Please find below a range of funding support specifically designed to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arnold Clark has launched their new Community Fund, which is open to all UK registered charities, and local community groups, who need financial assistance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications will be entered into a draw, where at the end of each month, 500 applications will be granted.
If an application is unsuccessful one month, Arnold Clark will keep it in the draw, which will roll over to the following month until the end of the Fund. As a result, they will only accept one application per group or organisation.
The final deadline for applications is Monday 31st May.
For further information (including how to apply), please view the full web article.
The Adapt and Thrive programme is open to applications to help third sector organisations and groups adapt to and recover from lockdown.
Adapt and Thrive is part of the Scottish Government Recovery funding programme, and aims to support organisations across the third sector to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and “build back better” to thrive in the future.
Organisations can apply for grants of £5,000 – £25,000 (£75,000 for a partnership) to:
- review current operations and services
- determine which areas need to change, flex, innovate, or grow in order to be financially resilient during and post COVID-19
- pay for outside help or new staff roles to deliver those changes (including fundraising, marketing, sales or other income-generation related consultancy)
The fund is open only until the end of June 2021.
For further information (including how to apply), please view the full web article.
With support from STV Children’s Appeal and Scottish Government, Youth Scotland launched the Youth Scotland Winter Fund earlier this year, and as of Tuesday 9th March, has extended the fund.
The fund is open to Youth Scotland members, who can now apply for £500 – £5,000 to support children, young people and families in their youth group in immediate need. The fund can be used for food, clothes, fuel, toiletries, and basic household essentials which meet the immediate material needs of the most vulnerable children and young people.
There are no deadlines and applications will be reviewed on a regular basis. Successful applicants will be asked to complete an end of project reporting form.
For further information, including eligibility and how to apply, please view the full web article.
NHS Forth Valley’s Health Promotion Service has grants of up to £500 available.
The COVID-19 Response Grants support organisations to do one or all of the following:
- a range of health and wellbeing activities in response to COVID-19 which address a reduction in health inequalities (including improving mental health and wellbeing)
- piloting new ideas and initiatives or adapting previous activities
- development of employees, volunteers or clients directly relating to the work of the programme funding is being sought for
- purchase equipment which directly relates to the work of the programme
Ongoing support will be offered, and a guidance document is available online for potential applicants (please note, the email address on the guidance is incorrect; the correct email address is below). It is anticipated that allocation decisions will be made quickly.
To apply, please complete the application form and return by email: fv.hpgrants@nhs.scot
Alternatively, for further information (including eligibility queries), contact the Health Promotion Service at the email address above, or visit the NHS Forth Valley website.
The National Lottery (TNL) Community Fund Scotland has announced their current funding programmes will remain open for an extra 18 – 24 months, though they will be adapted as needed.
They believe it is important to ensure third sector organisations can access their funds, to support them to respond and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. By remaining open for applications, they hope they can better support the third sector through COVID-19 and recovery.
Some grants and funding will remain unchanged, while others will be adapted to be more focused on recovery, with shorter grants and quicker turnarounds.
Headlines:
- the National Lottery Awards for All and Young Start funds will remain open and unchanged
- the Improving Lives grants remain open, but will be shorter, quicker to access, and will fund a wider range of work focused on recovery from COVID-19
- from Thursday 1st October, the maximum grant will be £200,000, from on year up to 3 years, with a single stage application.
- Community-Led Activity grants remain open; the team are reviewing these now to make sure they are relevant to the current situation, and will make any changes before the end of 2020.
- COVID-19 responses are still prioritised across all funds, but they remain open to non-COVID-19 related work too
- apart from the review and amendments highlighted here, there will be no other large-scale changes to our main grants until at least 2022
For all fund updates, including links and deadlines, please view the full article.
The Foyle Foundation’s Small Grants Scheme has re-opened to applications from registered charities with a turnover of less than £150,000 per annum. Charities can apply for between £1,000 – £10,000.
