Deadline: 13-Jan-22
The Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) is pleased to launch Step Change Fund that focuses on capacity building and strengthening of Oxfordshire’s charitable sector.
The Step Change Fund is for charities with visionary leadership that realise they need to transform the way they are organised in order to create a more solid basis for delivering their core work.
The Step Change Fund is their investment in the sector that will enable it to be stronger and more sustainable, and therefore better equipped to deal with the hard-hitting social problems OCF wants to address.
The Step Change Fund was established in 2014 when a group of philanthropists in Oxfordshire recognised that many charitable organisations struggle to obtain funding to build their core capacity. A consequence is that some organisations ‘chase funding’ for new projects, without sustainable benefit to the charity or lasting impact.
Funding Information
- Amounts available: £10,000–£50,000 in the first instance, with the possibility of further funding up to £25,000 for follow-on projects
- Group annual income: Minimum £75,000, maximum £750,000; total grants will be capped at £75,000 and will not normally be greater than 30% of the applicant’s annual income, should this be less
What they’re looking for?
- They are particularly interested in projects that enable a ‘step change’ in financial terms. they believe that charitable organisations need excellent internal governance and a well thought through strategy to be effective in their use of time and money.
- This fund does not offer core funding simply for the continuance of existing services; grants will be given for projects that can demonstrate realistic plans for increasing reach and impact and for building longer-term resilience for the future. they therefore ask you to have a charity health check, and demonstrate your seriousness through a comprehensive business plan.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible to apply for funding from Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), your group must:
- Be a registered charity, constituted group or social enterprise/CIC
- Be based in Oxfordshire and/or have majority of beneficiaries in Oxfordshire
- Have at least three trustees or committee members who are not related to each other
- Have a bank account in its own name with at least two unrelated signatories, open for three months or more
- Be open to people of all religions and political affiliations, and must not proselytise
- The following types of group/project are NOT eligible:
- National charities (or financially integrated branches)
- Public bodies or statutory organisations (including parish/town councils)
- Charities where the beneficiaries are solely animals
- Individuals
- Projects that are the purchase of buses or other vehicles
- Large-scale construction projects (including fixed structures e.g. playgrounds)
- Projects where the costs have already been incurred
For more information, visit https://oxfordshire.org/ocf_grants/step-change/