June’s funding news

Welcome to June’s funding update.

This update is split into two parts. Section A features funders with upcoming deadlines. You’ll find funders with a local or regional focus first, and national funders second. The funders are listed in order of deadline date, soonest first.

Section B features funders who welcome applications at any time. Again, you’ll find funders with a local or regional focus first, and national funders second.

Many grants to support groups and individuals with the cost-of-living crisis have now closed. You will find those that our still open in our previous funding update.

This update can only provide a snapshot of these funders so we recommend visiting the funders’ websites for full details before you apply. Most funders in this list have a website, which you can access by clicking on the name of the funder. Full contact details have been provided for funders that do not have a website.

A. Get in quick – deadlines are coming up!
1. Funders with a local / regional interest

The Field Family Charitable Trust

Deadline: 28th July 2023
Who can apply: Registered charities operating within the West Midlands with an annual income less than £1million
Size of grant available: £1,000-£10,000
Priorities: The funding is aimed at local registered charities providing services to improve the quality of life and prospects of vulnerable young people between the ages of 13 to 25 and the elderly. Grants are usually for equipment, furnishings, running costs, helplines and alterations to existing buildings to comply with health and safety regulations
How to apply: An online application form is available on the Pothecary Witham Weld Solicitors website. The following documents should be uploaded with the application form:

• A copy of the organisation’s most recent signed accounts. Draft accounts will not be accepted
• A budget for the project for the current financial year
• A job description, if applying for a salary

Baron Davenport’s Charity

Deadline: 15^th September 2023
Who can apply: Grants are awarded to charitable organisations within 60 miles of Birmingham Town Hall for special projects, equipment and running costs for alms houses, hospices, residential homes for older people, children’s charities, and individuals in need
Size of grant available: Discretionary
Priorities: The Charity awards grants in the following categories:

• Alms houses, hospices, and residential homes for older people
• Organisations for the benefit of children/young people (under 25 years of age)
• Organisations supporting older people
• Single woman and mothers living alone, and fatherless children

How to apply: There are two rounds of funding each year. The deadlines for applications each year are as follows:

• 15 March for consideration in spring
• 15 September for consideration in autumn

Applicants must register online with the charity before applying for a grant. An application form is available to complete at the Charity’s website.

Cole Charitable Trust

Deadline: 29^th September 2023
Who can apply: Applications will be considered from small and local registered charities based in the Greater Birmingham area (as opposed to regional or national charities). Charities are expected to have safeguarding policies in place. Local branches of a national charities may apply if they hold their own accounts and have an annual income below £1.5 million
Size of grant available: up to £2,500
Priorities: The funder will support projects working in the fields of:

• Social welfare, all age groups
• Housing/homelessness
• Community and environmental development
• Opportunities for young people
• Promotion of improved quality of life
• Personal or community empowerment

How to apply: An application form can be downloaded from the Cole Charitable Trust website. It is preferred that application forms are submitted by email.

Saintbury Trust

Deadline: 30^th September 2023
Who can apply: Registered charities that are both based and operate (wholly or mainly) within the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and North Gloucestershire are eligible to apply. Dudley groups must be based within the DY1, DY2 or DY4 postcode areas
Size of grant available: Discretionary
Priorities: The trustees have a particular interest in the following:

• The arts
• Heritage
• The environment
• Helping those with disabilities

How to apply: The trustees meet twice a year to consider applications; the usual closing dates for applications for the spring and autumn meetings are 28 February and 30 September respectively. Application forms are available to download from the Trust’s website. Applications should be submitted by email; the Trust no longer accepts postal applications.

