Urgent Updates

Arts Council NI: Organisations Emergency Programme (This fund is now closed to new applications)

Offering grants of up to £25,000 to small and medium sized organisations to help them continue creative work, assist with extra operational costs due to COVID-19, and to help plan for recovery. 

BBC Children in Need: COVID-19 Next Steps Grant (This fund is now closed to new applications)

The Next Steps Programme offered grants of £5,000 and £80,000 for projects commencing in September 2020 to deliver support for children and young people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  If you have not yet started an application form on their Portal, you will not be able to apply.   If you have already started an application form, you still have time to complete this. The deadline to submit your form will be 11.59pm Wednesday 1st July. They will be opening further COVID-19 response funding programmes in July and October. 

 

New or Updated Funding Schemes 

Community Foundation for NI: The New Needs Fund (Opened today, 29th June)

Grants of £3,000 to £15,000 to help organisations and communities to respond better, addressing new needs appearing as a result of the Coronavirus and where restrictions mean finding new ways of meeting existing needs and #build back better, helping to ensure organisations can thrive and continue to provide longer-term support to communities.

Community Foundation for NI: Techies in Residence

Funded by Comic Relief and managed by CFNI, the Techies in Residence (TiR) programme is focused on creating powerful change within communities through digital technology.  The  programme will open for applications on Tuesday 28th July 2020.  However, you first need to register for the first stage of the programme Online Design Hops here.

Ecclesiastical Insurance: Movement for Good Awards (50K awards)

An online nomination scheme programme designed to give £1million to charities.  The aim is to put their giving directly into the hands of remarkable organisations (like yours perhaps) that are changing people’s lives for the better. 10 charities will be awarded £50,000.

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA): Environment Fund

An Environmental Challenge Competition has now been launched by DAERA for projects to help people to connect with the natural environment and to conserve our most important habitats. Key areas for funding are 1) Nature Recovery: Building ecological and climate resilience and Outdoor Recreation and 2) Connecting People with the Environment.

PetPlan Charitable Trust: Covid-19 Equine Rescues Emergency Fund

The Petplan Charitable Trust (PPCT) has joined together with World Horse Welfare and the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) to create a Covid-19 Equine Rescues Emergency Fund.  The fund is to help smaller equine welfare organisations across the UK who are being significantly impacted by the current crisis.   The maximum grant will be £5,000 with the expectation that the average grant will be around £2,500.

Rank Foundation: Pebble Grants

Rank Foundation’s small funding stream for UK registered charities and recognised churches for projects where the total cost is under £150,000.  Covers capital projects (building work, refurbishment or the purchase of long-term equipment) and one-off short-term activity (such as an annual respite break or holiday for disadvantaged young people).  You must have already raised a third of the total costs and have an income under £500,000.

eBay UK £1.7m funding & training support package to boost charity online retail

Ebay has launched a package of financial support and training to help charities use online retail to raise funds with the pandemic still impacting activities. Providing unrestricted grants of £1.7million to 250 of the charities most affected by declines in online revenue on its platform, to help make up for the shortfall in sales as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

 

Key Upcoming Dates

Nationwide Building Society: Community Grants (Closing date possibly 29th June (may be extended depending on number of applications received)

Charities, Community Land Trusts and housing co-operatives who are making positive changes in their local areas can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £50,000.

Moy Park Community Support Fund  (Launching 1st July)

A new Moy Park Community Support Fund will be launching on 1st July 2020 for a period of 24 months.  More details of funding available will be available then.

Edge Post Covid-19 Revival Fund (Closing 12 Noon on 9th July 2020)

A one-off fund of £250,000 for educational institutions and educational charities developing projects and initiatives to revive education and support the sector to build back better.  Grants are between £10,000 and £50,000 and must be spent within 24 months of the project start date. 

Food for Life Get Togethers Small Grant (Next Closing Date 5.30pm on 10th July)

Aims to harness the power of good food to get more people eating healthily, strengthen our communities and reduce experience of loneliness and social isolation.   Offering small grants of £150 from June 2020 to April 2021 to support community led food growing, cooking and sharing activity and Get Togethers.  

The National Lottery Community Fund: COVID-19 Charities Fund (Closing 4pm on 10th July)

The National Lottery Fund are distributing the COVID-19 Charities Fund with a grant from the Northern Ireland Department for Communities. This funding programme will provide financial support to charities who have lost income due to the impact of COVID-19 and are not able to cover unavoidable costs until 30 September 2020.

Aughrim Programme (Next Closing Date 12 Noon 10th July)

Aughrim Landfill Programme is a partnership between Aughrim Landfill Ltd and Groundwork NI. Funding for Aughrim Landfill Programme is through the Landfill Communities Fund (LFC) and is derived from Aughrim Landfill Ltd’s operations at Aughrim landfill site.  Grants of £5,000 to £10,000 for community groups in Northern Ireland to support projects working in the conservation and promotion of biodiversity projects and protection of social environment.

Hilden Charitable Fund (Next Closing Date 17th July)

The Hilden Charitable Fund awards grants to projects both in the UK and in developing countries. The aim of the fund is to address disadvantages, notably by supporting causes which are less likely to raise funds from public subscriptions. Both the UK and overseas fund policy is directed largely at supporting work at community level. 

 

More Funding Resources

You can see all COVID-19 funding schemes including the latest on Government, local Council and trust and foundation funding, on NICVA's constantly updated COVID-19 Fundraising Hub

To see over 800 other funding schemes in a one-stop format, subscribe to NI's Leading database, GrantTracker, for just £100 a year for NICVA members here.

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