new funding sources following the covid-19 outbreak
TRANSCRIPT
New funding sources following the Covid-19 outbreak We are in uncharted territory and the situation is changing daily, if not hourly. This is intended as a guide to where croups, charities and social enterprises might find additional funding which they might need as a result of Coronavirus and the general shutdown of society. Many grant funders are saying that they are willing to be flexible with their grantees – so if you already have a grant, talk to your funder about redeploying resources to meet the new and emerging needs facing you and your beneficiaries. Talk to them too about any additional funding they may be able to make available to you – again many funders are indicating a willingness to release additional funds to grant holders, or to reprofile current grant agreements so that more monies are made available now. This is the second week of the Funding Update. We hope you are finding it useful. We hope to update this guidance regularly as new information is made available. If you come across a fund or funder which might be of interest across the sector, please let us know so we can include it here and help as many organisations as possible access funding. Contact [email protected] Thanks to the many sources of information used to compile this daily update. Apologies if I’ve lifted text unedited from other people’s materials – hopefully it will be seen in a spirit of co-operation and mutual support in these difficult times – and please feel free to distribute the information in here to wherever it might be useful!
Updated 3.4.2020 (and reordered alphabetically) General information Charity Bank Resource Hub here Charity Commission – Coronavirus (Covid-19) guidance for the charity sector Advice and guidance on a range of issues affecting charities here Charity tax group information click here
Good Finance Covid-19 resource hub for charities and social enterprises click here Gov.uk Covid-19 updates for businesses and employers View the updates here Institute of Fundraising @IoFtweets View the updates here
NCVO NCVO (a membership organisation championing the work of the voluntary sector nationally) has made many of its resources available free of charge, and pulled together some updates from various sources, and in particular updates from funders regarding their existing grant programmes click here
Penny Mordaunt. ‘Large package’ of help for charities from government on its way. Civil Society Media reports Penny Mordaunt, Paymaster General has hinted that a ‘large package’ of support for charities is on its way. Similar hints have been made by other government ministers in recent days – so watch this space! 02.04.20
Funding available now (grants) Arts Council emergency funding The Arts Council have announced a package of measures to help arts organisations, whether or not they are already funded by them. Some funding is also available to individuals. More information here Cadent Foundation Grants of between £100 and £100,000 are available through their regular grant making process. Cadent are a new grant giver and have already given £240,000 to the Trussell Trust. General priorities are:
Projects that help alleviate suffering and hardship of people in vulnerable situations
Projects that will help and protect the environment
Projects that provide a better and healthier community for people to live in and use
More information here CAF Coronavirus Emergency Fund The fund is to help smaller charities affected by the impact of Covid-19. Grants of up to £10k are available. Priorities for funding are likely to be:
Charities, and other organisations, whose established charitable activities are at risk of being severely reduced to the detriment of vulnerable groups
Organisations that are having to deliver core services in fundamentally different or unusual ways in order to respond to the crisis and still reach their beneficiaries
Organisations that are deeply embedded with communities and have established networks to deliver their charitable activities
Organisations experiencing current cashflow problems, rather than concerns that future income will be reduced
More information here
Clothworkers’ Emergency Capital Programme Small capital grants of up to £5k for essential capital items to adapt or increase services in response to Coronavirus. Priority will be given to projects supporting people within their existing programme areas (see website for these). Applicants should have income of less than £2m. More information here
Comic Relief FAQ regarding current funding, read here Crisis In this together A fund to support organisations working to support the homeless or reduce homelessness. Two programmes are available, grants of up to £5k and grants of up to £50k. Details of both programmes can be found here Forever Manchester Community Support Fund
Annual income less than £50k
Grants of £1k
Decision within 2 weeks Click here to apply Greater Manchester Combined Authority - Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership In a joint statement from these Greater Manchester commissioners, they thank the VCSE for all their work on behalf of GM citizens and seek to reassure the sector of their continued support. Specific support offered includes:
Do everything we can to support your financial position - for example through more regular or upfront payment of existing grants where we can and ‘rolling over’ recurrent grants for next year without the need for formal applications
Continue to lobby Government about the importance of the sector and the support you need to enable you to undertake vital work with all our communities
Be flexible on reporting and monitoring for the foreseeable future, so that you can free up time to focus on your frontline support to communities
Give you the freedom you need to use your funding where you think it will have the most impact wherever we can and not tie you to previously agreed delivery targets or outcomes. Where we can’t do this (because it is outside our control) we will tell you, and work with you to agree a sensible way forward
Maintain an open, honest and regular dialogue about the challenges you’re facing and how we can help
Promote the work you’re doing to the wider public through our core channels to garner additional support and resources
Full statement can be read here Greggs – Local Community Projects Fund Currently concentrating efforts on supporting food initiatives through their Breakfast Club schools. More information here Heritage Lottery Fund – Heritage Emergency Fund We will be investing the £50m where it is needed most, by providing short-term funding for organisations delivering heritage projects or running
