RTÉ Toy Show Appeal Impact Grants Fund

Deadline: 10-Feb-23

The Community Foundation Northern Ireland is seeking applications for the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal Impact Grants Fund.

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal was established in 2020 to raise funds for Irish children’s charities through the televised Late Late Toy Show. Since then, more than €17 million has been raised to support these charities. The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal mission is: Inspired by children, they work to bring the magic of the Late Late Toy Show to every child in Ireland. By funding essential support, health, wellbeing, play and creativity they aim to change children’s lives for good.

In the wake of the cost-of-living crisis, increased number of refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere in the world, and the climate crisis, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal is more important than ever.

Thematic Pillars

Children and family focussed charities working at local, regional and national level can apply for a grant under one of the following thematic pillars:

Addressing Essential Needs
Improving Health and Wellbeing
Creativity and Play

Priorities for Impact Grants Round

They anticipate that this will be a very competitive grant round so proposals that show the unique value of their project will be prioritised, this includes one or more of the following:
- Projects that have a strongly justified need based on research.
- Projects or programmes of work that are innovative and strategic.
- Projects or programmes that are centred around prevention and early intervention.
- Projects that directly respond to the cost-of-living crisis and increase in refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere in the world.
- Projects that respond to the climate and biodiversity crisis through research, education, awareness and practical response.
- Projects that have an impact on the wider community or sector through collaboration, evaluation and sharing learnings.
- Projects that have the potential to be sustained beyond the life of this grant.
- Projects that will include the voice and feedback of beneficiaries in its development.
- Projects that will include the voice and feedback of beneficiaries in its development.

Impact Grants Strands

Impact Grants Strand 1: Addressing Essential Needs
- Under the Addressing Essential Needs Strand, grants of £25,000 to £50,000 are available to eligible organisations for strategic and impactful projects that help improve outcomes for children at a national and/or local level.
  - Grants within this Strand of funding will be made to ensure that the most vulnerable children are safe, warm and fed. In light of the cost-of-living crisis, fuel poverty and the increased numbers of refugees, proposals in this Strand should improve living conditions and outcomes of children at risk in the short and longer term by providing holistic and practical supports.
  - Grants within the Strand will also be made to ensure that the most marginalised and disadvantaged children are properly supported in addressing educational needs. The benefits of education on breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty have been proven on many occasions, so proposals in this Strand should support children in their educational journey that will improve outcomes later in life.
Impact Grants Strand 2: Improving Wellbeing
- Under the Improving Health & Wellbeing Strand, grants of £25,000 to £50,000 are available to eligible organisations for strategic and impactful projects that help improve outcomes for children at a national and/or local level.
  - Grants within this Strand of funding will be made to ensure that children and young people have access to suitable mental and physical health services and have the opportunity to build resilience and self-esteem. Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis are putting additional pressure on the wellbeing of children and young people. Proposals in this Strand should improve the physical, mental and emotional health of children and young people by upscaling and establishing new services.
  - Grants within the Strand will also be made to ensure that children and young people with disabilities and those with life-limiting illnesses have access to high quality services and support. Ill health is difficult at any point in life, but it can have significant and long-term impacts in childhood in terms of educational outcomes and emotional wellbeing. Proposals in this Strand should increase the quality of life for children with disabilities and serious health conditions.
Impact Grants Strand 3: Creativity and Play
- Under the Creativity and Play Strand, grants of £25,000 to £50,000 are available to eligible organisations for strategic and impactful projects that help improve outcomes for children at a national and/or local level.
  - Grants within this Strand of funding will be made to ensure that the most marginalised and disadvantaged children and young people have access to the arts and creativity. The benefits of children’s engagement in arts and creativity have long been recognised, especially as a way to reduce inequality and improve social and economic outcomes. Proposals in this Strand should enhance personal and emotional development by ensuring that all children have the opportunity to benefit from the arts.
  - Grants within the Strand will also be made to ensure that the most marginalised and disadvantaged children and young people have access to programmes and spaces for play and extra-curricular activities. Play is essential to supporting children’s development of cognitive and social behaviours and activities often offer a safe space for young people. Proposals in this Strand should enable children and young people to access programmes and spaces for play and socialising.

Funding Information

Charities can apply for funds between £25,000 and £50,000 which should be spent down by June 2024. Budgets must be detailed and realistic.
Charities can apply to one of the Strands only.
For organisations with branch networks, where the branches fall under the one constitution, the application must be submitted by the head office of the organisation.

