Small and local charities in England and Wales helping people overcome complex social issues can now apply for two-year unrestricted grants of £50,000 from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales. The funding will be open year-round, meaning charities can apply at a time that suits them and will not be restricted by deadlines.
Many small and local charities have played a key role in supporting disadvantaged people and communities throughout the pandemic, demonstrating tremendous energy, flexibility, and professionalism in their response. The Foundation’s priority is to reach those charities tackling one of 11 complex social issues including:
- Addiction and dependency
- Asylum seekers and refugees
- Care leavers
- Domestic abuse
- Homeless and vulnerably housed
- Learning disabilities
- Mental Health
- Offending, prison, and community service
- Sexual abuse and exploitation
- Trafficking and modern slavery
- Young Parents
At least 25% of all funding this year will be allocated to charities led by and for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, building on the Foundation’s commitment to racial equity as outlined in its strategy. We are looking to support charities where more than half of their Trustee Board self-identify as Black, Asian or minority ethnic, with an annual income of between £25,000 and £1m, and with a strong track record of helping people from minority communities and doing some work in one of the issue above.
Alongside unrestricted funding, successful charities will be supported by one of the Foundation’s regional managers, who will work with them to access a wide range of organisational development support to help meet identified needs.
The Foundation wants to be open and transparent with charities by making clear in advance which charities and areas it is more likely to fund at any given time. This means that not all charities will be eligible to apply in all areas. To help with this, the Foundation has introduced regional priorities.
It will consider local need, the prevalence of eligible small and medium sized charities, the nature of the region and the level of investment the Foundation has given to each complex social issue in that area, including its portfolio of live grants. Whether small charities can apply to the Foundation this year depends on which Local Authority they do the majority of their work in, and the complex social issue they are working to address. The Foundation reviews and updates these regional priorities every six months.
For further information on the work of the Foundation or for an informal conversation with the East Midlands Regional Manager contact:
Gary Beharrell
Telephone: 07734973060
Email: gbeharrell@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
Web: https://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/we-fund
