Big Give’s 2024 Women & Girls Match Fund goes live – plus more funding opportunities
Melanie May | 10 October 2024 | News
A round up of funding opportunities for good causes, from Big Give’s Women & Girls Match Fund campaign, to grants to help with employing Outdoor Learning Officers, and making political artwork.
Matching funding campaign for women and girls-related causes goes live
Big Give’s third Women & Girls Match Fund campaign goes live today (10 October), coinciding with tomorrow’s International Day of the Girl. Running until the 17 October, the campaign will support 190 charities dedicated to empowering women and girls worldwide.
Last year’s campaign raised over £1.2 million for 133 participating charities, attracting 5,308 donations from supporters.
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Participants this year include S.T.O.R.M Family Centre, backed by patrons Sabrina Elba and Will Poulter; The Malala Fund UK, founded by activist and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai; and Ethiopiaid, whose ambassador is singer Natalie Imbruglia.
Donations to the participating charities will be doubled by the Big Give’s match funding ‘champions’, typically philanthropists, foundations, or companies. The Julia Rausing Trust, established in memory of the late British philanthropist Julia Rausing following her passing in 2024, has pledged £2 million to support women and girls’ charities on the Big Give platform over the next two years. This contribution, along with the support of other champion donors, has unlocked £1,222,500 in match funds for this year’s campaign.
More information here.
Funding available to deliver housing models supporting those in the migration, asylum and trafficking systems
Through its Call for New Ideas programme, social justice charity Commonweal Housing is inviting not-for-profits to submit proposals for new and imaginative housing projects that address the injustices faced by migrant groups, people seeking sanctuary – refugees and asylum seekers – and survivors of trafficking.
Funding is available for up to three organisations to receive between £5,000-£10,000 each to undertake further research to assess the proposed model’s viability. If the feasibility study determines the model is operational, Commonweal looks to work with its partners to develop the idea into a housing pilot project by acquiring bespoke properties to test the model in full.
This iteration of Call for New Ideas is exclusively focused on Migration, Asylum and Human Trafficking – a priority area of the charity’s work. To help guide the focus of the Call, Commonweal commissioned Professor Phil Brown to conduct research exploring the housing challenges faced by those in the migration, asylum and trafficking systems.
In respect of the learnings from this report, the charity is especially interested in ideas for housing projects that:
- Address transition points between and within systems that drive housing insecurity (such as asylum to refugee status, family reunification, the National Referral Mechanism lifecycle, unaccompanied minors to adulthood, etc.)
- Support survivors of trafficking, both non-UK and UK nationals.
- Demonstrate possible long term cost savings benefits for the government through focusing on community integration or employability support, as examples.
Applications are open until 5pm on Monday 4 November 2024.
More information here.
Grants for employing Outdoor Learning Officers
The Ernest Cook Trust offers an Outdoor Learning Officer Grant, which supports charities and non-profit organisations who want to employ an Outdoor Learning Officer.
Up to £20,000 per Outdoor Learning Officer is available, per year, for up to three years. The majority of the grant is to be used towards salary and on-costs, but there is also an element of unrestricted funding within the offer.
The Ernest Cook Trust is offering the funding through a place-based approach within three defined areas around its geographical hubs, meaning it is available to organisations within the following postcode prefixes only (and the work must have a direct benefit to individuals or groups within these areas):
Cumbria/Lancashire hub area: BB, CA, FY, LA, PR; Gloucestershire hub area: BS, GL, SN; Leicestershire hub area: LE.
There are 10 grants available, and the deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest is 12pm on Monday 4 November 2024.
More information here.
Funding for political artwork
ARTCRY funds and supports artists to create bold political work with funding in seven days to enable fast action. It is interested in funding work which responds to events happening now and need funding immediately to make that possible.
All work must happen for free, in public space in the UK.
ARTCRY is an open fund, and artists can apply on any topic at any time. The fund is particularly interested in funding:
1. Transparency and accountability in our democracy – art that engages with our political systems (local & national).
2. Fight for human rights and equality – especially art that engages with the UK’s Immigration and Asylum systems.
Artists can apply for what they need – for example, £50 to buy paint, or £200 to hire a van, with the standard maximum grant amount is up to £2,500 (including VAT).
Currently ARTCRY has one grant of £5,000 (including VAT) available to apply for currently for an exceptional application addressing one of its areas of focus.
More information here.
£180k Studios For All Fund launched for charities
Pirate Studios and Small Green Shoots have launched the Studios For All Fund, offering £180,000 in studio time to charities and organisations supporting marginalised communities across England. This initiative is set to create real opportunities for those in need through music and creativity.
The Studios For All Fundis funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and will allocate £180,000 worth of studio time over three years, supporting at least 120 charities, CICs, and organisations across England. The fund is dedicated to empowering disadvantaged and marginalised individuals through music, dance, and media, providing them with free access to professional studio spaces.
Key highlights:
- £180K worth of studio time will be spread across three years.
- Fund available to grassroots charities, CICs and organisations based in England.
- Three trainees from disadvantaged areas will be onboarded for 12-month secondments with paid training.
- An annual showcase will celebrate the talent nurtured through the scheme.
More information here.
Sported hits £10mn mark in grants to date
Sported, which was founded 16 years ago by London 2012 bid chief Sir Keith Mills to create a legacy from hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, has grown to support almost one million young people annually by providing resources and grants to nearly 5000 grassroots and community groups around the UK.
It has now provided £10mn in funding. The £10mn mark was reached with a £1000 grant to Wolverhampton-based Just Ramps, which provides skatepark activities for all abilities.
Sported presently assesses, distributes and evaluates funding on behalf of corporate partners. This includes working with Barclays through its Community Football Fund, and separate assistance and investment backed by Amazon (Ring), P&G, Nissan and Vodafone that aims to raise the capacity and sustainability of local clubs and organisations.
The charity also partners with government agencies and charitable trusts such as Sport England and London Marathon Foundation to get funding to those most in need, with a strategy that aims to deliver significant social impact in areas like mental health, community cohesion and crime prevention, educational attainment, inclusion and disability access, and employability.
Sported provides free support and resources to local groups, as well as a range of programmes that provide funding. Groups must be members – and membership is generally open to those that:
- Directly delivery regular sport/physical activity to young people aged 11-25
- Are committed to Sport for Development outcomes over competition/participation in a specific sport
- Intentionally use sport / physical activity to improve the lives of young people OR need support to start doing this
- Are a nonprofit organisation OR were formed for the purpose of advancing social purpose over and above private gain
More information here.
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.