Cornerstone Grants

The Cornerstone Grant Programme offers grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 towards the cost of urgent structural repair projects costed at more than £100,000 including VAT. The Trust will also consider projects that introduce kitchens and accessible toilets to enable increased community use, costed at more than £30,000 including VAT. Grants will never exceed 50% of the project cost.

The next deadline is: 5 November 2018 for a decision in March 2019.

Subsequent deadlines are: 4 March 2019 (for a decision in July) and 1 July 2019 (for a decision in November)

For more information and to apply please visit https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/cornerstonegrants

Thornog Windfarm, Drumquin Co. Tyrone

This local community fund has been set up by Energia Renewables, working in close partnership with local groups from the areas surrounding the Thornog Wind Farm, Drumquin.

Energia has set up the fund to ensure that the wind farm, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, will also provide significant social and economic benefits to the local community. 

Funding is available to local community projects that are planned and run for the benefit of the local population and are within 7 miles of the Windfarm (70% of the funds will be awarded to groups based within a 5 mile radius of the windfarm). 

 

Area: Within 7 miles of Thornog Wind Farm (click here for radius map)

Grant Size: £500-£5,000

Who can apply:

• Constituted voluntary organisations and community groups 

• Local Youth Groups

• Faith organisations (if the funding is not to promote religion) who have a locally adopted governing document

• Organisations that are located within the 7 mile radius of the Thornog Wind Farm (Click here for radius map)

Applications are invited for projects that address the following themes:

• Energy efficiency and sustainability

• Social, cultural or sporting benefit for the local community

• Educational issues with a sustainability angle

• Environmental benefit or economic benefit

Examples of projects the fund might support:

• Local cultural projects recording and researching history

• Establishment of a “Men’s Shed” or other similar initiative

• Small capital works to a community facility

• Environmental awareness projects

• Activities supporting young people, the elderly, those with disabilities

• Community wide events

• Strategic projects that will benefit a number of communities, including partnership applications

The fund will not support:

• Applications from individuals

• Applications from statutory organisations

• Applications that promote religious or political activities

• Salaried posts

• Trips abroad

• Vehicles

• Activities that duplicate existing services

• Retrospective Funding

• Substitution for statutory funding

Closing date for receipt of  applications is 16th November 2018 at 1:00pm

It is recommended that you read our Grant FAQs before starting your grant application.  Should you have any further questions please contact the Grants Team on 028 9024 5927.

To apply please visit https://www.communityfoundationni.org/thornog-community-benefit-fund

Long Mountain Windfarm, Dunloy

Guidance Notes and Fund Criteria

Bringing Power to local communities

Green Spaces, Healthy Living

Purpose of the Fund 

This local community fund has been set up by Energia Renewables, working in close partnership with local groups from the areas surrounding the Long Mountain Wind Farm, Glenbuck Road, Dunloy.

Energia has set up the fund to ensure that the wind farm, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, will also provide significant social and economic benefits to the local community. The Long Mountain Energia Community Benefit Fund will be administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

Funding will be available to local community projects that are planned and run for the benefit of the local population and are within 5 miles of the Windfarm.

Please click here to view boundary map.

The fund will support projects addressing issues within the following theme areas:

• Projects developing cross community relations

• Energy efficiency and sustainability of local community facilities

• Social, cultural or sporting benefit for the local community

• Educational issues with a sustainability angle

• Environmental benefit or economic benefit

Examples of who can apply:

• Constituted voluntary organisations and community groups 

• Faith organisations (if the funding is not to promote religion) who have a locally adopted governing document

• Local youth groups

Examples of projects that the fund might support:

• Local cultural projects recording and researching history

• Establishment of a “Men’s Shed” or other similar initiative 

• Small capital works to a community facility

• Contributions to core costs to run local community facilities/projects

• Environmental awareness projects

• Activities supporting young people, the elderly, those with disabilities

• Community wide events

• Strategic projects that will benefit a number of communities, including partnership applications with a particular focus on enhancement of community relations 