2. National funders 

 Weavers Company Benevolent Fund 

Deadline: 6th July 2023
Who can apply: Registered charities only. Those operating locally should have an income of no more than £100,000. Charities operating nationally should have an income of no more than £250,000
Size of grant available: Up to £15,000
Priorities: Funding for projects that provide direct services for young people who are vulnerable and at risk of becoming involved with crime. The funding is intended to support work in the following areas:   

• Young offenders 
• Ex-offenders 
• Disadvantaged young people, especially those at risk of criminal involvement 

 Funding is available for the following:   

• Helping disadvantaged young people – The object of the fund is to support projects working with disadvantaged young people to ensure that they are given every possible chance to meet their full potential and to participate fully in society. Young people are normally defined as being aged from 5 to 30 years 
• Supporting offenders and ex-offenders, particularly those under 30 years of age – Many offenders and ex-offenders suffer from a variety of difficult and complex problems and they are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. Funding is available for work that addresses the social and economic problems faced by this group and their families, and provide them with support, life skills training and a way back into education, training and/or employment, so that they may reintegrate and make a positive contribution to society 

How to apply: Application forms are available to download from the Weavers’ Company Benevolent Fund website. They must be completed and sent by post by 12noon on the deadline date.

Eat It Up Fund

Deadline: 21st July 2023 (for expressions of interest)
Who can apply: Registered charities, social enterprises, community interest companies and local authorities
Size of grant available: Up to £40,000
Priorities: This new grant fund is aimed at finding and supporting creative approaches to reducing food waste. The fund will support UK registered organisations with an early-stage food waste project with potential for impact at scale. The funding is for initiatives that do one or more of the following:

• Address pre-farmgate waste (the food production process, up to the point where the products have been harvested and prepared as produce for sale)
• Prevent food from being wasted at the manufacturing and processing stage
• Minimise food waste from retailers
• Find creative ways to use surplus food in communities or at home

The fund can support ideas that are ready to test, or concepts that have been tested and are ready to progress further
How to apply: The fund’s terms and conditions, FAQs and expression of interest form can be found on the Eat it Up Fund website. A Q&A webinar will be held on 3 July 2023 (10.30am to 11.15am). Registration is required for this Zoom session. There is a two-stage application process.

• Stage one is to complete an Expression of Interest form. The deadline for EoIs is 21 July 2023 (5pm)
• Stage two is only open to those organisations who are invited to apply. Full applications will be accepted from 14 August 2023 to 22 September 2023

Successful applicants will be informed in October 2023 and the winners will be announced publicly at the end of 2023.

 Woodward Charitable Trust – General Grants

Deadline: 28th July 2023
Who can apply: Registered charities with annual turnover of under £200,000
Size of grant available: Up to £3,000, though most grants are for £1,000 or less
Priorities: The funding is for charitable organisations in the UK, to support core costs in the following areas:

• Children and young people (up to 25 years) who are isolated, at risk of exclusion or involved in antisocial behaviour. This covers gang violence and knife crime, education and mentoring, as well as projects that work to raise self-esteem and employment opportunities and encourage an active involvement in and contribution towards the local community
• Disadvantaged families. This covers parenting support and guidance, mental health, food poverty, refuges and domestic violence projects and would also include projects that benefit travellers, ethnic minorities and refugee families
• Prisoners and ex-offenders and specifically projects that maintain and develop contact with prisoners’ families and help with the rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners and/or ex-offenders after their release

The majority of an applicant’s beneficiaries (more than 50%) must be within at least one of these areas to be eligible
How to apply: An online application form is available to complete on the Trust’s website. The Trustees will consider the applications in October 2023 and successful applicants will be notified by email.

Anchor Foundation

Deadline: 31st July 2023
Who can apply: UK-registered Christian charities
Size of grant available: Up to £12,000
Priorities: The Foundation awards grants for projects (including projects abroad) that address the following:

• Healing
• Arts
• Social inclusion

Applications for capital or revenue funding will be considered.
How to apply: Application forms are available to complete online or can be downloaded from Anchor Foundation’s website and submitted by email.

