Calling all grassroots groups and their volunteers…
I wanted to highlight this new funding opportunity for grassroots community groups that are heavily reliant on volunteers. It is not often that very small, local groups are specifically targeted in order to provide them with financial support, despite the vital and innovative work that can take place within them.
If you are a volunteer for a local organisation, an individual who benefits from attending one or a member of their staff team please read on - this information may be of great interest to you!
The Office of the Third Sector is calling on small local voluntary and community groups to come forward and get their hands on essential funding. The programme offers grants of between £250 and £5,000 to support activities that lie right at the heart of our local communities.
The types of group or organisation that are eligible to apply are:
- A not-for-profit, third sector voluntary or community group, active in their local community for not less than 12 months prior to 31 December 2007. You do not need to be a registered charity.
- Have an evidenced income of less than £20,000 per annum, taken as an average turnover for the last three financial years (or over the life of the group if it is less than three years old), and net of any grants received through the Grassroots Grants programme
- Be volunteer led (i.e. with largely volunteer based input)
- Be connected with and/or meeting the needs of the local community
- Have a governing document that has as a minimum the name, aim/purpose, objects, a dissolution clause for the organisation, a list of Trustees/Committee members, the Trustees /Committee member signatures.
To apply for funding, each group must contact their local organisation which is responsible for distributing the grants. You can see a full list of the organisations on the Community Development Foundation website.
If you are from within the City or a fringe borough please see below for a link to your organisation: Camden, City of London, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark, and Westminster.
I hope that this information is useful and would love to hear from any group that is successful in their application!
Tags: community development foundation, funding, grants, grassroots grants, office of the third sector, small charities, volunteer-led