Grants

Grants Programme Guidelines

Strengthening The Voluntary and Community Sector

Aims

We aim to strengthen the Voluntary and Community Sector so that it can deliver effective, efficient and sustainable services helping reduce disadvantage.

Objectives

• to support second tier or membership organisations in the provision of services that strengthen the governance and accountability of voluntary organisations
• to improve standards in voluntary organisations 
• to help the voluntary sector become more sustainable.

Priorities

Your application must address one of the following priorities and please note, this programme is for second-tier and membership organisations only:

1 Governance and accountability

Work which:

• improves the recruitment, retention and diversity of trustees
• supports groups in evaluating the impact of their work and its reporting
• delivers community accountancy services. 

2 Standards

Work which:

• helps develop quality standards in the sector
• supports the ICT needs of the sector as a whole
• improves standards of volunteering. 

3 Sustainability

Work which:

• strengthens the black and minority ethnic voluntary and community sector
• develops new ways of resourcing voluntary and community groups (e.g. social enterprise, the development of asset bases and other alternatives to grant dependency)
• supports small groups. 

Principles of good practice

• collaborative work and sharing of best practice/facilities
• involving users in management and planning of services
• valuing diversity
• supporting and valuing volunteers.

Exclusions

• second tier/membership organisations providing training not related to organisational development
• groups applying for help with ICT solely benefiting their own organisation
• applications from individual organisations to improve their own capacity or volunteer base.