If you are thinking about applying to funders, you can find a range of emergency funders available below. Please let us know how you get on.
Should you need assistance or guidance in applying to these please get in touch for a free chat now on 07803 170283 or contact us at enquiries@achieve-consultants.co.uk
Funding info
NCVO has a funding central hub which lists the latest funding news as well as training and events opportunities.
https://www.fundingcentral.org.uk/default.aspx
The Charities Aid Foundation has a useful hub which lists the latest coronavirus funding available for charities from a variety of sources. https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/covid-19
They also have a list of wider support and guidance.
https://www.cafonline.org/home/covid-19-support
Summary of some of the UK wide funds available
National Lottery Community Fund
All National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) funding decisions in the next six months (up to £300m of funding) will be devoted to responding to the COVID-19 crisis. The NLCF will prioritise existing grant holders and applicants with activities specifically geared to supporting communities through this crisis, and helping organisations overcome liquidity issues caused by COVID-19.
Arts Council England (ACE) has made £160m of emergency funding available to organisations and individuals who will need it during the COVID-19 crisis. It has also changed the funding requirements for individuals and organisations currently in receipt of funding.
CAF Coronavirus Emergency Fund
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has launched a £5m Coronavirus Emergency Fund to help smaller charitable organisations in the UK affected by the impact of COVID-19. Grants of up to £10,000 are available. You can apply for unrestricted funding for core costs, staffing, volunteer costs, supplies and equipment, communications or other critical charitable areas.
The £5million pound Coronavirus Financial Hardship fund has been created to alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures that many professional musicians are currently facing with regard to their mounting household expenses. Eligible musicians can apply for a one-off payment of £500 if they are suffering significant financial hardship.
This new fund aims to help community sport and physical activity organisations who are experiencing short term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Awards will be between £300 and £10,000. In exceptional circumstances Sport England will consider awards of more than £10,000.
Leathersellers’ Company Charitable Fund
The Leathersellers’ Company has launched a fast track application process for one-off grants of up to £3,000. It could be particularly useful for funding small projects or to cover unexpected costs arising from COVID-19. Applications are open to UK registered charities who support:
- The homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless
- Provision of food and essential supplies
- Victims of domestic violence
- Nursing care to vulnerable patients
VocTech Now provides grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 to support vocational learning providers to rapidly transition to remote teaching and training and deliver accessible learning at a time of significant change. The aim of the fund is to enable those in work or training to continue to engage with their vocational learning programmes during this period of travel disruption.
Scottish funds
Scottish Government initiatives
The Scottish Government has announced several initiatives to support communities affected by COVID-19. These include:
A £70m Food Fund to help address issues of food insecurity, especially for older people and families in receipt of free school meals. This will be distributed through Local Authorities.
A £50m Wellbeing Fund for charities and other organisations that work with at-risk people who may be badly affected by the crisis, including homeless people and those experiencing fuel poverty.
A £40m Supporting Communities Fund. This will be used to support community efforts that are deemed to be vital to national resilience, including projects supporting people at risk because of age or isolation, along with those supporting carers, homeless people and asylum seekers. The fund will be allocated through community anchor organisations and you do not need to be a registered charity to apply.
A £20m Third Sector Resilience Fund. This will support social sector organisations affected by cash flow and other issues as a result of the Coronavirus. It will be delivered by Firstport, Social Investment Scotland and the Corra Foundation and will provide grants of between £5,000 and £100,000.
Foundation Scotland (Scotland)
The fund has been created to support local charities and grassroots organisations across Scotland to help them respond to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and recover from the impact. Immediate funding of between £1,000 and £5,000 is available to support constituted community groups and charities that are responding to the coronavirus pandemic in their local community. Examples of the type of support available include: mobile phone credit for a youth service provider to give to vulnerable young people so they can stay in touch; supermarket vouchers for foodbanks to hand out in place of goods as their stock becomes limited; additional cash to allow a community run shop to purchase extra stock so they can remain open or add a delivery service.
Youth Scotland’s Action Fund has been established to help youth groups and youth workers meet the needs of young people in response to the Covid-19 Coronavirus. the purpose of this fund is to enable youth groups to purchase essential items that will enable them to continue working with young people throughout this period of social distancing and restrictions. Grants of up to £500 are available.