Amount of funding available:

Grants size - £500 - £2,000

The Long Mountain Energia Community Benefit Fund will not support :

• Applications from individuals 

• Applications from statutory organisations 

• Applications that promote religious or political activities

• Trips abroad 

• Vehicles

• Activities that duplicate existing services 

• Retrospective Funding 

• Substitution for statutory funding

Closing date for applications is 16th November 2018 at 1:00pm

To apply please visit https://www.communityfoundationni.org/long-mountain-community-benefit-fun

Core Funding Scheme now open

Deadline date: 

23 November 2018

The Core Scheme provides support for organisations which are considered of strategic importance in promoting community relations work across Northern Ireland. The scheme contributes towards salary and organisational running costs. 

Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC)
 

Applicants are required to outline the outcome in Together: Building a United Community to which the proposed project will contribute.

The ‘Together: Building a United Community’ Strategy, published on May 23 2013, reflects the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society.

For more information click here

The Core Funding Programme is now open and accepting applications for grant aid beginning April 2019.  The submission deadline is 4pm on Friday 23rd November 2018.  Late applications will not be accepted.  Complete application forms and all supporting documentation must be submitted in hard copy.

Two information sessions are available to any organisation that is interested in applying.  Funding staff will provide an overview of the application form and guidance and there will be opportunity to ask questions.  Places are limited at both venues so please ensure that you RSVP to Ellana Tomasso  at etomasso@nicrc.org.uk by Wednesday 17th October 2018. 

Friday 19th October 2018 in:

Equality House
6th Floor Boardroom
7-9 Shaftesbury Square
Belfast, BT2 7DP

10.30 am – 11.30am

Tuesday 23rd October 2018 in:

St Columbs Park House
4 Limavady Road
Waterside
Derry/Londonderry
BT47 6JY

11.00am – 12.00pm

Core Funding Guidance 2019-20

Core Funding Application Form 2019-20

Ulster Garden Villages Limited

Ulster Garden Villages Limited was established under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts (Northern Ireland) in 1946 with the principal objective of providing good quality housing and associated amenities for the disadvantaged and aged.

Preferred projects will be those demonstrating active participation and self-help. They should be innovative and developmental with an achievable, practical and sustainable objective.

They will not fund activities which are the responsibility of any statutory agency, neither will they fund the direct replacement of statutory funding.

The Committee will only make donations toward specific projects under the control of a responsible organisation and when large capital projects are involved, only when satisfied that the sponsoring organisation has raised or is capable of raising the remainder of the finance required.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES TO WHICH FUNDS MAY BE ALLOCATED ARE:

· Health

· Disadvantaged sections of our society

· Young people

· Culture & Heritage

· Environment

HOW TO APPLY

They will require information about your organisation and the project you propose. This includes:

· the purpose of your organisation

· how it is constituted, administered and funded

· a description of your proposed project

· the project costs and timescale

· how it will be managed

· what you hope to achieve

· how the project will be sustained or finished

Application for all grants should be made on the Ulster Garden Villages Limited Application Form. Where additional space is required, supporting information will be accepted provided it follows the sequence and content of the sections specified on the Application Form.

Where the project is in excess of £50,000 more detail in relation to project rationale, economic appraisal and building proposals, if relevant, should be included.

They will also require your most recent annual report and audited accounts and evidence of charitable status.

For more information and to apply please visit http://www.ulstergardenvillages.co.uk/

Media Grant Scheme

Deadline date: 

30 November 2018

Aim of the scheme

The aim of the Community Relations Council Media Grant Scheme is to commission media projects which focus on the engagement of civil society to underpin peace building and/or support the development of a more diverse society in-line with the *T:BUC strategy (see link below).

The Media Grant Scheme is available to support a range of media projects.  The media products that may be supported include digital content projects, infographics, television, radio, video and podcasts.

The scheme is primarily for the creation of new material but may include the diversification of existing resources to increase their use with appropriate audiences.