previously funded projects, and safeguarding heritage sites we have previously invested in to ensure they are not lost to the public. The Heritage Emergency Fund will be available as:
A fund that organisations can access over the next three-six months as short-term funding to stabilise operations and manage unforeseen risks. Grants of between £3,000-£50,000 will be available
A select number of key strategic investments where heritage is identified as at greatest risk. This could include grant increases to funded projects that are currently underway
More information here Leathersellers Company Small grants programme In the light of the unprecedented challenges that now face small charities providing vital services to the most vulnerable members of our community, the small grants programme will prioritise applications from UK registered charities which are currently supporting:
the homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless
provision of food and essential supplies
victims of domestic violence
nursing care to vulnerable patients More information here Localgiving / Postcode Community Trust Magic Little Grants Grants of £500 to small local organisations to support and inspire people to participate in sports or exercise. This can include online fitness classes during a period of social distancing. Applicants need to be members of Localgiving, but this is currently free of charge and simple to sign-up to. More information here Local Trust has released additional funding to Big Local areas Big Local areas can now apply to the Local Trust for additional funding to help with their response to Coronavirus. More information here Mad Trust Hardship Fund Small one-off crisis payments for theatres that are part of the MAD family. Grants of up to £200. More information here
Manchester Wellbeing Fund – Fast-track Grants The Manchester Wellbeing Fund wants to support groups which are developing new ways of keeping in touch with the most vulnerable in our communities. We need to take care of the mental wellbeing of those around us – and now more than ever community groups are adapting and responding. Some examples of the types of costs that will be supported are:
basic mobile phones or smartphones
printing and distribution of information leaflets about support available
replacing a group's outdated laptop
group subscriptions to services such as Zoom
online training in use of social media
craft and creative materials
Fast-track grants of between £250 and £500 are available and we will aim to decide on applications within 10 days. We don't want to duplicate the excellent work that is already being co-ordinated across the city so kindly ask that groups do not apply for funding for food parcels or other essentials. More information here National Emergencies Trust This is a fund that has been distributed via the Community Foundation network. In Manchester, funds from it have been added to Forever Manchester’s Community Support Fund which is currently offering grants of £1,000 to smaller VCSE groups responding to the Coronavirus outbreak. More information here National Lottery Community Fund Statement of funding priorities for the next 6 months can be found here No new money is available, but funding decisions will be made based on organisations’ response to Covid-19. Neighbourly Community Fund Organisations already funded through Neighbourly can apply for an additional grant of £400. More information here
Power to Change Suspends All Current Funding Programmes Groups that were planning to apply to any of the Power to Change funding programmes will now have to wait until the programmes reopen later in 2020. Power to Change has paused all future rounds of its funding programmes as it focuses attention on supporting community businesses affected by COVID-19. The following programmes are closed effective immediately: Community Business Bright Ideas Fund; Community Business Fund; Homes in Community Hands; Community Share Booster Programme and More Than a Pub. More information here Resource Action Fund (WRAP) Deadlines have been extended for applications to this programme of work. The fund was established to support resources efficiency projects, with the goal of diverting, reducing and better managing waste, particularly food and textile waste. There are three strands of funding available. Value from food waste These grants will support collaborative pilot projects that trial and test new processes and ideas to specifically target difficult and challenging streams of wasted food, to ensure that this food remains useful and retains value, preventing it from being sent for disposal and becoming waste. Closing date 23.04.2020 Citizen food waste behaviour change grant These grants will support projects that demonstrate new and proven citizen interventions that will encourage and influence citizens to reduce food waste. The aim of this grant is to support new, behaviour change interventions that encourage citizens to waste less food. Closing date 22.04.2020 Textiles recycling and re-use small-scale grant The aim of this grant is to support projects that will enable textile waste materials to be recycled or re-used, diverting this waste from landfill or incineration, ensuring that it remains a valuable resource. WRAP is looking to support projects that demonstrate a level of innovation beyond normal industry practice. This may include new technologies, equipment not tried and tested before, or interventions that help to address and overcome barriers to textile recycling or re-use. Closing date 18.06.2020 Minimum grants for all three schemes above is £20,000. More information here
COVID-19 Emergency Surplus Food Grant. Government announced 3.4.20 that they will be releasing funds to support the infrastructure helping to get surplus food from restaurants etc to where it can be usefully redistributed. Funds will be released in three phases, with phase 1 involving direct approaches to organisations that have previously applied for Resource Action Fund support. Phases 2 and 3 will be open for new grant applications from 9.4.20. More information here Salford CVS Small Grants Grants of up to £500 to address an immediate need. Funded by NHS Salford CCG, grants can be used for supporting the health and wellbeing of those affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Grants only available to members of Salford CVS. More information here Sport England A range of measures have been announced, ranging from grants from £300 to £10k for organisations helping to keep the nation active, whether or not they have been previously supported by Sport England to support for organisations that are in receipt of a grant which will shortly end. More information here