Eligible Projects

Impact Grants Strand 1: Addressing Essential Needs
- Examples of eligible projects can include but is not limited to:
  - Growing services that provide essential food, hygiene items, clothes, school essentials or vouchers to those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
  - Upscaling services or pilot projects that provide holistic and wrap-around supports for disadvantaged children and their families related to their basic needs.
  - Developing existing spaces for vulnerable children that allows for increased service provision. For example, in a refuge or a homeless hub, or the development of a kitchen for food provision.
  - Programmes that significantly increase access to education or training, or programmes that significantly increase/improve the supports available that will transform the lives of children with additional needs.
  - New or upscaled programmes that provide alternative forms of education or training for those who struggle with the mainstream education system.
  - Education and training in relation to the environment that will enable children and young people to respond to the climate and biodiversity crises.
  - Research into poverty, inequality, education or training that will impact vulnerable and marginalised children in the long term.
Impact Grants Strand 2: Improving Wellbeing
- Examples of eligible projects can include but is not limited to:
  - Upscaling or establishing new, innovative mental health programmes or crisis intervention for children and young people.
  - Strategic programmes that address adversity, trauma and abuse through play, dance, drama art or movement therapy.
  - Developing programmes for supporting and empowering children with disabilities/serious health conditions and their families.
  - Growing or piloting programmes that build resilience, self-esteem and self-confidence through learning, training or personal development.
  - Projects and programmes that practically respond to climate anxiety.
  - Developing existing spaces that allows for increased provision of disability or mental health services.
  - Research into improving mental health and wellbeing for Irelands most vulnerable children.
  - Evaluation and development of services to ensure accessibility of services for children with intellectual and physical disabilities and serious health conditions.
Impact Grants Strand 3: Creativity and Play
- Examples of eligible projects can include but is not limited to:
  - New or upscaled programmes to engage particularly disadvantaged or marginalised children in the arts (music, theatre, drama, film).
  - Creative education programmes, activities and workshops in that enhance the quality of life of children with physical and intellectual disabilities and children with long term illness.
  - Piloting or significantly developing creative programmes and activities that encourage the expression of identities and personal development.
  - The development of indoor or outdoor spaces that allow for increased play, creativity and socialising. Particularly spaces that simultaneously preserve biodiversity and allow for a greater appreciation of biodiversity.
  - Research around creativity and disadvantage and the impact of interventions.
  - Improving accessibility to play and recreation through the development of spaces (eg. Indoor or outdoor infrastructure) or programmes for vulnerable and/or disadvantaged children.

Eligibility Criteria

Organisations can apply only once to the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal this year. Where multiple applications are received from the same organisation, none will be considered for assessment.
Eligible organisations must:
- Be a child or family focused charity working at local and/or national level that works regularly with children and young people
- Be registered with the Charity Commission for NI
- Have an annual income of £500,000 or more
- Have up to date and sufficient governing documents, annual accounts and child safeguarding policies
Eligible projects must:
- Must support disadvantaged or vulnerable children from 0-18 years old. This includes:
  - Socially and economically disadvantaged children
  - Children with disabilities
  - Children with severe long-term illnesses
  - Children who have suffered trauma or grief
  - Children who are suffering with behavioural or psychological difficulties
  - Children who are facing discrimination
- May be a new and innovative programme or an impactful current programme that will be significantly developed or upscaled with the funding.
- May be to continue a project funded in last year’s RTÉ Toy Show grant round, however, funding must still be spent by the end of June 2024.
- May include staff and capital costs where specifically related to the proposed project (see below for more info).
- Must support children and young people at a local and/or national level.
- Must start no earlier than June 2023 and run until the end of June 2024.
Organisations and projects that don’t fit these criteria will not be considered for funding.

Ineligible

Ineligible organisations include:
- Charities with an annual income of less than £500,000
- Schools and private childcare facilities
- Sports organisations
- Profit-making companies
- Animal welfare organisations
- Proposals from individuals
- Organisations with a credit union account
- The advancement of religion. This includes organisations whose purposes include the advancement of religion
- The establishment of endowment of any school or institution providing further education within the meaning of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1972
- The provision of assistance to any Housing Association within the meaning of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1976
Ineligible projects include:
- Ongoing core costs such as insurance, rent, bills etc.
- Advocacy work
- Large scale building work or procurement
- Vehicle costs
- Projects that have already happened or any activities that will happen before the grants are awarded
- Projects taking place outside of Northern Ireland
- Promotion of religious or political activity, including any flags and emblems that may deem to be associated with such
Further to this the Community Foundation will not fund organisations or activities which promote causes that are contrary to their purposes. They will not therefore fund organisations or activities which they determine are linked to the promotion of armaments, alcohol, human rights abuses, tobacco or pornography.
Ineligible organisations and projects will not be successful, so please do not apply.