For Media Grant Scheme Application Form click here

Media Grant Scheme Guidance click here

Please submit your application by 12 noon on 30th November 2018

For further information and criteria click here

Together Building a United Community (T:BUC)

Applicants are required to outline the outcome in Together: Building a United Community (see link below) to which the proposed project will contribute.

For further information on T:BUC click here

Core Funding to reopen early October

2 information events will be held to provide further information about the Core Funding Scheme for 2019/20. These will take place at the following venues;

Fri 19th October – 6th Floor Equality House, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast – 11.30-1pm

Tue 23rd October – St Columbs Park House, Derry/Londonderry – 11.30-1pm

Please contact CRC on 028 90 227500 to book a place at these sessions.

For further information on all of the support available from the Community Relations Council please log on to our web-site, www.nicrc.org.uk

Power Up: Resourcing women's and girls' movements for change

Funding is available to women and girl-led organisations, partnerships, consortia and women’s funds who are supporting women to have collective power, build movements and become change agents.

OPENS
8th October 2018

CLOSES
7th December 12pm GMT 2018

FUNDING AVAILABLE
Up to £300K for single applicants, or up to £500k for partnerships

The aim of this programme is to support a diverse range of women’s rights organisations to fight against systems which perpetuate the injustices they encounter in their daily lives. 

For more information please visit https://www.comicrelief.com/funding/current-opportunities/power-up

Community Relations / Cultural Diversity

Aim of the Scheme

The Community Relations Council, with the support of Government, has established a fund of approximately £400,000 to spend each year on community relations projects. This funding is intended to help community/voluntary groups throughout Northern Ireland develop their capacity to engage in community relations work and to enhance the community relations potential of projects they undertake.

There are a number of changes to the 2018/19 Scheme which include a new application form.   

If you have any questions or would like to discuss a proposal prior to submitting an application please contact a member of the Funding & Development Programme. Phone 028 9022 7500 or email info@nicrc.org.uk

Deadline date: 

31 January 2019

For more information and an application pack visit https://www.community-relations.org.uk/community-relations-cultural-diversity

Big Lottery announce new Digital Fund

The Digital Fund is a new UK wide £15 million funding programme to support charities and community organisations. It is about helping the charity and voluntary sector to use digital tools and approaches to support people and communities to thrive.

Applications initially open on 22nd October 2018 and close on 3rd December 2018. There will be further opportunities to apply in 2019.

The Digital Fund is currently offering two strands of funding. To find the right kind of support for your organisation, choose one of the following options:

Digital Fund Strand 1 offers grants of up to £500,000 and a tailored support package. The aim is to help established charities use digital to take a major leap forward. We expect grants to last from 1 to 4 years.

Digital Fund Strand 2 offers grants of up to £500,000 for newer organisations that have already launched promising services that use digital to achieve scale or impact. We expect grants to last from 1 to 4 years.

For more information and to check your eligibility visit https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/digital-fund

The Telecommunity Fund

Guidance Notes and Fund Criteria

The Telecommunity Fund was established with capital from BT, management and unions. It exists to support small, locally based grass roots community projects.

 

Area: Northern Ireland

Grant Size: £500-£1500

Priorities: Young people, older people and people with disabilities

Who can apply:

• Constituted grass roots community and voluntary groups

Criteria:

• Priority will be given to applications from small groups, typically with  an annual income of less than £200,000, as evidenced in most recent set of accounts

• Projects must aim to support one of the following groups:

  • Young people

  • Older people

  • People with disabilities

• Priority will be given to projects that will benefit groups dealing with disadvantage (e.g. rural isolation, low income, social exclusion, reduced access to services), and projects that involve the beneficiaries in their development and delivery.

