Deadline: 6-Jan-23
The Leeds Community Foundation is inviting applications for Jimbo’s Fund to support organisations working for the benefit of disadvantaged people in Leeds, particularly those with a focus on LS8, LS9, LS14 and LS15.
Jimbo’s Fund was set up by generous local businessman, Jimi Heselden, to support people experiencing hardship in East Leeds.
Jimi tragically passed away in an accident in 2010, but the fund continues to support local projects, continuing Jimi’s legacy of generosity.
Applicant organisations must be established for at least 2 years and have a track record in the local area.
Applications need to clearly demonstrate:
- They are supporting people experiencing hardship/disadvantage
- Their work is meeting an identified need in the local community
- They can deliver tangible results.
Funding Information
- The minimum request is £1,000. The maximum is £20,000. The grant can be used to part-fund or fully-fund a wide range of activities over a one-year period.
What can the Fund support?
- Jimi’s legacy has contributed to a thriving network of community support that responds to a range of needs. In light of the current Cost of Living Crisis, they appreciate that many community organisations may wish to seek support towards keeping their community spaces open, alongside more targeted support for people experiencing food and fuel poverty, and other adverse effects of the crisis. They encourage applications that benefit anyone experiencing hardship or disadvantage, which might include, but are not restricted to:
- Children and young people
- People with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities
- Older people
- People living in areas of significant disadvantage
- Projects supporting people in LS8, LS9, LS14 and LS15 are especially encouraged, though applications are welcome from the whole Leeds Metropolitan District.
Types of Activities
- The type of activity that can be funded is broad and includes:
- Project costs
- Staff costs that are relevant and proportional
- Training for volunteers/staff
- Out-of-pocket-expenses for volunteers
- Capital costs, including purchase of equipment, refurbishment and building work, and purchase of buildings (quotes will be required for items over £500)
- Contribution to core costs, such as management overheads, insurance etc, that are proportional to the described activity (sometimes called ‘Full Cost Recovery’)
- Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, but is representative of previously funded activity.
Eligibility Criteria
- Incorporated community groups such as CIOs, CICs and charitable companies from the third sector that:
- Are registered with the Charity Commission, Companies House or Mutuals Public Register (FCA)
- CICs, limited companies and similar must be clearly constituted for public benefit and should be limited by guarantee, not shares
- Have a constitution or other relevant governance document
- Have a management committee/board of directors/trustees of at least three unrelated people, none of whom have significant control
- A copy of your most recent annual accounts or financial records showing your organisation’s balance of funds, income and reserves
- Have a bank account under the name of the group with at least two unrelated signatories (if your organisation doesn’t have its own bank account, but does meet all of the other criteria, please contact us to discuss how they can work around this) · Are based in or supporting people living in the Leeds Metropolitan District Area
- Have a Children and Young People Safeguarding Policy and an Equal Opportunities Policy or similar
- If organising or running public events, festivals etc groups will be expected to have relevant insurance and comply with all required health and safety, food handling/preparation and other local and national statutory regulations for such activity
- Charities that are registered with the Charity Commission but are not an incorporated structure can also apply. They must also fulfil the bullet points. However, grants cannot be used to pay staff that are directly employed by the charity
- Small unincorporated and unregistered community groups can apply for a maximum of £5,000. Unincorporated, unregistered groups can only apply if their annual income is less than £10,000, and if securing the grant does not take them this threshold for the year.
What can the Fund not support?
- Grants will not be awarded to or for:
- For-profit organisations, statutory organisations (e.g. schools and hospitals) or overseas organisations
- Organisations who do not have strong links and track-record in Leeds
- Organisations who have been operating less than two-years (by the deadline of 6th Jan)
- Retrospective funding (activity and costs that have already taken place)
- Grant-making to other organisations and/or individuals
- Activity targeted at a particular group (ethnic, gender, religious etc.) without a good justification for this
- Activity that promotes a particular political or religious point of view
- Activity primarily for the benefit of animals
- Unincorporated groups that have an income of more than £10,000, or if securing the grant takes them this threshold for the year
- Individuals
- Expeditions or overseas travel
- General appeals and contributions to large scale projects
- Applications from national charities (unless the local branch can demonstrate sufficient independence)
- Applications from organisations with substantial free reserves
- Applications from organisations with access to other significant funding sources, including those with substantial fundraising teams
- Applications from organisations that are in poor financial health or have had a previous grant from us which has not been managed satisfactorily
- Applications which cannot demonstrate a clear need or demand for the work
- Applications which offer poor value for money.
For more information, visit https://www.leedscf.org.uk/grants/jimbos-fund/