Coronavirus: weekly funding updates - 1-5 June
As we receive updates from our research team in Liverpool, we'll post weekly updates to coronavirus funding programmes and more to help you (remember - don't forget to share!)
No time to read 50-page government policy documents? Don’t worry – we’ve done it so you don’t have to. Check out our short summary of the UK Government’s Our Plan to Rebuild policy paper on ending the social lockdown – wherein we summarise the key points, outline current timings, and raise issues for charity staff and trustees to consider (which, let’s face it, you won’t get in the gov.uk version). View our summary here.
Friday 5 June
Comic Relief Intermediary Funding: BAME-Led Partner Opportunity
Comic Relief aims to ensure that its funding reaches organisations led by and supporting a broad range of under-served communities. It’s therefore seeking BAME-led intermediary partners with the ability, expertise, networks and knowledge to distribute funding quickly to organisations across the UK. Open to applications from organisations that work either across the UK or within specific nations, Comic Relief has allocated £650,000 for this important work and is open to working with more than one partner to maximise the reach and impact of the funding available. The deadline for applications is midnight on Monday 8 June. More details on eligibility and how to apply are here.
The Elizabeth Casson Trust
Recognising the changing roles of occupational therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Elizabeth Casson Trust has decided to invest in individuals and the profession as a whole. The Trust will be offering funding to develop support for occupational therapists – the deadline for submission of proposals is 11 June 2020, and more details can be found here. The Trust is also offering funding of up to £10,000 per successful applicant to support the development of innovative practice in local areas – here, the next deadline for submission is 9 July, with award notifications due on 23 July. Further details can be found on the Trust’s website here.
Thursday 4 June
The Community Foundation for Staffordshire
The Community Foundation for Staffordshire has launched an appeal via JustGiving to raise funds for its Covid-19 response. The Foundation is offering three tiers of grants: up to grants of up to £1000, which they expect most applications to be; grants of between £1000 and £5000, which require a more detailed project plan; and grants of over £5000, charities should call the foundation to enquire about these.
Registered charities, constituted community or voluntary groups, and social enterprises are eligible to apply for Covid-19 support. Parish and Town Councils can apply for this fund, so long as they re not covering the costs of statutory responsibilities. Organisations that have formed in response to the Coronavirus crisis may be eligible, but should call the Foundation first to discuss their situation. Some businesses are also eligible, so long as their project supports the community and does not contribute to their own costs, profits or gain.
If enough funds are raised, the Foundation may also be able to offer grants to individuals for up to £500. Individuals should call the Foundation to discuss their situation before applying.
Statutory Funding: Local Authority Discretional Grants Fund
This is a new government grant that is mainly intended for small businesses, but charity properties getting charitable business rates relief are eligible if they are not eligible for small business rates relieve or rural rate relief.
Charities based in England with fewer than 50 employees and fixed building costs (such as rent) are eligible. Your charity must also have been trading on 11 March 2020 and have been adversely impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
If you have applied for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, you are still eligible to apply to this fund.
Charities should apply through their local council website, which they can find here.
Tuesday 2 June
The Jack and Ada Beattie Foundation
The Jack and Ada Beattie Foundation has launched a new fund Tons of Help for individuals in London and Birmingham struggling financially in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. Tons of Help is a flat rate grant of £100 for individuals to help them with basic needs during lockdown. There is no invasive application process for this fund; to apply, all individuals need to do is email [email protected] with a proof of address, proof of bank account ownership, and a short explanation of your circumstances.
The Clare Milne Trust
The Clare Milne Trust was established to help people with a range of disabilities and complex needs in the Devon and Cornwall areas. The Trustees recognise that COVID-19 is posing great challenges to many people and in acknowledgement of that, will be striving to offer as much support as possible to as many charities and organisations as they can. They will do this through their normal application process. The next deadline for applications is Monday, 20 June and the Trustees will meet on Wednesday, 15 July to consider requests. More information is available on the Trust’s website here, where there’s also a contact name and number to ring If you have urgent queries.
Monday 1 June
Asda Foundation
In light of the Coronavirus outbreak, the Asda Foundation has created two new grant schemes to support communities: the Hygiene Grant and the Healthy Holiday Grant. The Hygiene Grant is intended for residents and patients in facilities who are struggling or unable to provide their own toiletries and the Foundation expects applications to come from care homes, hospices, hospitals, and homeless shelters.
The Healthy Holiday Grant is intended for groups who would normally be providing summer holiday activities for children that would ensure they are provided with a hot meal but may be unable to do this now due to social distancing measures. If social distancing measures are relaxed before the summer holidays, community groups should apply for the standard Transforming Communities Improving Lives grants, but if social distancing measures haven’t relaxed then the Healthy Holiday Grant becomes applicable to allow groups to deliver provisions to children at home.
Charities, not-for-profit companies, community interest companies, and unincorporated clubs and associations are eligible for these grants and should get in touch with the Community Champion at their local Asda store to enquire about funding,
Bank of Scotland Foundation
The Bank of Scotland Foundation has broadened the eligibility criteria of its Reach programme so that more charities can apply and made Reach into a rolling monthly programme so that funding can reach charities quicker. The Reach programme is a grant programme for charities in Scotland that can demonstrate that they address disadvantage or social exclusion in a way that will affect positive and sustainable change.
Charities with an annual income of £1.5m or less can apply for funding amounts between £5,000 and £30,000 over one year. The next round opens for applications at 12 noon on Monday 8 June and closes on 12 noon Friday 12 June with funding being awarded in Mid-July.
For previous updates click here