Examples of types of projects that may be supported within Fund themes:

• Community education and training opportunities

• Communication and leadership skills

• Local initiatives to improve resources and community facilities 

• Creativity and self-expression through drama, music or a range of arts activities

• Inclusion and involvement of disadvantaged communities

• Out of school projects for young people 

The Telecommunity Fund will not support:

• Individuals

• Salary costs and ongoing running costs

• Capital projects and large equipment (generally over £1,000)

• Trips outside Northern Ireland, holidays away and one-off residentials are ineligible, however, trips may be eligible within Northern Ireland at the panel's discretion as long as they are essential to a longer term project

• Sports activities

• Promotion of religion or party politics

• Funding for projects that are already taking place and looking for retrospective funding

• Replacement for statutory funding

• Portable IT equipment (except in exceptional circumstances and at panel's discretion, for example IT equipment for disabled beneficiaries which is specialised and necessary for their development)

The Telecommunity Fund is open on an ongoing basis. The applications are assessed at panel meetings held approximately 3-4 times per year.

The next panel meeting will take place on 4th December 2018, therefore applications submitted after 5th November 2018 will not be considered in this round.

It is recommended that you read our Grant FAQs at https://www.communityfoundationni.org/telecommunity-fund before starting your grant application. Should you have any further questions please contact the Grants Team on 028 9024 5927.

Micro Grant Programme

The Micro Grant Programme has been established in recognition and celebration of the contribution of voluntary groups and people to our society and the need for a simple application process for small amounts of funding.

 

Area: Northern Ireland

Grant Size: Up to £1,000

Priorities: Low capacity groups who have limited access to funding

Who can apply:

You do not have to have a constitution to apply to this fund.

If you’re thinking about a project that does one or more of  the following we might be able to help.

• Reduce isolation and vulnerability

• Focus on the positive contribution of people within the community

• Enable  active participation of a community in decision-making and addressing of local issues

• Help get people engaged in taking community action where it hasn’t happened before

Examples of the types of activities that may be supported:

• Basic training support materials – books for example

• Interview training

• Mentoring

• Travel costs to access relevant training (public transport for up to six months)

• Childcare during employability training (up to six months)

• Access course

The Micro Grants Programme will not support:

• Groups with income over £30,000 per annum

• Trips outside of Northern Ireland 

• Individual applications

• Purchase of vehicles

• Running costs of large organisations

• Holiday schemes

• Parties and shopping trips

• Promotion of religion or political activity

• Applications from statutory organisations

The fund is open for applications on a rolling call basis, subject to fund availability.

It is recommended that you read our Grant FAQs before starting your grant application. Should you have any further questions please contact the Grants Team on 028 9024 5927.

Acorn Flood Fund

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has launched the Acorn Flood Fund to assist with the severe impact of summer flooding on the lives of people living in the North West.

Community Foundations are uniquely placed to support communities with a wide range of issues, and we have many years of experience and connections to local community groups and local government bodies.

It is our intention to support groups who apply to us for this emergency funding with grants of between £1000 up to a maximum of £2500 to those who are eligible.

Funding Criteria

• They are funding groups, and will refer individuals to:

  • The local council

  • Groups we are funding

  • They will prioritise groups who are working to provide emergency support

• They will fund groups providing ongoing support to those affected by the floods

• They will fund groups whose work is in line with the charitable purposes of the Foundation and whose work has been impaired by the flooding

• Typically they will be able to provide grants of £1k but will consider applications for up to £2,500

Please answer the following questions and reply by email to: oblack@communityfoundationni.org

1. Is your organisation:

• A voluntary or community organisation Yes/No

• A charitable organisation Yes/No

• A social enterprise Yes/No

• A community interest company Yes/No

• Other (please specify the nature of your organisation)

2. Do you have a governing document in the legal name of your organisation?  Yes/No

3. Does your governing document allow you to carry out the activities you are applying for funding for? Yes/ No

4. Does your organisation have its own UK based current bank account in the legal name of the organisation applying, (as per your governing document) which requires at least two unrelated people (who are not family members or partners) to authorise all cheques and any withdrawals? Yes/No

