Our General Awards in the United Kingdom

Deadline: 6-Jan-23

The Sussex Community Foundation is accepting applications for Our General Awards.

Funding Information

• Grants of up to £10,000 are available.

What can I apply for?

• Our grants help to address disadvantage and deprivation and build resilience across Sussex.
• Although our funding is open to all, they particularly welcome applications from organisations led by and supporting people from underrepresented communities. This includes but is not limited to people underrepresented in terms of race, religion, sexuality, disability, and age, as well as geography or economic disadvantage.
• You might want funding for something like:
  • Youth work and young people’s activities
  • Lunch clubs and support for older people
  • Health and well-being initiatives
  • Projects working to improve digital inclusion
  • Climate action, community gardens, or environmental projects
  • Projects supporting homeless and vulnerably housed people
  • Community advice and support
  • Food banks and projects
  • Projects addressing drug and alcohol misuse
• Your grant can cover costs such as:
  • Equipment and materials
  • Staffing and volunteer expenses
  • Training and skills development
  • Rent or hire
  • Marketing
  • Organisational development, eg. business planning, fundraising or capacity building.

Eligibility Criteria

• Most of our grants are awarded to not-for-profit volunteer-led organisations whose annual income does not exceed £2 million. However, our funding is particularly aimed at supporting smaller voluntary groups across Sussex, many with an annual income of less than £100,000. 
• They define ‘not for profit’ organisations as those:
  • Whose governing body (board or management committee) is entirely voluntary, although out of pocket expenses may be paid, and has a minimum of three un-related people (if some are related there must be at least three who are not)
  • Whose members do not receive any financial benefit
  • Whose income and assets are used for exclusively charitable purposes (and any remaining assets are transferred to a charitable organisation)
  • That do not pay any dividend or distribute any surplus to shareholders or members
• Your organisation does not have to be a charity but it does need to have:
  • Its own bank account, with at least two cheque signatories (who are not related to each other)
  • A constitution or set of governing rules, with a minimum of three trustees/committee members,
  • Accounts or records of expenditure
  • Relevant policies (such as equal opportunities, child protection, vulnerable adults, health and safety etc).
  • Please note that all first-time applicants are required to submit copies of the documents listed to be considered for funding. If you have already received a grant from us, you will only be asked to submit your most recent accounts and a bank statement from within the last three months.
• They can accept applications from social enterprises, CICs and Companies Limited by Guarantee carrying out charitable activities. However, these organisations must have:
  • Demonstrable public benefit and clear protection against private benefit
  • A minimum of three unrelated directors, the majority of whom are not paid either as directors or for delivering the activities of the organisation (if some are related there must be at least three who are not)
  • A majority of non-executive directors approving the salaries and benefits of any paid directors, which should be reasonable and proportionate to the work they do and the financial position of the organisation
  • An asset lock body (in the case of CICs) with objectives that are charitable and similar to the CIC .

What can’t you fund?

• Organisations or activities which don’t benefit communities in Sussex
• Organisations that discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation
• Organisations where the service provided is used as a vehicle or means to promote religious beliefs
• Political activities
• Small contributions to major capital appeals or campaigns
• Grants which will be used to make awards to a third party
• Projects which only benefit animals
• Organisations who have not returned monitoring from previous grant awards
• Retrospective funding for activities or projects that have already taken place.

For more information, visit Our General Awards.

For more information, visit https://sussexgiving.org.uk/apply-for-grants/how-it-works/