This Week's Funding News wc 25th May 2020

DETAILS OF OUR FREE GRANTTRACKER OFFER

You can see all the schemes listed in a one-stop format, (and over 800 more relevant to NI charities), on GrantTracker, our funding database.  And we're still offering a month's free access to GrantTracker to any organisation in the sector who needs it in these challenging times.  Join the 243 organisations who have already benefitted....

For the latest on Government, local Council and trust and foundation funding, keep checking GrantTracker and our constantly updated articles on NICVA's COVID-19 Fundraising Hub

And keep up to date by following NICVA's Fundraising Advice Officer on Twitter

Also, see my latest article on “How to get the most out of GrantTracker during COVID-19 and beyond”

 

NEW & UPDATED COVID-19 GRANT SCHEMES FROM LOCAL COUNCILS

4 Councils are still running competitive, open grant schemes.  The others have now closed their COVID-19 grant schemes or have been distributing funds other than by open competition.  See the link above for full details.

 

COVID-19 FUNDS FROM TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS CLOSING SOON

A £6 million, single round Covid-19 Impact Programme for Armed Forces charities and CICs to help them ensure that people from Armed Forces communities can keep accessing important services, where resources for these services have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Allocates funds generated from the VAT on sanitary products to projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. For 2020/2021 they welcome organisations applying for funding to include activities that seek to address the consequences of COVID-19 for disadvantaged women and girls.

Offering 5 grants of £10,000 to organisations working in the community and voluntary sector, who are delivering innovative and new projects offering additional value in social care at this time, in areas where statutory support is falling short of need, is limited, or in some places currently non-existent, as the public sector focuses on emergencies. The area of benefit is County Antrim only.  

Administered by Groundwork NI, the new ESB Northern Ireland COVID-19 Emergency Fund offers £250-£1000 grants for COVID-19 emergency projects and activities to support vulnerable people in ESB wind farms' areas of benefit.

A £2 million fund to help smaller organisations across the UK working with older people hardest hit by the virus.  Their Grants Fund will comprise of four separate funding rounds. In each round they will make £500,000 available where organisations can apply to receive up to £15,000 each.

Provides financial support to organisations, community and grassroots groups working to redress the impact of COVID-19 and beyond on those who identify as POC (which includes other terms such as BAME, racialised people, black indigenous, people of colour BIPOC). Grants range from £5,000 to £50,000 and for their first wave of funding they aim to redistribute £500,000.

 

COVID-19 FUNDS FROM TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS CURRENTLY OPEN (Including this week's new funds)

Every three months, £250,000 is shared equally among their UK employees to donate to the forward thinking projects that matter to them most. Each charity can apply for up to £50,000. In addition to the usual 2 key funding areas of community resilience and financial capability and inclusion, for the current round of funding they have broadened the eligibility criteria to include core running costs of causes looking to adapt or continue their vital services throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 2020 Booster Grants programme will open to current BBC Children in Need grant-holders from Monday 18th May 2020 and will enable organisations to apply for funding up to £5,000 over a 6 month period.

The COVID-19 Large Grants programme will open to applications from 8th June 2020 and will enable organisations to apply for funding up to £80,000 over an 18 month period.

An Emergency Funding programme to support charities that are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the current pandemic. The trust particularly welcomes applications from Christian based organisations.

Grants of up to £2500 for community based food provision responses that support local families with children under 10 as a result of the order to close schools and/or loss of household income as a result of the COVID-19 virus. As the closure order may run into the summer holiday period the fund is keen to support community based programmes that can provide support across this entire period.  (Managed by Community Foundation for NI)

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland's Coronavirus Community Fund is a key NI fund and aims to help constituted groups in NI to deal with the emerging issues of Coronavirus.  

NB This fund has been continually widening its focus.  The fund is now offering grants of up to 10K for the following -  

  • Older people (aged over 50) 
  • Those at increased risk, particularly in relation to poor mental health and wellbeing
  • Vulnerable isolated people and families, particularly those living in rural areas, families where a parent/ both parents have lost their employment or where children are living in poverty
  • Children and young people’s projects, particularly focusing on the voice of young people and connecting through creative mediums.  
  • Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities

NB Safeguarding guidelines changed on 27/03 to reflect the fact that groups want to respond to immediate COVID-19 issues and may not yet have full adult safeguarding policies and procedures in place.  

A new fund from the UK insurance and long-term savings industry, launched 18th May. Working in partnership with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), National Emergencies Trust (NET) and others. Aiming to raise £100 million to help those most affected by COVID-19, with £82.5 million already having been pledged.  NB Please note that this fund is not open to applications as it will use other partners like CAF and NET to distribute funds raised.

Cookstown and Western Shores Area Network (CWSAN) is providing a limited number of small grants of £150 each to assist very localised and isolated communities in rural areas throughout Mid Ulster during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This small grant is for safety equipment and fuel for volunteers up to a maximum of £150 for small local emergency support groups only who are working right across their local communities.

Now focusing their funding based on their core objectives in the former Antrim Borough Council area. All potential applicants need to contact the administrator directly with an outline of the new or existing project.

