Deadline: 21-Jun-2024
The Smallwood Trust is delighted to announce an open call for the Round 2 of Women’s Urgent Support Fund.
The Women’s Urgent Support Fund is supported by over £5 million of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to respond to the cost-of-living crisis. Thanks to National Lottery players, £5.4 million will be awarded in grants to c.100 small, local community organisations led by and serving women.
The Women’s Urgent Support Fund Round 2 was designed with 9 grant partners from Round 1 who support the priority groups for the Fund and have multiple lived experiences. Taking on board feedback from these sessions, Smallwood shares this opportunity that aims to account for the needs of disabled and/or neurodivergent applicants, is open and flexible in recognition of women’s increasingly complex needs and the current funding landscape, and is welcoming to small, grassroots organisations.
Objectives
- The core objectives of the fund are:
- Frontline organisations led by and/or supporting women can respond to an identified increase in demand, brought on by the cost-of-living crisis
- Frontline organisations can meet the basic priority needs of women at most risk of poverty, because of the cost-of-living crisis
- Frontline organisations led by and/or supporting women will be strengthened during the cost-of-living crisis
Funding Information
- Between £15,000 and £60,000 over three years. This should be split across the three years, with a maximum of £20,000 per year. This will help organisations to both respond to the immediate cost-of-living crisis and in years two and three support these vital services to be sustained.
- They expect projects to commence from November/December 2024 and all funding must be spent by November/December 2027.
Impact
- The anticipated impact for the fund is:
- Women affected by the cost-of-living crisis and poverty gain confidence, tools, skills and support to build their financial resilience and improve their mental health.
- Vital frontline jobs/roles and services will be protected or enhanced by additional funding enabling organisations led by and serving women to meet increased demand for their services.
Priority Groups
- The fund aims to support women most impacted by poverty and the cost-of-living crisis. As a result, they will be prioritising organisations and/or services supporting the following groups:
- Women experiencing racial inequality
- Disabled women
- Women with No Recourse to Public Funds
- Women that are the sole parent to children under 18 years
- LGBTQ+ communities experiencing financial insecurity
Eligibility Criteria
- You can apply if you are one of the following:
- Are delivering frontline services led by, for and/or serving women
- Are responding to identified priority needs and demand as a result of the cost-of-living crisis
- Are based England, with an income of less than £1,000,000
- Are not-for-profit and one of the following:
- Registered charity
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”)
- Charitable Trust
- Co-operative Societies
- Community Benefit Societies
- Community Interest Companies limited by Guarantee
- Community Interest Companies limited by Shares
- Company limited by Guarantee
- Unincorporated Association/Organisation
- Must have a not for profit/asset lock clause(s) in your Society Rules and be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority
- Must be a registered charity or have a not for profit/asset lock clause(s) in your Articles of Association.
For more information, visit Smallwood Trust.