Provides Small grants of £2,000 to £10,000 or Major grants of £10,000 and £100,000 for core costs, salaries, running and project cost.

W G Edwards Charitable Foundation

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.

Garfield Weston Foundation: Weston Culture Fund (Closing 5pm, 9th November)

This one-off, £25 million fund supports mid to large scale cultural organisations in the UK to help them restart work, re-engage with audiences, adapt to changed circumstances and generate revenue. Specifically for charitable organisations with a pre-Covid regular annual income of £500,000 or greater; smaller organisations will be able to apply for their regular grants programme via their website as usual.  Grants available from a minimum of £100,000 to a maximum of £2 million based on size of organisation.

NB To see ALL new and updated funds and deadlines, plus over 860 other funding schemes in a one-stop format, subscribe to NI's Leading database, GrantTracker, for just £100 a year for NICVA members and £145 for non-members here.

NB You can see ALL current and paused COVID-19 funding schemes on NICVA's constantly updated COVID-19 Fundraising Hub