Charities & VolunteeringCharities & Organisations£130m grant scheme opens to small local voluntary and community groups £130m grant scheme opens to small local voluntary and community groups
15/09/2008
The Government declared its £130 million "Grassroots Grants" scheme open for business last week - and is urging small local voluntary and community groups to come forward and "get their hands" on essential funding. Whether you are a local club needing new kit, coaching new volunteers or simply giving the village hall a fresh lick of paint, Grassroots Grants aim to make a real difference to the work of any small and local community groups with annual incomes below £20,000.
The programme, funded by the Office of The Third Sector, offers grants of between £250 and £5,000 to support activities that lie right at the heart of local communities. To keep the application process as simple as possible for applicants, the money is being distributed directly through local funders - slightly larger local organisations already based in the community and selected because they are familiar with the needs and causes in each area.
Within the programme the Government has also set aside a £50 million pot from which it will match endowment investments from businesses. This offers businesses the chance to contribute directly to supporting and sustaining the communities in which they operate.
The endowment element - which is also open to individual investors - aims to ensure that that Grassroots Grants remain available for many years to come. It is estimated that with match funding and sound investment this £50million could be worth as much as £150million when it starts paying out in 2011. In addition, as Gift Aid can be claimed on donations to a charitable cause, a £1,000 match-funded contribution from a business would be worth £2,560 to the fund.
Alison Seabrooke, Community Development Foundation Chief Executive said: “Grassroots Grants reach out to grassroots groups which may have never even considered applying for grant funding before. The endowment match challenge enables local funders to continue this funding over the long-term, giving small community groups a real future.
For more information about the programme, including a full list of contacts for local funders and the areas they will cover, please go to the website below and then click on Grassroots Grants.