Cycling UK – Big Bike Revival Grants Programme

Deadline: 31st July 2023
Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit including constituted community groups, registered charities and social enterprises
Size of grant available: Up to £2,000
Priorities: Grants are available for voluntary groups, social enterprises, and other not-for-profit organisations to deliver cycling projects and activities across England for people who do not normally cycle. This fund aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Encourage people who don’t cycle to cycle
• Encourage people to cycle more often
• Increase short cycling trips
• Improve the perception of cycling safety
• Improve people’s confidence to cycle

The programme supports people returning to cycling, starting as complete beginners, and other people who do not cycle regularly. This includes reaching new people, including groups who are underrepresented in cycling or face challenges and perceived barriers to cycling, such as:

• People on low incomes
• People who suffer from poor mental health
• People who are not meeting physical activity guidelines
• People who are homeless
• People lacking confidence
• People who are unemployed
• Military veterans
• People who are experiencing substance abuse
• People who are ethnically diverse
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• People experiencing transport poverty
• People with perceived barriers to cycling

How to apply: Guidance notes and an online application form are available from the Cycling UK website

Ironmonger’ Company

Deadline: 31st July 2023
Who can apply: Registered charities only
Size of grant available: Up to £10,000. The average grant is £4,000
Priorities: The Company offers support to registered charities in the UK providing opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people under the age of 25 to fulfil their potential. Grants are available for projects that will deliver clearly defined, educational benefits and develop learning, motivation and skills. Projects must meet the following criteria:

• Be for children and young people under the age of 25 who are disadvantaged
• Consist of educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills
• Have clear aims and objectives to be met within a planned timescale
• Be within the UK

The Company is looking for projects that deliver clearly defined educational benefits to a specific group of children or young people. Items of equipment will be considered only where a full explanation is given of how they will be of use to this activity. Projects could, for example, achieve the following:

• Support special educational needs
• Foster social, emotional or life skills

Preference is given to projects piloting new approaches where the outcomes will be disseminated to a wider audience
How to apply: Applications should be submitted by post to the Charities Assistant. An application form is available to download from the Company’s website. Applicants must also submit a description of the project, of no more than three A4 pages typed on one side of each sheet, including the following:

• Aims and objectives of the organisation
• How the need for the work has been identified and why the project is the best way to address this
• A detailed description of the project and the activities that will take place
• The anticipated outcomes and the methods by which the success of the project will be evaluated
• A full breakdown of the costs involved, explaining how the figures have been calculated

If the organisation’s most recent audited accounts are not available on the Charity Commission’s online register, then a copy should be enclosed. No other supporting documents should be sent. Applications are not accepted by email.

Deadline: 31st August 2023
Who can apply: Registered charities only. To be eligible, all organisations must:

• Have at least one set of annual accounts showing as ‘received’ on the Charity Commission website, covering a 12-month operating period
• Have a board of at least three unrelated trustees in place, with their names appearing on their Charity Commission records
• Be based and working in England and Wales. Most of the organisation’s time and money is spent on activities in England and/or Wales and helping people living in England and/or Wales
• Have an annual income of between £25,000 and £500,000 in the last set of published accounts. This is total income and, in the case of consolidated accounts, should cover all entities within those accounts
• Have a bank account in the name of the organisation with unrelated signatories. If the application is successful, the grant must be paid into this account
• Be able to show the majority of people in positions of power (including directors/trustees, the CEO and senior managers) are not related nor living at the same address
• Have a track record of delivering services, for at least one year, to people aged 17 and over. Applicants must currently be delivering these services
• Have a safeguarding policy in place
• Hold public liability insurance
• Be an independent organisation
• Not have a live grant with Lloyds Bank Foundation with more than 12 months to run at the time of the programme closing

Under this programme, charities must be:

• Led by and working for the communities they support. This means that at least 75% of trustees and at least 50% of staff self-identify as d/Deaf or Disabled
• Placing people with lived experience at the centre of designing, developing and managing services they provide
• Reflecting an inclusive, rights-based social model of disability
• Focused on advice and/or advocacy casework