5. Is your account in credit?  Yes/No

6. If your account is not in credit, please explain why

7. Do you have at least two unrelated people on the board or committee that runs your organisation? Yes/No

8. Do you produce annual accounts in line with charity or company law and your governing documents? Yes/No

9. Please advise how you are providing emergency support for those affected by the floods, with details of geographical remit, numbers of potential beneficiaries, or how your work has been affected by the floods

10. Please provide details of what will you will spend this financial support on?

https://www.communityfoundationni.org/acorn-flood-fund

Garfield Weston Foundation urge NI charities to apply for grants

The head of a UK foundation with a budget of £70 million has urged charities in Northern Ireland to apply to it for grants.

“We gave away our £1billionth pound this year – and to cap it all, that came in our 60th anniversary year,” said Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation who was talking to VIEWdigital in the Ulster Museum at the recent launch of Dippy on Tour:  A Natural History Adventure exhibition which opened in Belfast.

The number of applications coming from Northern Ireland has fallen slightly, so in this anniversary year, Philippa wants to encourage registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations here to apply for grants from Garfield Weston.

 ‘It’s all about making a difference.  We have a budget of £70 million across the UK and we are keen to encourage groups in Northern Ireland to apply’.

The Foundation supports a broad range of charities across the UK that make a positive difference.  They fund a wide range of causes and charities and their grants vary according to the size of the charity and the work being undertaken.  These case studies are examples of charities the Foundation has supported recently and the difference that funding has made.  A list of our current grants can also be accessed here - https://garfieldweston.org/what-we-support/

To apply and to read their guidelines please visit https://garfieldweston.org/apply-to-us/

The Alpha Programme

Since its inception in 2007, the Alpha Programme has distributed over £5 million of Landfill Communities Fund funding to over 140 fantastic community and biodiversity projects, helping communities bring their plans for positive change to reality.

Grants of up to £50,000 are available to fund projects making a positive impact at ground level, either developing facilities for community use or encouraging bio-diversity and environmental improvements.

Funding is available under two grants strands during 2018:
•    Alpha Main Grants Programme (£10k to £50k)
•    Alpha Small Grants Programme (£3k to £10k)

A Steering Group comprising representatives from Alpha Resource Management  Ltd, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Belfast City Council, Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, Ards & North Down Borough Council, the Housing Executive and Groundwork NI adjudicate on applications and funds are distributed on a quarterly basis.

The 2018 application deadlines are:

• Friday 26th October 2018 at 12.00 noon

If you have a great community project which lies within a 15 mile radius of the Mullaghglass Landfill Site in South Antrim, then why not apply?

Click here to download Alpha_Main_Grants_application_form_2018 and Click here to download Alpha_Main_Grants_guidelines_2018

Click here to download Alpha_Small_Grants_application_form_2018 and Click here to download Alpha_Small_Grants_guidelines_2018

For more information please contact Richard Rogers at alphaprogramme@groundworkni.co.uk or visit https://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/northernireland/Pages/the-alpha-programme-ni

Time To Shine

Are you a voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE) organisation working in Northern Ireland? If so, you might be eligible to host a Time to Shine intern.

Time to Shine is an internship programme that gives dedicated, enthusiastic people the chance to work with VCSE organisations making a real difference in their communities. The placements are for a full time internship lasting 12 months and all placements are fully funded.

Time to Shine was established in 2010 by the Rank Foundation, a charity that gives grants to support community work across the UK. They support communities and improve people’s lives by encouraging leadership, promoting innovation, and caring for the disadvantaged and the marginalised.

Time to Shine gives people of all ages and from all walks of life the opportunity to work for a year in a VCSE organisation. Since 2010, 120 charities and 225 interns have taken part in the programme – that’s 120 charities who have benefited from the extra support their intern can give, and 225 interns who have learnt new skills, made new connections, and got stuck in making effective change in their communities.

Internships are often considered to be something only for young people, but Time to Shine interns can be any age. An intern might be someone who wants to change careers, someone who’s been out of the workforce for a while, or someone who has never been employed before. Whatever their background, interns always bring with them a unique and valuable perspective to the work they’re doing.

