Funding for VCS organisations

We have collated below some relevant funding opportunities available to VCS organisations. If you need support to apply, please contact us at [email protected]

Some tips from our team

Here are some steps you can take now to help deal with the increase in costs.

• When applying for funding, take into account any increases that may occur due to the crisis and reflect that into your budget.
• In addition to looking for new sources of funding, organisations may also be able to contact current funders to check the possibility of discussing further support to mitigate financial impact resultant of the cost-of-living crisis.
• Consider exploring other ways of getting funding, such as crowdfunding and match funding opportunities.

 

Short term funding/small grants

The National Lottery Community Fund – Awards for All
You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing activity or to support your organisation to change and adapt to new and future challenges, including mitigating the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Together for London Programme 

Apply for up to £10,000 to support your organisation through the cost-of-living crisis. 

Organisations must be responding to the immediate impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on the communities you support, particularly communities hardest hit by the crisis. Part of the grant can be used to support the resilience and sustainability of your community organisation, including salaries, rent and bills. 

Magic Little Grants
Localgiving has teamed up with the Postcode Community Trust to provide the Magic Little Grants programme. The fund provides small charities and community groups with grants of £500 for projects that address a range of community, social, environmental and health issues including preventing or reducing the impact of poverty. 

Propel
One of three priority areas is ‘Robust Safety Net’ - Ensuring every Londoner is able to access the support they need to prevent or alleviate financial hardship and building a strong and sustainable advice sector. Grants range from £500 - £2000.

Apply for a grant – Tesco Community Grants
Tesco Community Grants are prioritising helping projects that support food security.

Asda Foundation - Cost of Living Grants
This grant is designed to support the increased running costs groups will face between September 2022 and February 2023, including rent increases and electricity cost rises. There are two options within this grant. Groups must be clear from the outset which option they intend to apply for: 

• Increased rent and utility bill support
• Increased food costs support

London Catalyst Grant Programmes
Project grants - Priority is given to new initiatives and service developments targeted at people disadvantaged as a result of long-term ill-health, disability and poverty. Normally to organisations with an income <£500k. Grants range from £1,000 to £5,000.

Samaritan Grants - Hardship fund available to frontline health, social work and advice agencies to offer immediate assistance to people in an emergency. The partner agency distributes small one-off grants on London Catalyst behalf.

Rosa - Voices from the Frontline
This fund offers one-year grants of up to £7,000 to support campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change.

With the rising cost of living and global pandemic worsening inequalities and threatening to push back women’s and girls’ rights, Rosa's new fund will support women’s and girls’ organisations to deliver activism and campaigning, particularly at the grassroots, and raise awareness of the issues they face. Find out more about the fund here

Peabody Community Fund 

Applications are currently open for the Peabody Community Fund. Haringey is one of 8 target boroughs and groups can apply for up to £15,000 per year over 2 years. 

Crowdfunding opportunities

Sport England – Active Together
Funding available to support clubs and local organisations to set up and run their own crowdfunding campaign, with a potential financial pledge to help them towards their crowdfunding target.

Match investment, of up to £10,000, aims to help organisations start to help themselves on the road to recovery. It's specifically targeted at organisations that have a role in supporting the nation to be active but are experiencing short-term financial hardship, or the ceasing of operations due to a crisis.

Aviva Community Fund
The Aviva Community Fund helps small charities build stronger communities by focusing on climate change or helping people take control of their financial wellbeing. Organisations with core missions aligned to the Financial Wellbeing funding area can also apply for funding to cover operational costs.

 

Long term funding

Longer term funding will help you build resilience into your organisation’s finances. If you need support, when thinking about developing strategies for sustainability or applying for any of these funds, please get in touch with us.

City Bridge Trust – Advice and Support Grants
By awarding Advice and Support grants City Bridge Trust want to achieve the following outcomes:

• More Londoners have improved economic circumstances.
• Fewer Londoners experience food poverty.
• More Londoners access debt and legal services for support before they hit crisis point.

They welcome applications for up to five years of funding, and core funding will be considered.

Henry Smith Charity - Improving Lives
Grants for small and medium sized organisations in the UK to support projects and the running costs of organisations. Funding of between £20K and £70K per year for a maximum of three years is available to established organisations delivering services directly to beneficiaries.

Other opportunities

NatWest Social & Community Capital

NatWest Social & Community Capital offers a helping hand to social ventures looking to scale, through loans, provided with flexible terms and business support. They offer alternative funding to business charities and social enterprises who don't qualify for mainstream loans. Their community business loans offer funding from £30,000 to £750,000 with flexible terms and repayments holidays including access to sector experts. To find out more and receive their criteria, please contact [email protected]