Deadline: 31-Dec-2026
The Randal Foundation Small Grant Programme supports grassroots organisations in Northern Ireland that are working to save lives or significantly improve lives through community-led interventions. Grants of up to £3,000 are available for project costs, with priority given to poverty alleviation, support for women and children at risk of immediate harm, violence against women and girls, refugees, asylum seekers, and hardship reduction. Eligible applicants include registered charities, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations operating in Northern Ireland with annual turnover below £100,000.
Overview
The Randal Foundation Small Grant Programme provides targeted funding to small grassroots organisations working in Northern Ireland.
The programme supports community-led projects that respond to urgent needs, reduce hardship, protect vulnerable people, and improve the lives of individuals and families facing crisis.
Funding is offered through an open call process and is designed for organisations with a clear local role and measurable community impact.
Purpose of the Grant
The purpose of the grant is to support organisations delivering practical, life-saving or life-improving services in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
The programme prioritises projects that address immediate harm, poverty, hardship, and crisis situations.
It is especially focused on organisations that are close to the communities they serve and where lived experience informs governance, leadership, or service delivery.
Key Focus Areas
The programme focuses on poverty alleviation, women and children at risk of immediate harm, violence against women and girls, refugees and asylum seekers, hardship reduction, emergency support, trauma-informed care, domestic abuse recovery, essential supplies, practical crisis response, community-led support, grassroots service delivery, diversity and inclusion, and measurable social impact.
What the Programme Supports
The Randal Foundation Small Grant Programme supports practical projects that directly improve lives in Northern Ireland.
Typical supported activities may include:
- Emergency support for families in crisis
- Peer-led support for women at risk of violence
- Short-term trauma-informed counselling
- Support for individuals affected by poverty or harm
- Essential supply packs for refugees and asylum seekers
- Service signposting for vulnerable communities
- Wellbeing activities for families and children recovering from domestic abuse
- Community-led hardship reduction initiatives
- Practical support for people facing immediate risk or severe disadvantage
Projects should demonstrate clear community need and show how the grant will create direct benefits within twelve months.
Funding Amount
The programme offers small grants of up to £3,000.
Funding is strictly limited to project costs.
The grant cannot be used for core organisational overheads or capital campaigns.
Project Duration
Projects must be completed within twelve months.
Applicants should ensure that their proposed activities, budget, delivery plan, and monitoring approach are realistic for this timeframe.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include organisations operating in Northern Ireland.
Applicants may include:
- Registered charities
- Community groups
- Not-for-profit organisations
Eligible organisations must have an annual turnover of less than £100,000.
Applicants should have a proven track record of delivering impactful work in one or more of the programme’s priority areas.
Preferred Applicants
The programme is especially suitable for grassroots organisations that are directly connected to local communities.
Strong applicants may include organisations where:
- Lived experience informs governance or delivery
- Services are community-led
- Support reaches people facing immediate harm or hardship
- The organisation has strong local trust
- Activities are practical and responsive to community need
- Outcomes can be measured and reported clearly
Who Is Not Eligible?
The programme does not support applications from:
- Individuals
- Statutory organisations
- For-profit entities
- CICs that do not meet specific governance requirements
- Organisations operating outside Northern Ireland
- Organisations without a clear community delivery role
Applicants should confirm that their organisation type, governance structure, and project location meet the programme requirements before applying.
Activities Not Supported
The fund does not support:
- Religious advancement
- Political promotion
- Capital projects
- Vehicle purchases
- Trips outside Northern Ireland
- Activities that duplicate existing services
- Fundraising events
- Advocacy programmes
- Building campaigns
- Core organisational overheads
- Capital campaigns
Projects should focus on direct service delivery and measurable community benefit.
Why It Matters
Many families, women, children, refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable individuals in Northern Ireland face immediate hardship, harm, trauma, or poverty.
Small grassroots organisations often provide fast, trusted, and locally informed support to people who may not easily access mainstream services.
This grant matters because it helps small community organisations deliver practical interventions that can protect people, reduce crisis, improve wellbeing, and strengthen community resilience.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a clear and focused application that explains the community need, proposed activities, expected outcomes, and monitoring approach.
Step 1: Confirm Organisational Eligibility
Applicants should confirm that they are a registered charity, community group, or not-for-profit organisation operating in Northern Ireland.
They should also confirm that their annual turnover is below £100,000.
Step 2: Check Project Fit
The proposed project should clearly align with the programme’s priorities.
Eligible project themes may include:
- Poverty alleviation
- Support for women and children at risk
- Violence against women and girls
- Refugee and asylum seeker support
- Emergency hardship response
- Trauma-informed support
- Domestic abuse recovery
- Community wellbeing
Step 3: Define the Community Need
The application should explain the problem the project will address.
