# 2020 Magic Little Grants programme opens with 900 grants available

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/03/10/2020-magic-little-grants-programme-opens-with-900-grants-available/
- Published: 2020-03-10T08:00:20+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Localgiving launches its 2020 Magic Little Grant programme today (10 March), which
will take the total distributed through the programme since launch to £1.25m.**

The [Magic Little Grants Fund](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/03/10/2020-magic-little-grants-programme-opens-with-900-grants-available/magic-little-grants)
sees [Localgiving](https://localgiving.org/) distribute £500 grants to local charities
and community groups supporting and inspiring people to participate in sports or
exercise. This year, over 900 grants will be awarded.

It is funded by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery through an award from [Postcode Community Trust](https://www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk/),
and since 2017 has supported over 1,500 projects that have supported local communities
to get active.

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As well as receiving a grant, successful organisations that are new to Localgiving
will also receive a free annual membership with Localgiving worth £96, funded by
Postcode Community Trust. This will give them access to Localgiving’s online fundraising
platform, regular campaigns and competitions, and fundraising resources. Previous
recipients have been able to raise over £500,000 through online donations to further
support their work.

Applicants for Magic Little Grants must either be in their first year of operation
or have an annual income under £250,000. Preference will be given to projects that
encourage social cohesion and help vulnerable people to overcome barriers to participation
in physical activities.

Funding can be used to launch new projects, support existing ones, or cover core
costs associated with ongoing work.

The deadline for applications for Magic Little Grants 2020 is midnight on 31 October
2020, and new groups can register with Localgiving and apply for a grant here: [grants.localgiving.org/pct](http://grants.localgiving.org/pct).
The fund has an application process designed to be completed in ten minutes.

In 2019, £458,500 was distributed to 917 local charities and community groups, with
projects ranging from delivering chair aerobics for over 75-year-olds to setting
up a football team for young girls.

Chris Dormer, Managing Director of Localgiving, said:

> “We’re extremely grateful to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery who have
> continued their support of our Magic Little Grants Fund. This partnership has 
> enabled us to develop a grant funding opportunity designed to meet the needs of
> small community focused organisations. It takes ten minutes to complete the grant
> application, a decision is made within a month and funds are deposited two weeks
> later.
> “This enables the local voluntary sector to continue to dedicate their limited
> resources on their service users, whilst also accessing Localgiving’s suite of
> online fundraising tools and expertise. We’re proud to have been able to support
> so many grantees with their ongoing fundraising activities, enabling them to raise
> additional unrestricted funding and build new donor relationships through our 
> platform.”

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