Northern Irish funds
Coronavirus Community Fund (Northern Ireland)
The Coronavirus Community Fund is open to constituted organisations based in Northern Ireland that are supporting isolated people over 50. Projects must help to:
Reduce isolation and vulnerability of older people who are physically self-isolating due to COVID-19;
- Support the ongoing wellbeing of older people;
- Ensure older people remain connected with the outside world during the current crisis.
Grants will typically be £1,000, but larger grants of up to £2,500 may be available for some projects. The money can be used for a variety of purposes, including running costs. Examples given of suitable projects include those enabling older people to keep warm, access a nutritious meal, access technology, or stay connected via telephone or technology.
Welsh funds
The Moondance Foundation (Wales)
The Covid-19 Relief Fund has been created to help Welsh charities continue with their operations during the Covid-19 crisis. Funding is available to registered charities working in Wales to help with any of the following: Staff Retention; Current activities and services in jeopardy; Evolution of services to adapt to the current crisis. Moondance encourages only those who are truly in need to apply.
Regional funds
Please note that many of the organisations below will also be distributing grants on behalf of the National Emergencies Trust.
Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation
Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation has launched the Bedfordshire Coronavirus Emergency Fund, which is aimed at helping local community organisations to ‘deal with emerging issues in the community as a result of the continuing threat of Coronavirus’.
Berkshire Community Foundation
The Vital for Berkshire Coronavirus Fund provides grants of up to £5,000 to charities, community groups and other not for profit organisations who are either affected by or are supporting people affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Funding will be available to help organisations respond better and will help meet needs arising as a result of the crisis. Priority will be given to organisations providing support to the most vulnerable and isolated, including: Older people; People with physical or learning disabilities; People with mental health needs; People on low incomes; Families with young children.
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation
The Cambridgeshire Coronavirus Community Fund is open to constituted community organisations throughout Cambridgeshire (including Peterborough) that are supporting isolated older and vulnerable people. Grants will mostly be between £1,000 and £5,000, although larger grants will be considered for groups working in partnership.
The Covid-19 Response Programme is open to applications from charitable organisations supporting the ongoing needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. Typical grants will be in the region of £2,000 and can be used for: Community response coordination to covid-19; additional volunteer costs; additional costs of working remotely; support for lonely and vulnerable people who are self-isolating and support in the wider community for foodbanks for families and vulnerable people and organisations working to combat child hunger.
Community Foundation for Calderdale
Grants of up to £1,000 are available from the Community Foundation for Calderdale. To be eligible for the Community Resilience Fund, you need to be a local charity supporting vulnerable people in Calderdale through the COVID-19 crisis.
Community Foundation for Merseyside
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Metro Mayor has launched an appeal to support communities impacted by COVID-19. Grants will be distributed by The Community Foundation for Merseyside. There is very little information about this fund, but more details are expected to be released soon.
Community Foundation for Staffordshire
Grants of up to £1,000 will be made to registered charities, constituted community or voluntary groups, social enterprises, other not-for-profit organisations, and local businesses running projects that clearly benefit the local community. Funding is available across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Community Foundation for Surrey (Surrey)
The Coronavirus Response Fund will support community and voluntary groups assisting in the relief effort. Grants of up to £5,000 will be made available to support: Enabling the delivery of services to vulnerable people; Providing information, advice, counselling and other support and community services; Essential running costs; Enabling organisations to deliver differently. Priority will be given to voluntary organisations providing support to the most vulnerable and isolated, including: Older people; People with disabilities; People with mental health needs; People on low incomes; and Families with young children.
Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland
The Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund will help to support local charities and community organisations across Tyne & Wear (Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland) and Northumberland. The fund is targeted at organisations supporting older people and other vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19. Applications are not being accepted as the Foundation is identifying recipients using its current database. However, there will be a second phase of funding to support a wider group of local charities and community organisations.
The Emergency Fund has been launched to support frontline organisations operating in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly that are working with people who may be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available to primarily support: the ongoing needs of vulnerable people to ensure that their health and wellbeing is maintained; activities that support vulnerable people self-isolating (the elderly, people with pre-existing medical conditions etc); foodbanks and organisations working to combat hardship caused by the pandemic including child hunger; Community response coordination; Volunteer costs for new and existing organisations responding to the effect of the pandemic; Additional costs of working remotely and adapting services delivered in the wider community.
The Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund has been set up to assist groups and organisations that are supporting people affected by COVID-19. The fund will prioritise ‘charitable projects across the county that are supporting people affected by the virus, helping to keep them safe and supported in their homes and reducing pressure on the NHS’. There is no maximum or minimum award amount, but the foundation aims to offer smaller grants (circa £250) to community-based groups and larger grants (over £1,000) to organisations offering district or county level support.
The Devon Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund is supporting local charities and community organisations in two stages. Firstly, the fund will focus on organisations that are supporting vulnerable groups affected by Coronavirus. At a later date, grants will be available for other organisations whose operations have been affected by COVID-19.
The Dorset Coronavirus Community Fund is providing grants for charities, community groups and other organisations working in Dorset who support vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19. Further details, including criteria, will be available soon.
The Coronavirus Fund is supporting foodbanks and befriending services in Derbyshire with grants of £1,000. The fund’s remit may then be increased to include other charitable organisations tackling the impact of COVID-19.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available through the Essex Coronavirus Response and Recovery Programme to help voluntary and community organisations that are in crisis as a result of the pandemic and need emergency funding to keep vital services running. Priority will be given to those delivering vital services to older and vulnerable people, organisations helping to relieve pressure on public services and those co-ordinating a local community response.
Gloucestershire Community Foundation (Gloucestershire)
The Gloucestershire Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund provides grants of up to £5,000 to charitable organisations and voluntary and community groups with charitable aims that are based and working in Gloucestershire. The initial focus of the fund is on providing emergency grants to coordinated volunteer programmes, and those picking up extra demand such as foodbanks, counselling services, advice organisations and befriending services, who will play a key role in helping the most vulnerable people in the community who have been impacted as a result of the virus.
Greenham Trust (Berkshire and Hampshire)
The Greenham Trust has launched an emergency fund to support local charities and voluntary organisations that are assisting elderly and vulnerable people in west Berkshire and north Hampshire. Applications must be made through The Good Exchange.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (Hampshire & Isle of Wight)
The aim of the Fund is to effectively and efficiently support local voluntary and community organisations that are helping vulnerable people impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 are available to charities and community groups that support the ongoing needs of vulnerable people to ensure that their health and wellbeing is maintained; support of activities that relieve pressure on local statutory services, particularly emergency or health and social care provision, or compliment their response; support vulnerable people self-isolating (the elderly, people with pre-existing medical conditions etc); Support for foodbanks and organisations working to combat hardship caused by the pandemic including child hunger
Heart of Bucks Community Foundation
The Bucks Coronavirus Response Appeal is aiming to support people and charities in Buckinghamshire who are most affected by COVID-19. More information is expected to be available soon.
Heart of England Community Foundation (West Midlands – Coventry and Warwickshire)
The Coronavirus Resilience Fund is making grants of up to £1,500 to constituted groups whose services are seen as vital for local communities in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. Examples include food banks, emergency food parcel deliveries, befriending services and outreach activities.
Herefordshire Community Foundation (Herefordshire)
The NET Coronavirus Appeal Fund has been created to provide grants of up to £5,000 to Voluntary and community organisations including registered charities, CIO’s, CIC’s and parish and town councils that are supporting vulnerable members of the community during the Coronavirus crisis. The funding aims to help organisations that support the ongoing needs of vulnerable people to make sure health and well-being are maintained; relieve pressure on local statutory services; support vulnerable people self-isolating; Foodbanks and organisations working to combat hardship caused by the pandemic, including child hunger. Organisations or informal groups that have been specifically established to respond to the crisis.
Hertfordshire Community Foundation
Grants of up to £2,000 will be available to offer emergency funding for charities, community groups and other voluntary organisations. The focus is on supporting elderly and vulnerable people impacted by Coronavirus.
Community organisations in Kent and Medway are being offered emergency funding of up to £10,000 to tackle the impact of Coronavirus on older people. Priority will be given to constituted community groups (e.g. charities/Community Interest Companies (CICs)) with an average annual income of under £200,000.
Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation (Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland)
The Coronavirus Support Fund provides grants of between £500 and £2,500 to constituted charitable and community organisations in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland, working with local people facing the most hardship in the pandemic. Priorities of the fund at this stage are for organisations providing direct services for: Older people (over the age of 70) adversely affected by the pandemic; Vulnerable people with medical conditions adversely affected by the pandemic and people who are isolated and lack a support network.
Leicestershire County Council (Leicestershire)
The Leicestershire Communities Fund provides funding of between £5,000 and £25,000 to charities. constituted voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises to help them support vulnerable people in Leicestershire due to the impacts of the current Coronavirus pandemic. The type of activities that can be supported include but are not limited to: core organisational running costs; additional staffing capacity; funding for essential capital equipment such as ICT equipment, safety equipment e.g. PPE; The need to rapidly adapt current service delivery models to maintain contact with service users.
A £2m fund for London charities affected by Coronavirus is being set up by the Greater London Authority and City Bridge Trust. Grants will be available to organisations facing COVID-19 related challenges, such as increasing demand for services, higher staff absences, fewer volunteers and lower donations. Full details of the fund will be published soon on the London Funders website.
Milton Keynes Community Foundation (Milton Keynes)
The MK Emergency fund has been launched to provide grants of up to £2,000 to Charities, Community groups and other not for profit organisations operating in the Milton Keynes area, that have either been affected by COVID 19 or that are supporting people directly affected by the virus. Support is available for: activities that help vulnerable people; community response coordination, volunteer costs, foodbanks and organisations working to combat child hunger and poverty; core costs for organisations providing support to vulnerable groups; domestic abuse organisations during self-isolation periods.
One Community Foundation (Kirklees)
The NET Coronavirus Emergency Fund has been created to provide grants of up to £1,000 to the organisations helping those most affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Funding is available to support the following types of activities: support the on-going needs of vulnerable people to ensure that their health and wellbeing is maintained; support of activities that relieve pressure on local statutory services, particularly emergency or health and social care provisions, or compliment their response; Groups and activities that support vulnerable people self-isolating (the elderly, people with pre-existing medical conditions, etc.); Support for food banks and organisations working to combat hardship caused by the pandemic, including child hunger.
The Coronavirus Response Fund is available to small voluntary and community groups with charitable aims that are working in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire. The following activities will be a priority for this grant programme: Direct and immediate practical support for vulnerable groups; Volunteer capacity to organisations delivering support to the above groups; Providing the above groups with access to necessary resources; Initiatives to reduce isolation and vulnerability. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for single organisations and up to £20,000 for partnerships.
The Somerset Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund will be used to provide grants on a rolling basis. The intention is to combine funds raised locally with money received through the NET appeal.
The Steve Morgan Foundation has committed up to £1m a week to support charities and not-for-profit organisations in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales that have been impacted by COVID-19.
The Suffolk Coronavirus Community Fund is providing grants for a variety of Coronavirus related projects, including those supporting the ongoing needs of vulnerable people, food banks and community response co-ordination.
Sussex Community Foundation (Sussex)
The Sussex Crisis Fund will provide emergency grants of up to £5,000 to support the community and voluntary sector in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The fund aims to address the emerging needs facing communities and the charities and community groups that support them.
Two Ridings Community Foundation
The Coronavirus Community Fund will support community organisations to deliver new and existing projects, including advice and initiatives for vital community services.
Wiltshire Community Foundation
The Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Fund will be delivered alongside the NET funding. Grants will be distributed to local charities and organisations by the Wiltshire Community Foundation. Priority will be given to organisations supporting individuals who are most affected by the Coronavirus outbreak in Wiltshire and Swindon. You can contact the Grants Team here.
Grants are available of up to £250 for ad hoc, neighbourhood projects that have been set up in response to Coronavirus. Groups can apply by emailing grants@worthingcommunitychest.org.
The Barnet Fund will support local grassroots organisations. It is expected that more information will be available shortly.
Links to external providers should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement of those providers’ products and/or services. Again, if you need help in applying to any of the funders above or others you have identified (more are being announced regularly), please get in touch. We will be very happy to help. Please contact us on 07803 170283 or email us at enquiries@achieve-consultants.co.uk