Continuing to accept applications for funding from: i) charities who are struggling to survive funding crises during the Covid-19 pandemic, and (ii) charities who are seeking funding for future projects/activities.

Making an additional £16 million of funding available this year in response to COVID-19.  £14 million will be in fast-response grants for organisations they currently support across all of their sectors: the arts, children and young people, environment, food and social change. £2 million will be for contributions to emergency funding schemes in collaboration with others.  Currently closed to new applications to concentrate support on organisations they already fund.  Had planned to reopen their new grant programmes (in line with their new strategy) in May, but this has now been delayed until September.

Established by the Impartial Reporter in partnership with The Fermanagh Trust, with donations of over £10,000 raised by the local community.   Open to organisations and agencies in Fermanagh who need support to improve the well-being of health and social care and home care personnel including volunteers. 

Now offering a single grants scheme offering grants of up to £5000 for COVID-19 related projects.  The aim is to make it easier for charities to access aid quickly to provide vital services during the Covid-19 crisis. 

Funded by M&S Family (including M&S Bank and M&S Energy), Lidl, Aldi, Danone UK & Ireland and Coca-Cola European Partners this new fund provides immediate micro-grants to community organisations that are helping the people most affected by the outbreak, including the elderly, those on low incomes and people at risk of food insecurity.   NB As of 25th May, more than 594K had been allocated out of an increased funding pot of £1.16 million (The original funding pot was just 500K.)  

2 New funds to help existing network and current grant recipients:

  • The Emergency Fund is for immediate grants of up to £750 to purchase equipment, technology or memberships;
  • The Resilience Fund will provide grants to cover cashflow, fundraising and loss of income, and to help with increased demand for services.

Initially, funding will only be available to the Foundation’s RankNet members, but public access may be given at a later date.  They are currently reviewing their Pebble Grants programme criteria to allow for wider, public access. 

A new fund for social enterprises and charities who are experiencing disruption to their normal business model as a result of COVID-19. It was established to make an existing government scheme (the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) more easily accessible to charities and social enterprises.  The £25m is part of a wider package of support announced by Big Society Capital.

Support Adoption For Pets provides funding to pet rescue organisations for purposes which make a real difference to the welfare of UK domestic pets in rescue and aim to reduce the number of domestic pets in rescue.  Their grant programme has been redeveloped to support rescues throughout the short and medium-term impact of the Coronavirus.

A £100 million COVID-19 Community Aid Package - The package consists of two strands. £50million will be donated to charities chosen by Barclays and £50million will be donated by matching their employees' personal donations (individual organisations cannot apply for this funding. The money will be disbursed principally in the UK, but also in Barclays’ international markets, including the USA and India.

In collaboration with the Legal Education Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, provides grants of up to £40,000 for one year to support legal action in all its forms – empowering, persuading, challenging – that seeks to protect vulnerable individuals and communities from the impact of Covid-19 and the response to the pandemic from public authorities, businesses, and communities.  ​  

Hardship grants of between £1,500 and £2,500 to enable individuals, including those on short-term PAYE contracts, to survive financially while they explore other ways of sustaining themselves during COVID-19. £1 million will be available to applicants living in England, and £500,000 to those living in NI

All funding decisions for the next six months (up to £300m of National Lottery funding) will be devoted to addressing the current crisis. In addition, they are accelerating the cash part of this funding as much as they can, so that they can get money to where it needs to be. This is not new money, but it will be faster money.

The new level of Heritage Emergency Fund grants are worth £50,000-£250,000. Available to all past and current National Lottery Heritage Fund grantees and can be used to cover essential costs for up to four months.  Intended to help organisations in the heritage sector address immediate risks, become more stable and work towards longer-term recovery after the crisis.  The new grants are in addition to the existing £3,000-£50,000 Heritage Emergency Fund grants which were launched in mid-April as the crisis began to unfold and will be open until 30th June. FAQ

The National Emergencies Trust launched an appeal to raise funds to help local charities to support those individuals suffering hardship as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The money raised is now available through the Community Foundation for NI's Coronavirus Community Fund - see above.   It released £2.5m to community foundations on 26th March.  (NB There is no separate fund.)​

Offering a dedicated package of free Covid-19 support for all forms of community business – including woodlands, farms, bakeries, pubs and shops, as well as those developing groups that have been affected by the pandemic.   Includes support and guidance on developing short – medium term cash flow, reviewing business plans, applying for funding, upholding good practice governance and utilising community shares and accessing government support.

A new £5million grant and one to one support and guidance fund for young entrepreneurs aged 18-30 affected by coronavirus. Grants can be used to maintain core business operations during the crisis, as well as meet any existing financial commitments, such as paying for essential equipment or settling invoices from suppliers

The Support Grants and Loans Package aims to support the electrical waste reuse and recycling sector as a result of the impact of the coronavirus.  It will provide £5 million of interest free loans to electrical waste treatment facilities and £0.6 million of grants to charity sector reuse organisations.

COVID-19 FUNDS FROM TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS CURRENTLY PAUSED/CLOSED, BUT EXPECTED TO REOPEN

COVID-19 FUNDS FROM TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS NOW CLOSED (UNLIKELY TO REOPEN)