In 2019, the Time to Shine programme are using £100,000 of money raised by National Lotteryplayers to fund 4 places for interns in Northern Ireland.

If you think a Time to Shine intern could be a good fit for your organisation, the application process is simple. First, you’ll need to show how your organisation would benefit from having a Time to Shine intern on your team, and explain what their role would be. Time to Shine interns will work on a specific project for the 12 months that they’re with your organisation, so you’ll need to have a really focussed area of work for them in mind.

You’ll also have to think about who you’d like to be your Time to Shine intern. They could already be known to your organisation, like a current volunteer, or it could be someone you recruited locally. Don’t worry if you don’t have someone specific in mind – you can start the application process even if you haven’t decided yet who your intern will be. Just email helen.stockdale@rankfoundation.com to get an application form.

If your application is successful, then you’ll need to put together a detailed project plan and identify who in your community would be the best fit for the internship. Remember, this isn’t a traditional internship – it’s open for all ages and we really encourage Time to Shine interns who are returning to work after an absence or who have never been in paid employment.

Groups who are chosen to take part in Time to Shine will be given a grant to support the internship for 12 months. Throughout this year, you’ll also be given support from the Rank Foundation around learning, networking, mentoring and coaching to make sure both your organisation and your intern can make the most of their time together.

Email Helen Stockdale at the Rank Foundation for an application form, or if you have any questions about the application process: helen.stockdale@rankfoundation.com

Applications close on 6th November 2018

Wind Farm Community Fund NI now open - rural Tyrone and Derry!

The Wind Farm Community Funds initiative was established by ESB Group with the intention of helping the communities neighbouring our wind farms to become more sustainable through the support of positive local initiatives and activities.
The initiative seeks to address current and emerging issues, needs and opportunities within communities, enriching lives and creating brighter possibilities for local residents. As a part of the initiative, Groundwork NI administers five Northern Ireland community funds which surround wind farms owned by subsidiary companies of ESB.

If your project meets the essential criteria outlined in the fund guidelines, please complete and submit the online application form, ensuring that all relevant sections are addressed and that all the required supplementary documentation is uploaded.

The application deadline is Friday 7th December 2018 at 12 noon.

Your project must be located within:

• 10 km of Crockdun Wind Farm

• or 10 km of Crockagarran Wind Farm

• or 7 km of Carrickatane Wind Farm

• or 7 km of Curryfree Wind Farm

• or 7 km of Eglish Wind Farm

For fund guidelines and to apply please visit https://groundworkni-esb.com/fund-guidelines/

Big Lottery Fund - People and Communities

Supporting positive change in the community. The People and Communities programme is designed to support you to work with local people to bring about positive changes in your community. A community could be a geographical area or a community of interest.

Area - Northern Ireland

Funding size - £30,000 to £500,000

Total available - £57 million

Application deadline - Ongoing

Key Facts

All voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations are eligible to apply.

• Funding is available between £30,000 and £500,000 for projects lasting between two and five years.

• Big Lottery can consider funding capital costs of up to £100,000 within revenue projects.

• Projects specifically targeting young people aged between 8 and 25 should apply to the Empowering Young People programme. Please check the programme page or call 028 9055 1455.

The programme will support projects that clearly meet the following two programme outcomes:

• People make changes that improve their lives.

• Communities build on their strengths and share learning.

All projects to embrace the three key themes of:

People-led: This means the people you’ll be working with will be meaningfully involved in the development, design and delivery of your project.

Strengths-based: They’d like to support people and communities to build on the knowledge, skills and experience they already have to make the changes they want.

Connected: They want to know that you have a good understanding of other activities and services in your community and can show how your project relates to these.

If you have a project idea call 028 9055 1455.

This is an opportunity to tell The Big Lottery about your project: what it will do, who will benefit from it and why it’s needed. You can also ask questions.

