Aim of the Fund

The community sector has faced many challenges in recent years with a global pandemic and more recently a cost-of-living crisis. The sector has continued to support communities, and demand is increasing for their services, yet their costs are rising, and many community sector organisations are constantly firefighting to meet the demand of their services, and source funding to deliver.

The pandemic showed us the importance of digital inclusion and connectivity. The pace of change and progress in digital technology, and the opportunities (and challenges) that digital brings, is vast. However, lack of digital skills, together with access, confidence, trust and motivation issues present barriers for many, not least the community and voluntary sector.

Unless organisations in the sector become more digitally able, they risk being left behind.

The aim of the Inspiring Growth Fund is to help organisations in the community sector to take that time and space and increase their digital capacity, with a particular focus on building on and availing of the opportunities that AI (Artificial Intelligence) may bring to better support communities, as well as to ensure that the sector is not left behind.

What we hope to achieve

We want to fund activity or projects that will enable significant change to occur in the digital capability of the voluntary or community sector. This change must result in demonstrated benefits being delivered by organisations (directly or indirectly) to the individuals or communities they support.

Fund criteria

Grants will be offered between £5,000 to £10,000 for up to two years.

For more information please visit The Inspiring Growth Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland