4 funding opportunities for UK charities
Melanie May | 17 May 2021 | News
From Ocado Foundation’s grant programme for UK charities, CICs and community groups, to Common Call’s Covid Relief Fund for Black-led charities and social enterprises, here are four funding opportunities currently accepting applications.
@OcadoGroup is giving grants of up to £1000 to UK charities and community groups using BizGive. Apply Now > https://t.co/gEKNFfxytN#ocadofoundation #ocadogroup pic.twitter.com/TKVzIFPb85
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— BizGive (@bizgive_world) February 23, 2021
Ocado Foundation grants programme
Ocado Foundation has launched a grants programme for UK charities and community groups, with BizGive. It offers grants of up to £1,000 to successful applicants, with in-kind goods also available on request and applications for digital volunteering also accepted.
Applications are accepted until the end of the year. The programme supports charities, CICs, and community projects which, to be eligible, must align with its UN SDGs of good health and wellbeing, quality education, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, and climate action.
More information is available here.
Matthew Good Foundation Grants for Good fund
The Matthew Good Foundation has opened the second round of its Grants for Good fund, which helps community groups, small charities and social enterprises doing their bit for communities, people and the environment.
Funding of up to £3,500 is available.
Under Grants for Good, applications can be made on behalf of a local community group, charity, voluntary group or social enterprise that has a positive impact on communities, people or the environment and has an average income of less than £50,000 in the last 12 months.
Charities and projects can apply all year round, with applications considered in the next available funding round. Funding is awarded every three months, in April, July, October and January, with an application deadline of the 15th of the month before.
Five projects are shortlisted each time and then voted for by John Good Group employees with the more votes a cause receives, the bigger the donation. The project that receives the most votes will receive a grant of £3,500, second place £2,500, third place £2,000 and fourth and fifth place will both receive £1,000.
Assura Community Fund
The Assura Community Fund supports projects benefitting the mental health and wellbeing of individuals where the majority are living within a 15-mile radius of its healthcare buildings.
Last year it supported a range of projects from drop-in cafes to music projects that support disadvantaged young people.
Applications are currently open for the Fund, which is administered by Cheshire Community Foundation, with grants of up to £5,000 over one year available.
To be eligible, programme activities must be targeted towards improving mental and emotional health and wellbeing, which can include gaining support for life challenges and providing increased activities and opportunities to learn new skills, to enable improved self-confidence, self-esteem and a strong sense of belonging.
Common Call Covid Relief Fund
An opportunity for Black-led charities and social enterprises, from the Common Call Covid Relief Fund, which has £300,000 available.
Black-led charities and social enterprises working in communities across the UK can apply for a grant package of £5,000 or £12,500 to help them:
- Get better informed about their options (moving to new methods of delivery) post-Covid-19.
- Develop new enterprising activities and earned income strategies.
- Test the viability of specific propositions.
- Develop clear implementable action plans for such activity.
The Fund is specifically looking for organisations that are creating impact in underserved communities and providing services to people that have been adversely affected by the Covid crisis in terms of physical health, mental health and/or financial sustainability. The people supported should primarily be people that identify as Black or Mixed with Black.
Further information is available on the Common Call site, and there is also an information session on 20 May at 6pm.
The £300,000 fund includes contributions from Barclays, National Emergencies Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Clothworkers’ Foundation and Comic Relief.
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.