Funding Help

Funding Information and Sources for Voluntary and Community Groups

We know fundraising is a never ending task and one that takes resilience and stamina to maintain. We hope the information here can lighten the load by providing the main grant streams available locally and nationally.

RVS Members can access the Funds Online search platform, using the RVS subscription. You can find grant givers specific to your group’s activities, who do not generally advertise themselves widely.

The Community Development Team at RVS can advise you on completing funding applications and offer guidance to local groups with their fundraising activities. For further information about support and access to Funds Online, contact us on msc@rvs.org.uk

Funding newsletters are produced by Basingstoke Voluntary Action, on behalf of the Hampshire CVS Network. They contain a range of current funding and grant opportunities which are live right now. Latest edition

Grantway is a new grant search portal available completely free of charge for individuals, charities and volunteer organisations to help find and obtain essential funding. The grant search portal is totally free of charge and can be found at www.grantway.com

To give you an idea of some of the funding options available, you might also like to look at presentations from the September 2021 Meet the Funders Event.

There is a wide range of funding channels available, both local and national. See below for further details.

LOCAL

Legacy Grants Managed by RVS

See Legacy Grants Managed by RVS

Rushmoor Voluntary Services manage a small grants fund, available to organisations operating in the Rushmoor area. The purpose is to:

Support charitable purposes in Rushmoor and the surrounding area
Alleviate poverty, distress and sickness
Provide respite for carers

Rushmoor Borough Council

Visit Rushmoor Borough Council’s Community Grants page which has details of a range of grants available to voluntary, charitable, sports, arts and youth-related groups and clubs in the Rushmoor area.

Hampshire County Council

Hampshire County Council offers grants and funding to the voluntary sector including:

Adults’ Health & Care grants
County Councillor grants
Economy, Transport and Environment grants
Children’s Services grants
Culture, Communities and Business Services grants
Policy and Resources grants

NHS Frimley Clinical Commissioning Group Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund aims to give communities the opportunity, support, courage and seed funding to suggest and progress innovative projects that could have a big impact on the health and wellbeing of local people. Projects recently supported include community gardens, walking groups and cookery skills for young people.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) is an independent charitable foundation, specialising in building funds and awarding grants on behalf of donors and fundholders. Their aim is to support the vital work of smaller charities, community groups and voluntary organisations, across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They are part of a UK wide network of 57 Community Foundations.

Broadhurst Mental Health Charity

Broadhurst is a local charity which exists to provide help and support to those with serious mental illness in Rushmoor and the surrounding area. The purpose of their Small Grants is that each award should benefit the mental health of an individual either by aiding recovery (e.g., through improving housing, enabling a healthier lifestyle or access to educational or working opportunities), or preventing deterioration (e.g., through relief of financial stress).

Visit Broadhurst’s Small Grants web page for more details.

NATIONAL

The National Lottery Community Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600m a year (raised by players of the National Lottery) to help communities thrive across the UK. They provide funding to a wide range of community projects from supporting health and wellbeing and more active communities to environmental projects and improving education, employment and life skills. There is a simple application process for grants under £10k and a more in-depth process for grants over £10k.

See their guidance on types of projects they fund, who can apply and what makes a good application.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK. It provides broad guidance if you are applying to them for funding from community grants and business plans to inclusion and wellbeing.

Arts Council England National Lottery Grants

The Arts Council manage a range of grants for the arts for the national lottery. Arts Council Project Grants are the most accessible for the voluntary and community sector. There are other funding streams for individuals and specialist art projects.

Suez Communities Trust

SUEZ Communities Trust is an independent, not for profit funding organisation dedicated to making lasting improvements to community life and the natural environment. The Trust’s funding programmes are designed to improve a broad range of publicly accessible amenities which benefit a wide cross section of the community. Whether improving a local play area or a nationally significant historic building, each project has the potential to transform the community in which it is based.

Funds online is a database with over 8,000 funders. A subscription is needed in order to gain access to funding from grant-making charities, companies, and statutory sources. RVS have a subscription and can give member organisations access to this easy to navigate website.

Other Resources

The National Council For Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

The NCVO has a wealth of practical information and step by step guides, including different ways to search for grants and some recommended steps for first time grant applicants. They have their own search engine Funding Central which is available for NCVO members. For organisations with an annual turnover of £30k or less membership is free.

The Charities Aid Foundation

This organisation offers advice on finance, including grant programmes. See the website for more information.