Guidance Notes
Grassroots Grants
Grassroots Grants is a national programme (2008-2011) to support small, voluntary led community groups to build stronger more active communities. The Grassroots Grants programme is funded by the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) and is being managed nationally by the Community Development Foundation (CDF). Surrey Community Foundation has been awarded the funding to deliver the Grassroots Grants programme in Surrey.
Nationally, £80 million has been allocated for the Grassroots programme, with over £1 million available to support local communities in Surrey.
A further £1 million is available for Surrey if the Community Foundation can raise a further £1 million from donors by 2011. This will increase the permanent invested funds by £2 million with the income generated providing support to Surrey's communities in perpetuity.
Priorities
Community Foundation for Surrey is guided by the themes identified in the recent report by Dr Helen Bowcock, 'Hidden Surrey': Social Disadvantage, Children and Young People, Disability, Older People and Community.
The priorities of the Grassroots Grants programme from April 2009 will be guided towards funding:
- Projects which will have a beneficial impact on the lives of people who are disadvantaged or excluded, for example through low income, social isolation, age, disability or mental health
- Projects which are in disadvantaged 'high need' geographic areas
- Projects which will be effective in addressing a clearly identified need within the community
- Projects which show clear 'value for money'
- Projects which are in areas that have received limited Grassroots funding so far
Please contact us if you would like to discuss how your particular application relates to these priorities.
Who can Apply?
Voluntary and community groups in Surrey which are charitable in purpose and are connected with and/or meeting the needs of the local community can apply. For a group to be eligible, they must:
- Have been active for at least 1 year prior to applying;
- Have a signed Constitution (or set of Rules) and a bank account that requires two signatures. (Please note: Guidance is available to help you to create a Constitution)
- Have an average annual income of less than £30,000, over the last three years, or over the life of the group if it is less than 3 years old. (Please note: Income includes all money received by the group with no exception.)
The Grassroots Grants programme is not able to fund the following:
- Individuals, or statutory organisations such as Local Authorities or schools ;
- Regional or local offices of a national organisation; or other groups which are not genuinely independent ;
- A small project of a larger organisation with an annual income of above £30,000 ;
- Arms length public sector organisations that are controlled wholly or in part by, for example, a Local Authority, a Primary Care Trust or agencies of these ;
- Commercial ventures ;
- Any party political or religious activity ;
- Organisations that are for the sole benefit or relief of animals or plants ;
- Projects which have already occurred ,or items purchased prior to or during a grant application.
Please note: An organisation that is not eligible for the Grassroots Grants Programme may be eligible for one of our other funding programmes. Please contact us for further information.
What can you apply for?
Grants are available to support a wide range of costs to respond to the needs of local communities. Examples of what Grassroots Grants can fund include:
- Running or operational costs (e.g. stationery, telephone, rent)
- The cost of putting on a local event or workshop
- Sessional staff costs (eg the cost of a freelance trainer)
- The cost of attending an event or a conference
- Training for volunteers
- Additional activities to expand an existing project;
- The purchase of equipment e.g. computers, furniture etc (Capital items)
- Lobbying or campaigning activities related to 'community voice', which are not party political, proselytising or religious activities
Organisations may apply for all the costs associated with their project (full cost recovery). For example, funding for an event may also include a proportion of the group's usual overheads or core costs.
Deadlines
Applications can be made at any time up until January 2011.
The panel meets on a monthly basis, in the middle of each month. All completed applications received by the last Friday of one month should be considered in the following month’s panel meeting, unless further information is required.
Decisions will be notified within 5 working days of the panel meeting.
The final deadline for applications to the Grassroots Grants programme is Friday 31st December 2010.
All Grassroots Grants awarded must be fully spent by community groups before the end of March 2011. We would therefore recommend that, if you are thinking of applying for a Grassroots Grant, you should aim to try and complete your application as soon as possible, as this will maximise the number of months in which you are able to use the funding.
Size and Payments of Grants
Grants of between £250 and £5,000 are available. Organisations can apply for either a one-off grant or a grant spread over the period up to March 2011, as long as the total grant awarded over the period is no more than £5,000.
Important stuff
Please note that you will need to submit the following documents with your application
- Annual accounts from the last three years, which have been signed by a member of the Management Committee, preferably the Treasurer. (If the group has been established for less than three years, please send all available accounts so far).
- A copy of the Constitution (management document or set of rules) which has been signed by a member of the Management Committee. Preferably the Chairperson.
- A list of the Management Committee, with contact details for each person, and names of any employed staff.
- A copy of your Equal Opportunities / Child Protection / Vulnerable Adults Policy (or other policies) if appropriate.
- A written quotation to support the costs outlined in the application, if appropriate.
Please remember that we are here to help
You can contact us at any time throughout the application process, by telephone or email.
We are also happy to meet with you if this would be helpful. We are available for appointments most Fridays, or can organise another suitable time to meet with you to discuss your application.
What happens next?
Once your application form has been received, we will send you an acknowledgement letter. Please contact us if you have not received our acknowledgement within 10 days.
Your application will then be assessed against the Grassroots Grants programme criteria and priorities. Should we require any further information we will contact you.
Applications will be considered each month by the Grassroots Grants Community Panel, consisting of representatives from local organisations and community groups.