Apply Now for Community Grants Programme in the UK

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

The County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) is seeking applications for its Community Grants Programme.

As Covid-19 continues to impact their communities, their Community Grants Programme will now focus on sustaining health and wellbeing, while facing the challenges ahead.

Funding Information

The Community Grants programme is made up of a number of funds managed on behalf of donors by the Foundation. It provides grants up to £5,000 and can support a broad range of projects.
For any single capital items or works between £250 and £1,000 they would accept one quote or estimate of works. For single capital items or works between £1,001 and £50,000 three quotes should be obtained.

What type of funding can you apply for?

Funding is available to continue existing work, start or extend projects tackling emerging needs, or support the running of organisations. Organisations must demonstrate how their work will benefit one of the fund’s key themes:

Improve health and wellbeing
Reduce poverty and inequality
Support those impacted by family breakdown or domestic abuse
Remove barriers to digital access
Provide advice and support to people struggling to manage money
Improve opportunities for education, training and employment
Work within their community to address local needs in other ways to those listed in their application.

Eligibility Criteria

There are no limits to the size of organisation that can apply, however priority will go to those organisations that can evidence that they can deliver significant impact locally. Geographically, the fund covers County Durham and Darlington.
Typically, they award grants to:
- constituted voluntary-led organisations with charitable aims,
- registered charities
- charitable incorporated organisations (CIO)
- social enterprises
- community interest companies (CIC)
- companies limited by guarantee that have charitable aims
Organisations seeking funding must satisfy the following conditions:
- Volunteer-led organisations, registered charities and CIOs must:
  - Have a management committee with a minimum of four unrelated members
  - Have a bank or building society account in the name of the organisation/group, with a minimum of two unrelated cheque signatories
  - Have charitable aims
  - Provide evidence of good governance practices and sound financial management (including registering with the Charity Commission, CASC or other governing body, depending on the size of the organisation)
  - Usually, you must register with the Charity Commission if your charity is based in England or Wales and has over £5,000 income per year. They may ask for evidence of this in the form of a letter from the Charity Commission confirming receipt of your application for charitable status.
- Social enterprises, Community Interest Companies (CIC) and other companies must:
  - Have a management committee with a minimum of three directors, or four directors if two are related
  - Have a bank or building society account in the name of the organisation/company, with a minimum of two unrelated cheque signatories
  - Have clear charitable purposes and a defined social benefit
  - Have a recognised status (e.g. a company limited by guarantee), and be registered with the necessary relevant body (e.g. Companies House)
  - Have an asset-lock clause in the Company’s dissolution.