For more information please visit https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/people-and-communities#section-1

The Tampon Tax Community Fund

The Tampon Tax Community Fund aims to support women who are most marginalised to overcome barriers that prevent them from fulfilling their potential. The programme will benefit women and girls, investing in a wide variety of projects, that make a tangible and long-term difference to health, well-being, confidence and social/economic activity, as well as addressing equality gaps.

This programme aims to fund small-scale interventions, which will make a considerable difference to the lives and happiness of women and girls by raising the aspirations of girls and women and combating the influences that affect their confidence.

Area: Northern Ireland

Grant Size: £5,000-£10,000

Priorities: Women and girl organisations

Who can apply?

This fund is open for applications from:

• Registered UK charities

• Constituted Community groups

• Companies Limited by Guarantee with charitable aims

• Community Interest Companies

• Co-operatives - registered Community Benefit Societies and registered Industrial and Provident Societies

• Credit Unions

• Social Enterprises

Grants

• Between £5,000 and £10,000

• For a duration of up to 12 months

• For UK based organisations with a local or community reach

• Meet one or more of the Tampon Tax Community Fund objectives (below).

Guidance Notes and Criteria

Women and girls can be disproportionately disadvantaged by multiple issues which are often complex in nature. Combined with these barriers and differing needs within population and geography, specialist and local support is often necessary. Within this context applicants will need to demonstrate how they meet one or more of the following objectives:

• Building skills and confidence, for example, supporting women and girls to learn new skills, giving them the ability to apply for new jobs and/or return to the workplace.

• Improving health and well-being, for example, teaching women how to look after and improve their own mental or physical health and live in good health for longer.

• Building social networks, for example, connecting women to others they can share similar experiences with, supporting them to feel less lonely, more valued, more able to pass on that support.

What can be supported?

• Volunteer expenses: Budget for training, travel, telephone calls, travel and meals.

• Activity costs: Budget for resources to facilitate a project/activity; costs that fall outside capital, volunteer or staffing costs, e.g. event catering, volunteer costs

• Project staff / sessional staff costs: Budget for external consultants and staff that are employed for the specific project/activity that is being funded, including the cost of permanent staff to deliver specific projects.

Click here to view the full Guidance Notes for applicants.

Closing Date

The fund opens for applications on Monday 24th September 2018 and closes on Wednesday 31st October 2018 at 1:00 pm.

Application Notes 

• You will need to input a regularly used email address as all details about completing the application form will be sent by email.

• All grant applicants will need to provide documentation to support their bid.

• All grant applicants will be required to provide an interim monitoring report on project progress and to complete a monitoring form at the end of their project.

It is recommended that you read our Grant FAQs before starting your grant application.  Should you have any further questions please email the grants team on applications@communityfoundationni.org or call on 028 9024 5927 if you wish to discuss your plans before submission of your bid.

The Older People's Training Fund

The Older People’s Fund offers funding for projects that are planned and run by and for older people. Originally called the Turkington Fund, it was created with financial support from NICVA via resources from Turkington and Seapark and is managed by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland. The fund has grown significantly in recent years with additional investment from the Community Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies.

Key priority: Help get older people engaged in taking community action where it hasn’t happened before, through capacity building.  Enabling active participation of older people in the community in decision-making and addressing of issues facing their sector.

 Applicants must demonstrate that there is a need and interest among older people to participate in the training.

 Applicants must ensure that the project will not be a duplication of any other initiatives based within the proposed geographical area of support.  The Community Foundation will not award any funding to projects that duplicate services and facilities that already exist in the planned project area.  Applicants should clearly detail this within the application form.

Grants available: Up to £1,500

What can be supported?

Running costs, such as sessional costs for tutors, venue hire, transport.  Examples may include costs to deliver IT training for older people 

Who can apply?

Fully constituted community organisations based within Northern Ireland.

For more information and to apply please visit - https://ukcf.secure.force.com/forms/OlderPeoplesTrainingFund