July 2017 | Newsletter

School’s out for some – but if you’re still hard at work, why not take advantage of some of the great opportunities we’ve collated for you in this month’s newsletter? With everything from infographics to free funding fairs, there’s something for everyone…

 

Build It Up
The Bernard Sunley Foundation makes grants to UK registered charities, mainly towards building projects – whether refurbishment or new building work. Their areas of work fall into 4 main categories:

  • Community: Village halls, youth centres and scout huts etc.
  • Education: Schools for young people with additional needs
  • Health: residential care housing, treatment centres and the provision of specialist equipment to enhance medical treatment and care
  • Social Welfare: residential care and day centres for those homeless or ‘at risk’, a particular focus on those with mental ill-health and ex-Armed Forces personnel

Most grants awarded are for amounts between £1,000 – £5,000, and are likely to be for less than 20% of the total cost of your project. There are no deadlines – application is via on online form on the Foundation’s website. Be aware that the form cannot be saved, so applicants should have all the information they need to complete the form before they begin the process.

 

Yorkshire & Humber Funding Fair
The Yorkshire & Humber Funders’ Forum is holding a free funding fair in October. The fair will provide local charities and voluntary organisations with the opportunity to meet more than 30 regional and national funders – including the Big Lottery Fund, Children in Need, Sir George Martin Trust and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

The event takes place in Wakefield on Wednesday 4th October. Tickets are free, but pre-booking is essential – visit the event page to book your place.

 

Here’s An Easy £2,000!
The Greggs Foundation’s Local Community Grants is now open for its third round. This funding makes grants of up to £2,000 to not-for-profit organisations throughout Great Britain, for projects that “improve resilience in your community”. All projects must support a community of interest:

  • Disabled or suffering chronic illness
  • Living in poverty
  • Voluntary carers
  • Homeless people
  • Isolated older people
  • Other demonstrable significant need

Projects should be able to fulfil at least one of the Foundation’s target outcomes:

  • Beneficiaries have decreased social isolation
  • Beneficiaries report improved health and wellbeing
  • Beneficiaries report improved resilience/coping mechanisms
  • Beneficiaries have improved life skills
  • Beneficiaries have improved opportunities

If your project fits the bill, why not apply? There is an online application form which can be found on the Greggs Foundation website. The deadline for applications for this round is 29th September, for which applicants will receive a decision by 24th November.

 

What Software Does Your Charity Need?
Since 2001, charities registered with the Technology Trust have saved more than £183 million by accessing donated software from companies like Microsoft, Google, Symantec, Adobe and more. By registering with them for free they hope to upgrade a charity’s software – helping you to become more efficient, save funds and focus on what’s really important – your cause. The only cost is a small fee per licence received (usually only about 4% of the regular cost of the software), which they charge to keep the programme going.

Examples include:

  •     Microsoft Office 2016 for £25*
  •     Adobe Acrobat XI for £48*
  •     Norton Security Deluxe for £8*
  •     Office 365 and Google for Nonprofits for free

The programme resets on 1st July each year. To learn more, go to the tt-exchange website.

 

The ACT Foundation
This charitable foundation makes grants to charities and individuals for work that benefits people with physical and/or mental disabilities. This falls into 3 main categories:

  • Building – funding modifications to homes (where a Disabled Facilities Grant (“DFG”) has already been awarded), charities, special schools, hospices etc.
  • Equipment – provision of specialist wheelchairs, other mobility aids and equipment including medical equipment and technology to assist independent living
  • Respite – help towards the cost of short-term respite breaks at registered respite centre

The majority of grants are for less than £10,000. Their current priority is “projects that make a transformational change and have a high level of impact on individuals, their families and communities”. There are no deadlines and no application form – details of how to apply can be found on the ACT Foundation website. The Foundation aims to make a decision on all applications within 3 months.

 

 

Looking For Volunteers?
If your project is based near an Aviva office, you could benefit from their employee volunteering scheme. Aviva gives its employees volunteering hours every year, to enable them to make a difference to a local charity or voluntary organisation. If your project is based near an Aviva location (see this article for a location list), and you could benefit from a pair of helping hands (or a few!), get in touch with Aviva by emailing them at cccc@aviva.com.

 

Quick and Easy Application!
The Woodroffe Benton Foundation makes grants in 4 main areas:

  • Relief of persons in need, hardship or distress by reason of disaster or as a consequence of social or economic circumstance
  • Provision/maintenance of care and accommodation for the sick and elderly
  • Promotion of education – in particular within the Derbyshire region
  • Environmental conservation/preservation/protection/improvement – in particular where this would encourage the provision of access by members of the general public.

Grants are for amounts between £250 – £2,000, and can be towards core or project costs. Application is via an online form which can be found on the Woodroffe Benton Foundation website. The next deadline date is mid-August, for applications to be considered at the October meeting.

 

St James’s Place Foundation
This charitable foundation makes grants towards three main causes:

  • Supporting Young People with Special Needs
  • Supporting Disadvantaged Young People
  • Supporting People with Cancer

Their Small Grants programme is open to UK registered charities with an annual income of less than £1,000,000. They accept applications from national, regional and local charities operating in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The maximum grant through their Small Grants scheme is £10,000 over any rolling 2-year period. There are no deadlines for applications – the Foundation states that the application process will usually take 4-6 months. For more information, and to apply, visit the St James’s Place Foundation website.

 

Only Need A Small Amount?
The Lynn Foundation supports a wide range of areas, including music, the arts, people with disabilities, older people and children. Their average grant is around £500 – but they make around 500 grants each year. If your charity could benefit from a small amount of funding, this one could be worth a try – application is simply in writing to the Foundation’s registered office at:

17 Lewes Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH17 7SP

 

A Bit Of Insight
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has recently published an infographic based on research around the UK’s charitable giving habits online. Insights include the median amount donated online (£20) and the key factors that influence people to donate – with sponsoring someone being the top reason for donating. You can see the infographic here.