CAF announces its 2005 grants programme

Howard Lake | 17 May 2005 | News

CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) is inviting applications to its grant programme from charitable organisations with an annual income of up to £3 million. From 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2006, the CAF Grant Programme has £1.2 million to give away with a focus on consultancy and training funding, and collaborative funding.

According to Victoria Anderson, CAF Head of Grantmaking and Consulting: “CAF works to support the sector in ways that other funders currently don’t, and to ‘plug the gaps’ in terms of providing effective, long-term capacity building solutions for charities.”

Through the Consultancy and Training Fund, CAF will work with organisations to strengthen their structure and identify the most appropriate approach with a package of support up to a value of £10,000 that includes:

* up to 20 days consultancy with CAF’s network of freelance consultants

* support for training costs

* flexible funding to support an organisation’s costs

The Collaborative Fund focuses on working with up to 15 organisations with missions linked to CAF’s own; to make giving to charity simple and effective, and to help charities make the most of what is given. This includes membership or umbrella organisations working to improve the effectiveness of the charities they represent; funders working in social investment and developing new funding sources for the sector; grantmakers and organisations promoting and developing the understanding of individual and corporate giving through research and advocacy.

CAF provides a package of support that includes:

* up to £100,000 flexible funding to enhance the capacity of the organisation, provide room to develop and attract other funding and resourcing

* encouraging joint working with other parts of CAF

* consultancy support from CAF’s consultants

* links with other organisations

CAF says that it is committed to supporting a broad range of organisations and encourages applications from minority ethnic-led organisations, disability-led groups and geographic areas with less support from networks/funders. CAF will work with organisations that have been set up to provide services to other organisations (second tier or membership organisations) and funders to encourage their members to apply.

The first deadline for both funds is 30 May 2005 for charitable organisations with an annual income of up to £3 million.

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.