The scheme has been revised as a result of COVID-19, and will provide one year grants to cover only core costs or essential equipment, enabling ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services to charities that can show financial stability.
The Foundation’s priority is supporting local charities still active in their communities who are currently delivering services, either directly or through online support. Applicants must show how any grant will make a significant difference to their current work.
Charities must illustrate ongoing financial viability over the twelve months from the date of their application; those who cannot demonstrate this are likely to have their application declined.
There are no deadlines for submission. Online applications can be received at any time, but it may take up to 4 months to obtain a decision from Trustees.
For further information (including how to apply), please read the full web article.
The Hardship Fund was created by the British Red Cross with their partner Aviva and the Aviva Foundation to help those most financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, working with a network of organisations and aiming to reach the people in greatest need.
Official “Referral Partners” register people with the British Red Cross for support; the fund then provides short term financial help for people who cannot afford the following essentials: food and toiletries, somewhere safe to sleep, access to a telephone and the internet, fuel to keep the lights on, cook or stay warm.
Through the Hardship Fund, the British Red Cross can help people who cannot afford these essentials because they have:
- no income or welfare support
- delays to accessing income or welfare support
They cannot help anyone in employment or already receiving financial support from statutory or voluntary services. (Full eligibility criteria can be checked when submitting a referral.)
The network of Referral Partner organisations register people for cash assistance. They can request a one-off payment of £120 or a 3 month grant; people registered for the 3 month grant will receive £360, paid in monthly instalments of £120 each. Families with children or other dependants can receive up to 3 grants, for a total of £1,080 over the 3 months.
The money will be delivered on a pre-paid card to the applicant’s chosen address. The cards can be used online or in shops, using chip and pin or contactless. ATM withdrawals are limited to £35 for the lifetime of the card. The card expires after 14 weeks and any remaining balance is returned to the British Red Cross.
Only official Referral Partners who are registered with the Hardship Fund can submit referrals.
To submit a referral, please visit the British Red Cross website.
Alternatively, for further information (including how to become an official Referral Partner), visit their FAQ page.
Applications are currently closed for the CFSLA Lottery, with the next round pending.
The Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Local Authority (CFSLA) Lottery is open to charities, community and voluntary groups within these areas; awards can be used to support the group’s users during the COVID-19 pandemic, or restart their services, with a maximum award of £500.
Applications should be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to a committee meeting, or will be deferred to the next scheduled meeting for assessment.
The next meeting takes place on Tuesday 13th October; the deadline for applications this round was Tuesday 29th September. Dates for the next round (which is again expected to focus on the impact of COVID-19) are pending.
To apply, or for further information, please visit the CFSLA Lottery website.
Crowdfunder has announced that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the work being done to support people across communities, they have now made all their funding platforms FREE to use.
The free platforms are available for charities and other third sector organisations (with a dedicated section for foodbanks), businesses (including social enterprises) and communities, and can be used to raise funds to (amongst others):
- supplement income lost through fundraising events, donations or services
- increase resources to support people using their services
For further information, please visit the Crowdfunder website.
Charity Bank has put together a list of emergency funds for charities, social enterprises and other third sector organisations experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
The list is updated regularly, with sections on UK-wide funding as well as those funds specific to each country, and those which are available internationally and regionally.
To view the full list, please visit the Charity Bank website.
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Aileen Campbell MSP, has announced an additional £350 million of emergency funding for those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding will be made available to councils, third sector groups and charities, businesses and community groups, and is designed to be flexible, enabling them to respond swiftly and according to local need for people impacted economically or through reduced contact with society, including anyone struggling to access food.
The emergency funding package will include:
- a £70 million Food Fund
- a £50 million Wellbeing Fund
- a £40 million Supporting Communities Fund
- £50 million towards meeting an anticipated increase in applications for the existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Scottish social security benefits
- a £20 million Third Sector Resilience Fund
For further information, please read the full web article.
In addition to the Scottish Government funding and support, you can find out the latest information on funds and other support for local businesses on the Falkirk Council website, including:
