Applications open for fourth round of Aviva Community Fund
Howard Lake | 7 September 2020 | Blogs
We know that now, more than ever, small charities need support as they face an uncertain future. Helping people face the future with confidence is what we always strive to do at Aviva. And it’s what we want to help small UK charities to do through the Aviva Community Fund.
Over the years, we’ve found that the charities that make the biggest impact are those given the opportunity to innovate and test new ideas without fear of risk. As experts in risk management, we want to allow these forward-thinking charities the freedom to embrace different ways of doing things. To experiment, to expand and to explore new avenues. Our newly refreshed Aviva Community Fund exists to do just that.
Applications for this round of the Aviva Community Fund are now open until 23:59 Tuesday 13th October. You can find out all you need to know about the programme and whether your idea is eligible here.
The Aviva Community Fund offers year-round support to causes having a positive impact across the UK. We’ve partnered with Crowdfunder UK to help causes fundraise online and unlock donations from both Aviva as well as
the wider public.
How does it work?
- The programme runs quarterly, with Aviva donating £250,000 to the fund four times a year. Our UK employees choose how this pot is shared out via a £25 voucher that they can donate to the cause that matters most to them.
- The dedicated Aviva Crowdfunder team guide charities through the process of setting up a fundraising page, providing supportive coaching and giving charities the chance to build digital fundraising capabilities.
- Charities go live with their programme and reach out to their networks and the general public to raise donations, as well as hopefully securing funds from the Aviva employees.
On top of the funding, we have built a knowledge library full of articles, videos, templates and checklists to give charities the tools to drive long-term sustainable success.
We’re passionate about enabling causes to access the funding they need now, as well as support them to build new digital skills to help face the future with confidence.
We are thrilled that since January, we’ve seen over 1,000 inspiring causes apply to the Aviva Community Fund, and over 700 forward-thinking projects hit their fundraising target. In total, over £1.5 million has been given to small local community initiatives up and down the country.
Here’s how a few of the inspiring causes have found the programme:
‘’I wanted to thank you and your team for all your help during our fundraiser. It has been such a positive, supportive experience for our first Crowdfunder. Your website is amazingly user-friendly, and the Aviva consultants are so quick
to answer emails and very helpful. We felt very looked after and employees were very generous. I just wanted to pass on this positive feedback for such a great experience. Thank you for all your help and for giving us this opportunity.’’
Lifting Lockdown Loneliness for Lewisham’s Elderly
“A big thank you to Lucy, Caroline and the rest of the Aviva Community Fund team, who have been hugely helpful to us throughout this process. As a small charity, the amount we have raised will make a big difference to us ?’’
Keeping Connected Under Lockdown
“The support has given us the belief that we are delivering a valuable service and the growing number of supporters from not only Aviva but locally in our area through the campaign has given us great confidence to continue delivering our services.’’
Moving Minds for Dementia sufferers in care homes
“Crowdfunding is a new thing for churches and other churches are now keen to learn about our experiences. It has given us the confidence to try crowdfunding again.’’
Wanstead Winter Night Shelter
The next round of applications for the Aviva Community Fund is open now until 23:59 Tuesday 13th October.
Check if your idea is eligible here and if so, apply today.
The Aviva Community Fund: giving small charities the tools they need to make a difference today to build a better tomorrow.
Got a question? Contact the Aviva Community Fund team by emailing co***********@av***.com
Helen Bridge, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Aviva UK
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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.