Size of grant available: £75,000 over three years
Priorities: The funding is for organisations who are led by the communities they serve and alongside providing immediate crisis support and working with people over the longer term to help them break free from poverty and achieve their potential. Applicants must be delivering their services in the following ways:

• In-depth services – delivering a range of services supporting individuals through a structured pathway over a prolonged period. This must include advice and/or advocacy, such as access to accommodation/housing support, welfare and benefits advice and advocacy, debt support, access to healthcare, and access to legal and employment rights advice
• A range of longer-term support to empower and support d/Deaf and Disabled people to participate in everyday life and have a voice in the decisions that impact them
• Person-centred services – organisations should have trusted relationships with providers or agencies which can help people to overcome the challenges they face and meet their basic needs
• Personal plans – working together with the people they support to understand the challenges they may be experiencing and agree on how to help them find a way to overcome them

How to apply: Guidance, an eligibility checker and online application are available at the foundation’s website

C. No deadlines
1. Funders with a local / regional interest  

Birmingham and the Black Country Communities Fund

Who can apply: All types of constituted not-for-profits can apply, including registered charities, CICs and community groups. To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have an income of equal to or less than £500,000, as shown in their most recent annual accounts
• Have a constitution or governing rules
• A management committee/board of trustees/board of directors with at least three unrelated people as members
• A bank account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories
• Safeguarding policy (if working with children or vulnerable adults)
• Equal opportunities policy

Size of grant available: Up to £3,000
Priorities: The funder supports small charities and community and voluntary groups supporting local people across Birmingham and the Black Country. The Foundation’s priorities this financial year are:

• Youth opportunities – including skills development, raising employment aspirations, positive engagement with communities
• Health and wellbeing – including mental health, dementia, domestic abuse
• Building stronger and cohesive communities – including tackling loneliness and isolation, support for migrants, developing community connection and integration

How to apply: An online application form and guidance information are available from the Heart of England Community Foundation website.

Platform Housing Group – Community Chest

Who can apply: Applications are welcome from charities, not-for-profit organisations, clubs, constituted groups and informal groups
Size of grant available: Up to £10,000
Priorities: The funding is intended to support local not-for-profit organisations with projects that support Platform communities, bringing people together, increasing community safety, improving health and wellbeing, and developing life skills and learning opportunities. The fund will support a range of projects and activities which have a positive impact on local communities. Projects that make a difference in at least one of the following ways will be considered:

• Digital Inclusion – helping people in Platform communities to access and use the internet safely and effectively. Examples include IT equipment and IT training
• Health and Wellbeing – improving physical health and mental wellbeing for people in Platform communities
  Examples include: exercise classes, wellbeing workshops, dental health initiatives, holiday hunger initiatives, improvements to physical environments
• Community Cohesion – helping to bring people together and making sure that no groups of people are left out
  Examples include: community events or activities, particularly if they reach groups who might otherwise be excluded
• Environmental Sustainability – helping to reduce negative impacts on the natural world around us
• Skills and Employability – creating opportunities for Platform customers to develop life skills and skills needed to gain work. Examples include: courses, support, other initiatives with learning opportunities
• Community Safety – making Platform neighbourhoods safer for everyone. Examples include: Neighbourhood Watch schemes; security marking programmes etc

How to apply: Applications will be assessed at panel meetings, with five held each year. If an application is being made for an event or activity, then applicants should apply at least three to four months in advance of the planned date. Applicants will be contacted after the meeting to be advised of the outcome of their application. Guidance, FAQs and application forms are available on the Platform Housing Group website.

Bernard Piggott Charitable Trust

Who can apply: Registered charities based in greater-Birmingham (including Dudley borough)
Size of grant available: Discretionary, though average grant size is £250-£5,000
Priorities: Funding is for projects that address the following areas:

• Elderly
• Care
• Youth
• Education
• Theatre/arts
• Heritage/buildings
• Faith
• Community
• Health/medical
• Disabilities
• People
• Poverty
• Animal welfare
• Environment
• Other charitable purposes

How to apply: Applications can be submitted at anytime and are considered twice a year in May and November. An online application form is available on the funder’s website.

