Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund

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Fund Aims

  • The fund will provide support to community and voluntary organisations who wish to explore and or enhance diversity, equity and inclusion within the group and its community.

  • Supporting organisations to think about how best Equity, Diversity and Inclusion can be addressed enabling everyone in the community to realise their potential.

Background to the Fund

  • Our communities are becoming more diverse. We need to reflect this diversity at all levels.

  • As our society changes, our organisations also must change.

  • This Fund is supported by Comic Relief to support groups to begin these conversations and reflections, so that they can strive to be inclusive to all.

For the purposes of the fund the Foundation use the following definitions:

Diversity

Involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.

Equity

Fairness or justice in the way we treat people.

Inclusion

Providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized.

Size of Grant:

We will offer grants ranging from £500 to £1,000

We want to prioritise projects that:

  • Assist in making organsiations management structures, policies, decision making, activities and programmes reflective of the diversity we have in our society.

  • Assisting organisations to Identify the barriers and provide solutions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within their organisation

  • Demonstrate a commitment to implementing the solutions, reflecting greater diversity, equity and inclusion in their organisation

Eligibility:

Applicant Must:

  • Be constituted and based in Northern Ireland

  • Have an active committee and current bank account

  • Have financial records and present accounts to your AGM

  • Have at least two cheque signatories who are unrelated

  • Have an income of £250k or less

What we will fund:

Whilst the Foundation prefers to receive applications seeking support based on lived experience, examples of what could be funded include:

  • Diversity Equity and Inclusion Training for management committees and volunteers

  • Review of policies and procedures to identify levels of diversity and develop an action plan to update these policies and procedures Developing a group/organisation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan

  • Explore how diverse communities can be involved in the design and delivery of programmes and activities

  • Community analysis to identify how diverse community is and what could be delivered to support those diverse communities

  • Explore a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Leadership Programme

There is no closing date for applications. For more information and to apply, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)