2,000 grants available in 2021 from Localgiving’s Magic Little Grant Fund
Howard Lake | 2 March 2021 | News
Localgiving’s Magic Little Grant Fund is doubling the number of grants it gives in 2021 to new or very small groups and organisations. By the end of the year, £2.25 million will have been granted to 4,500 projects.
The Magic Little Grants Fund distributes £500 grants to charities and community groups addressing particular issues. These are:
1. Improving mental wellbeing
2. Enabling community participation in the arts
3. Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
4. Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality
5. Improving biodiversity and green spaces
6. Enabling participation in physical activity
7. Responding to the climate emergency and promoting sustainability
8. Increasing community access to outdoor space
In addition to receiving a grant, successful organisations that are new to Localgiving will also receive an annual membership, worth £96, through the funding. This will give them access to Localgiving’s online fundraising platform, regular campaigns and competitions, and numerous fundraising resources. According to Localgiving, “previous recipients have been able to raise nearly £1 million through online donations on the platform to further support their work”.
Chris Dormer, Managing Director of Localgiving, said the process is very quick. “It takes ten minutes to complete the grant application,” he says. “A decision is made within a month and funds are deposited two weeks later.”
People’s Postcode Lottery
Magic Little Grants is funded by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Since 2017 this partnership has funded 2,500 projects since launching in 2017.
In 2020, £469,000 was distributed to 938 UK charities and community groups.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “I’m delighted that so many more of these organisations will be able to benefit from the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery with a Magic Little Grant in 2021 and I’d encourage all eligible organisations to get an application in.”
People’s Postcode Lottery manages lotteries on behalf of 20 Postcode Trusts. People play with their chosen postcodes for a chance to win cash prizes. A minimum
of 32% from each subscription goes directly to charities and good causes in Britain and internationally.
Applying for Magic Little Grants
The application process “takes ten minutes” and is designed to “reduce[s] the work required for grassroots, often volunteer led, organisations to access the funding they need to launch or strengthen services”.
If your group or organisation is not yet registered with Localgiving they should register with Localgiving and then apply for a grant.
Magic Little Grants are available to organisations or groups that are small or new. They must either be:
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- in their first year of operation, or
- have an annual income under £250,000.
Organisations must be based in England, Scotland or Wales.
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 2021 is midnight on 31st October 2021.
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.
He added that the rapid application and decision process “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”.
- Localgiving announces £1m coronavirus fund (13 October 2020)
- Localgiving hits £20m grants milestone (16 January 2018)
- Localgiving to double donations with #GiveMe5 (19 May 2016)
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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.