Applicants should describe:
- Who will benefit
- What immediate risks or hardships they face
- Why support is needed now
- How the project responds to local community realities
- Why the organisation is well placed to deliver the work
Step 4: Describe the Project Activities
Applicants should clearly explain what the grant will fund.
The project description should include:
- Main activities
- Target beneficiaries
- Delivery location
- Delivery timeline
- Staff or volunteer involvement
- Community engagement approach
- Expected short-term and long-term outcomes
Step 5: Prepare a Project Budget
The budget should not exceed £3,000.
It should clearly show how the funds will be used for project costs.
Applicants should avoid including core overheads, capital costs, fundraising events, building campaigns, or other excluded expenses.
Step 6: Explain Monitoring and Evaluation
Applications should include a clear plan for tracking results.
The monitoring plan may include:
- Number of people supported
- Types of support delivered
- Beneficiary feedback
- Case studies or beneficiary stories
- Evidence of improved safety, wellbeing, or stability
- Data showing project reach and impact
Step 7: Show Commitment to Inclusion
Applicants should demonstrate how the project will be accessible, inclusive, and responsive to people facing disadvantage.
This may include consideration of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, refugee status, poverty, trauma, or lived experience.
Step 8: Submit the Application
Applicants should submit a complete application through the programme’s open call process.
The application should be concise, evidence-based, and clearly linked to life-saving or life-improving outcomes.
Assessment Criteria
Applications will be assessed based on impact, need, delivery strength, and accountability.
Key assessment areas include:
- Evidence of life-saving or life-improving outcomes
- Clear community need
- Strong fit with programme priorities
- Proven track record of delivery
- Grassroots community connection
- Robust monitoring and evaluation plan
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Ability to deliver within twelve months
- Clear reporting of outcomes
- Avoidance of duplicated services
- Practical and realistic use of funds
Reporting Requirements
Successful applicants must provide detailed monitoring and reporting after receiving funding.
Reporting may include:
- Project activity data
- Number of beneficiaries reached
- Evidence of outcomes
- Beneficiary stories
- Learning from delivery
- Financial reporting
- Examples of impact
Successful organisations may also be asked to participate in communication activities that highlight their work and the impact of the grant.
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should be clear, practical, and focused on direct community benefit.
Applicants should:
- Clearly explain the urgent need being addressed
- Show how the project will save or significantly improve lives
- Focus on direct support rather than general awareness
- Demonstrate grassroots community connection
- Provide evidence of previous impact
- Include a simple and realistic budget
- Explain how outcomes will be measured
- Show commitment to inclusion and lived experience
- Avoid proposing excluded activities
- Ensure the project can be completed within twelve months
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid submitting broad or unclear proposals.
Common mistakes include:
- Applying with annual turnover above £100,000
- Requesting funding for core overheads
- Requesting funding for capital projects or building campaigns
- Proposing activities outside Northern Ireland
- Submitting projects that duplicate existing services
- Failing to show measurable impact
- Providing weak evidence of community need
- Not explaining how beneficiaries will be supported
- Including fundraising events or advocacy programmes
- Missing a clear monitoring and reporting plan
- Submitting activities that do not align with poverty, harm prevention, or hardship reduction priorities
FAQ
1. What is the Randal Foundation Small Grant Programme?
The Randal Foundation Small Grant Programme provides small grants to grassroots organisations in Northern Ireland that are working to save lives or significantly improve lives through community-led projects.
2. Who can apply?
Registered charities, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations operating in Northern Ireland can apply if their annual turnover is less than £100,000.
3. How much funding is available?
The programme offers grants of up to £3,000.
4. What types of projects are supported?
Supported projects may include emergency support for families, peer-led support for women at risk of violence, trauma-informed counselling, refugee and asylum seeker support, poverty alleviation initiatives, and wellbeing activities for families and children affected by domestic abuse.
5. Can the grant be used for core costs?
No. Funding is strictly limited to project costs and cannot be used for core organisational overheads or capital campaigns.
6. What activities are excluded?
The fund does not support religious advancement, political promotion, capital projects, vehicle purchases, trips outside Northern Ireland, duplicated services, fundraising events, advocacy programmes, or building campaigns.
7. What reporting is required?
Successful applicants must provide monitoring and reporting that may include project data, beneficiary stories, evidence of impact, and outcome information.
Conclusion
The Randal Foundation Small Grant Programme provides vital support for small grassroots organisations delivering life-saving and life-improving work in Northern Ireland. With grants of up to £3,000, the programme helps fund practical projects addressing poverty, immediate harm, violence against women and girls, refugee and asylum seeker support, and hardship reduction. Applicants should present a clear community need, strong evidence of impact, inclusive delivery, a realistic project budget, and a robust plan for monitoring and reporting outcomes.
For more information, visit Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.