Fundraising opportunities
07 April 2020
By Emily Allen, Church Buildings Missioner
emily.allen@chester.anglican.org
These are challenging days. This is a time for prayer to God to seek his will in all we do, combined with putting this into practical action. Below is a selection of fundraising opportunities to look at more closely to see if eligible and appropriate in your particular context. The situation is constantly changing, so do make sure you keep an eye on your local Community Voluntary Service website for the latest news.
Special grant-making opportunities during the coronavirus crisis
- National Emergencies Trust. Available via Community Foundations, see https://www.ukcommunityfoundations.org/our-network
- Steve Morgan Foundation. The foundation has pledged to give out £1million a week emergency grants to local Merseyside/ North Wales Charities – see geographical map for eligibility boundary for West Cheshire.
- Cheshire West and Chester area opportunities
- Members Budgets. Each Council Member has a total of £5,000 per annum to be distributed to worthy local projects. Also, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fast Response Community Volunteer Group payment. Members can allocate up to £500 on a discretionary basis to community initiatives responding to the pandemic from their 2020/2021 via their Locality team
- CWAC Community Response Fund. Any grants over £500 will be considered, but it is expected most grants will be around £2,000. To access an application form, community initiatives will need to email chesterlocality@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
- Cheshire East opportunities
- Keep up to date via Cheshire East Community Voluntary Organisation
- For other areas in the diocese, information is available on the Community Connections page of the diocesna website.
- This includes links to ‘Community Voluntary Services’ and ‘Community Foundations’.
- National Lottery Communities Fund. Up to £10,000, same process as always with lottery funding
- National Lottery Heritage Fund. 'Heritage Emergency Fund.' £3,000-£50,000 grants.
- Other relevant grants at this time. Roof alarms grant, All Churches Trust
Further ways to find grant opportunities
- The Civil Society. The Civil Society are compiling a list of what funding is available to charities during this time.
- National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO) This is the national body that works with local Community Voluntary Services (CVS’s). Their website has a wealth of guidance, including this update on the response from some of the grant-making trusts to the current situation.
- The Diocese of Chester website’s Fundraising Guide: section ‘Finding Grants’ has a list of searchable databases and lists. These include Parish Resources and 'Open for Funding' (previously known as GrantNet). Open4Funding has details of grant-making trusts responding to the needs of charities at present.
General Guidance
- Church of England’s Parish Resources The Parish Resources website is developed by the National Stewardship team at the Church of England. It now has a dedicated page of advice during these times. The website is constantly being updated. As well as funding advice, it also offers parishes guidance on governance matters.
- Institute of Fundraising The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) is the professional membership body for UK fundraising. They have created specific guidance on fundraising matters during COVID-19.