Dulverton Trust

Who can apply: Constituted voluntary groups, charities and other non-profit community organisations (including churches/PCCs) with an annual income of under £200,000 can apply. Social enterprises and CICs can also apply as long as they meet the criteria set out by the relevant community foundation.
Size of grant available: £500-£5,000
Priorities: The fund aims to support projects that meet one of the following priorities:

• Youth opportunities
• General welfare
• Conservation
• Heritage

How to apply: This fund is managed by Heart of England Community Foundation. The guidance notes and application form are available on the Heart of England Community Foundation website.

2. National funders 

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £3,000-£10,000

Who can apply: Any type of not-for-profit organisation and private owners of heritage
Size of grant available: £3,000-£10,000
Priorities: The funder supports projects that connect people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK.  Heritage can mean different things to different people. It can be anything from the past that you value and want to pass on to future generations. As a guide, this could include:

• people’s memories and experiences (often recorded as ‘oral history’)
• cultural traditions (for example, stories, festivals, crafts, music and dance)
• nature (for example, habitats, species and geology)
• natural and designed landscapes such as parks and gardens
• community archaeology
• historic buildings, monuments and environments
• collections of objects, books or documents in museums, libraries or archives
• histories of people and communities or places and events
• the heritage of languages and dialects
• places and objects linked to our industrial, maritime and transport history

At this grant level, the funder can also support activities to support a group taking on new responsibility for heritage, or to build new skills and capacity in organisations that already have responsibility for heritage. To support the sector in its continued recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and through the cost of living crisis, the fund is prioritising heritage projects that:

• promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people (a mandatory outcome)
• boost the local economy
• encourage skills development and job creation
• support wellbeing
• create better places to live, work and visit
• improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage

Projects must achieve at least the inclusion outcome. In addition to these outcomes, all projects must also consider long-term environmental sustainability.
How to apply: Full guidance and access to the online application are on the funder’s website.

 Growth Impact Fund

NB. This is a mix of grant and loan finance for social enterprises to grow their impact and sales
Who can apply: To be eligible organisations must:

• Be legally registered in the UK as a company or a charity
• Have demonstrated proof of concept by generating some trading revenue already
• Be looking to significantly grow trading income and social impact
• Be interested in seeking funding as a repayable investment
• Be able to demonstrate that their focus is on tackling inequity for marginalised people in the UK
• Have more than 75% representation at board and at least 50% representation at senior leadership team of individuals who fall into one or more of the following categories:
  • Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic
  • Disabled
  • Women
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Lived experience of a social challenge
  • Experience of socio-economic disadvantage

Solo founders and organisations that demonstrate a clear commitment to improving diversity, equity and inclusion are also eligible to apply
Size of finance available: There are three flexible types of investment available:

• Equity – £50,000 to £500,000 for shares in the organisation
• Revenue share – £50,000 to £750,000 for repayments based on the organisation’s revenue performance
• Patient debt – £500,000 to £1,500,000 for regular repayments set at an agreed interest rate over several years

Investing organisations can also access the following grant funding:

• Up to £15,000 before investment to support organisations before accessing investment or to cover your personal expenses through the process
• Up to £20,000 alongside investment as additional funding support to help applicants grow their organisation

Priorities: The Growth Impact Fund offers social-purpose organisations investment and supports entrepreneurs to grow their impact and sales. It provides tailored support packages including grant funding and expert advice to organisations with a social purpose that are focused on tackling inequity and have diverse representation at board and leadership level
How to apply: An online application form can be found on the Growth Impact Fund website. Applicants will be assigned an investment manager who will support them with the creation of a draft proposal. The portfolio team will work with groups that require additional support before accessing investment to develop a tailored support package including grant funding and expert advice.