Standard Life Foundation We will fund a range of strategic work. This is work that benefits more than individuals and has the potential to benefit large numbers of people within the UK. This work must aim to create a step change in policy, practice, attitudes and/or behaviour. It includes policy work, campaigning, research, public attitudinal work, and improving practice and design. Grants from £5,000 upwards. More information here Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust
Registered charities working with early years disadvantaged children
Unrestricted grants of up to £5,000
Supports work that will o Improve reach to targeted groups of 0-3yrs o Bring about improved defined outcomes
Click here to apply
Technology for social isolation fund Government funding up to £25k to develop innovative solutions to help reduce social isolation using technology. This is a challenge to the technology sector to help reduce social isolation amongst the elderly, vulnerable and self-isolating More information here The Charity Service To assist organisations through the current crises The Charity Service have set up an emergency grant fund, up to £500 that organisations can apply for by completing a short one page application. Funds will not be available to cover core/day to day costs or to replace funding that may have been lost from elsewhere. The emergency funds are intended to cover such things as:
Additional costs (due to a change in your normal working practices) to support your client group/local community
emergency food/provisions required by your clients Applications will go through a basic assessment process and approved applications will have the funds transferred directly into their bank account (written proof of account will be required) as quickly as possible. More details contact Pete Yarwood on 0793 6917 679 or email: [email protected] Thomas Pocklington Trust Support for registered sight-loss charities. TPT will cover up to two months’ running costs or £10k, whichever is the lowest. More information here
Waitrose Community Support Fund John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose are making £1m available to their local communities for support where it is needed locally. Apply to your local Waitrose for more details. More information here We Love Manchester Covid-19 Community Response Fund Grants from £500 to £3000. Use the form which is downloadable from their website here
Yapp Charitable Trust Support small registered charities (annual income less the £40k) with grants for running costs. £3k grants with possibility of multi-year funding. Priorities are:
Elderly people
Children and young people aged 5 - 25
People with physical impairments, learning difficulties or mental health challenges
Social welfare – people trying to overcome life-limiting problems of a social, rather than medical, origin (such as addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse, offending)
Education and learning (with a particular interest in people who are educationally disadvantaged, whether adults or children)
More information here
Youth Futures Foundation Funding will go to organisations working with young people aged 14-24 to help overcome barriers to finding meaningful work. The foundation are looking for approaches that can be tested, evaluated and, where proven to be effective, expanded to more young people. Available to not-for-profits or statutory organisations that have been operating for three and with a track record of working with NEET young people, annual turnover of £100k and not at risk of financial crisis. Development grants of £30k -£100k Impact grants £100k - £800k More information here
Other support Digital support
Many VCSE sector organisations are having to pivot quickly to distance working
and working-from-home arrangements. This can be a challenge for a sector
which hasn’t always done this traditionally, and who don’t have the budget or
staff to quickly mobilise digital infrastructure.
A wide range of technology tools and companies have introduced offers to
support organisations responding to Covid-19. A few that might be helpful for
you include:
Microsoft Teams is being widely used by public services (including
across the NHS). It includes video-conferencing facilities, the ability to
share files, and instant messaging tools (like SMS messages, but on a
computer). Microsoft are now making a free version of Teams available
to anyone. This might help you to engage more effectively with public
sector organisations in your area. Find information on how you can sign
up here
Zoom is also being widely used (and proving to be quite stable) for
people to video-conference over the internet. Find out more about how
to use it here
Dropbox is a service for sharing files remotely. It is offering free Business
accounts for 3 months to charities and non-profits working on Covid-19
response. Sign up here
Mailchimp is a system for sending out email newsletter (it simplifies
distribution lists, scheduling of emails etc.) It is making a similar offer of
free access to its paid-for service (called ‘Standard’) to Governments and
charities who need to communicate with people about the disease. Sign
up here
United We Stream Whilst not a source of potential funds for groups, this initiative is a way of supporting Greater Manchester’s night time economy and the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s charity. It will stream content from around Manchester every night on www.unitedwestream.co.uk featuring live DJ sets, music and other live performances for free, but with the option of buying a virtual ticket to support the causes mentioned above. Donate A fundraising platform which has agreed to waive some fees for new organisations joining to run a fundraising campaign. More information here
Crowdfunder This is now 100% free for community organisations responding to the Coronavirus crisis. Start a campaign now Crowdfunding support: People of the Streets are also offering to support with ‘crowdsourcing’ items that charities need. Email: [email protected] Funraisin - Offering free support to groups to help them turn their cancelled live events into virtual ones, or to create socially integrated campaigns to help organisations replace lost fundraising income. More information here