Lloyds Bank Foundation launches revamped grants programme, & other funding news
Melanie May | 5 December 2019 | News
Lloyds Bank Foundation has relaunched its grants programme to be simpler, more flexible, and more transparent, with applications now open, while two new funds have launched elsewhere in the country.
🚨Our funding applications are open for submission!🚨#SmallButVital charities can now apply for #grants throughout the year, so you can submit your application whenever you are ready!
To apply and find out more information, head to our brand new website https://t.co/ItzzxqV0sl
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— Lloyds Bank Foundation (@LBFEW) December 3, 2019
Lloyds Bank Foundation revamps grants programme approach with funding now available
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales has relaunched its grants programme to make the process simpler, more flexible, and more transparent.
Core funding grants worth up to £100,000 are now available for small and local charities.
The Foundation partners with small and local charities who help people overcome complex social issues.
Its new approach involves:
- A continuously open application process, rather than in rounds, so that charities can apply for support whenever they are ready
- Clearer turnaround times for when a decision on funding will be made from the initial application
- Grants worth up to £45,000 and £100,000 available over three years (with the possibility of continuing to six years) that can be used entirely for core costs, with charities able to flex how much they spend each year.
- A simplified approach to reporting whereby charities can share existing reports they already produce, rather than having to complete bespoke reports for the Foundation ensuring charities maintain accountability to their boards and not the foundation.
- Support from the Foundation’s regional managers and access to the Foundation’s ‘Enhance’ organisational development programme, helping charities to become more resilient and sustainable
Eligible for support are charities with an income between £25,000 and £1m across England and Wales tackling complex social issues such as mental health, homelessness and domestic abuse and with a proven track record of helping people achieve positive change in their local communities.
Charities can check eligibility and apply for grants online through the Foundation’s new website.
Eligibility criteria has been developed to ensure the Foundation can respond to areas and issues where need is greatest by analysing the number of eligible small and medium-sized charities in a given area, specific local needs and the size of the Foundation’s current investment in each issue and region. Depending on these factors, the new website will advise a charity whether they are eligible to apply and, if they are, whether they can apply for £45,000 or £100,000. Criteria will be reviewed and updated every six months.
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales Director of Grants Harriet Stranks said:
“Small charities are undervalued and under more pressure than ever, but they are reaching people and communities that big charities and organisations simply can’t. That’s why I’m delighted our new approach to grant-making, developed alongside the charities we work with, will aim to make the process even easier to navigate, more transparent and led by the needs of the applicant.
“Our ambition is to support small and medium-sized charities over the longer term. This gives the charities we partner with greater flexibility over how they use those resources, allows them to build an in-depth relationship with us and take advantage of the wide range of development support we offer including training, consultancy and mentoring.”
‘Inclusion’ and ‘inspiration’ are at the heart of everything we do so we’ve created two Grant Programmes that support these visions in the #NorthEast
Find out more at: https://t.co/AqxJMwtOvH#GivingTuesday #GiveBetter 🧡 pic.twitter.com/2SjRH4KljE
— The Bernicia Foundation (@BerniciaFdn) December 3, 2019
Bernicia opens new £1m foundation
A new £1m charitable foundation led by North East housing association Bernicia is now open for business to support people and communities across the region.
The Bernicia Foundation will make two types of grant to organisations and people across Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Teesside and Northumberland.
Inspiration Grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 will be made to voluntary or community groups, registered charities, social enterprises and co-operatives with an annual income under £750,000 per year.
Inclusion Grants of up to £1,000 will target inspirational young people aged 24 and under or organisations helping young people.
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Kent Community Foundation launches Women’s Fund
Kent Community Foundation has launched a new Women’s Fund to enable it to better financially support women and girls in the county, who are often disproportionately disadvantaged by multiple issues.
Kent Community Foundation was inspired to set up the Women’s Fund by the oversubscription to the government’s Tampon Tax Community Fund, which demonstrated to it the massive need for specific support and funding for women.
The Fund is asking people to sign up to give regular donations to support it, and aims to challenge inequality, abuse, exploitation and disadvantage in the home, the workplace and wider local communities.
It offers a programme of funding to enable women and girls to take positive steps towards empowerment and opportunity, and is currently supporting three charities. These are Beyond the Page: a women-only space for English language-learning and inter-cultural friendship, Diversity House, which works with girls in a disadvantaged area of Swale, and Olympia Boxing CIC, which provides BOX Fitness sessions to adults who are disadvantaged, single parents, suffer with mental health, isolated and on low incomes.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.