Government to match fund overseas aid appeals
Howard Lake | 13 July 2011 | News
UK Aid Match
The Government’s Department for International Development has launched a one-year pilot programme called UK Aid Match. Worth an initial £30 million, the scheme will match fund substantial new donations from the public for work that focuses on poverty reduction in developing countries and the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals. A £1 for £1 match will be provided up to £5 million. The minimum match will be £100,000.
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UK Aid Match is open to not-for-profit UK-based organisations running an appeal in the UK for public donations (not company donations) from the UK public for poverty reduction projects in the world’s most deprived countries. But, unfortunately, not all organisations can apply. You must have a successful track record of having run substantial appeals in the past three years. Apparently this restriction is there to help the DFID assess applications and make judgements about which applicants are most likely to meet their income targets. You can’t help but believe that it also plays into the hands of existing development organisations that have seen their income from the DFID slashed by spending cuts. Restricting the fund in this way closes the door on new organisations that could use this route to shake up the sector and inject some new energy.
The pilot will run to the end of June 2012 and during that time you must run an appeal over a maximum of three months to donate money to your organisation or a specific project. The appeal must have a substantial public awareness, with a minimum reach of 400,000 ‘opportunities to view’.
Not all appeals are eligible. They must involve what the DFID calls a Media Partnership. This requires an agreement between you and the organisation that will help you deliver the appeal to the general public, for example a newspaper, broadcast company, internet provider, major UK retailer with public reach etc. The advertising of the appeal must be provided free by the Media Partner. No ./guidance is given about relationships with News International businesses or public retailers subject to boycotts or campaigns by organisations working overseas.
Eligibility details, other background information and details of how to apply to the UK Aid Match are available at www.dfid.gov.uk/Working-with-DFID/Funding-opportunities/Not-for-profit-organisations/UK-Aid-Match/Submit-a-proposal/.
Closing date: Applications can be made until the end of June 2012 unless the money runs out before then.
This piece is an abbreviated version of one of many funding opportunities first published this week at www.fundinginformation.org, the resource for up to date information about new grant making trusts, and new sources of grants, loans and donations for voluntary organisations, charities, social enterprises and the public sector throughout the UK.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.