The Community Foundation for Merseyside provides grants predominantly in Merseyside and the UK. It is administered by a network of 58 UK community foundations and linked globally. Eligible applicants must be voluntary groups, registered charities, CICs or social enterprises operating for public benefit within the community. Several funds provide grants for a variety of community projects focused on issues like youth unemployment, crime prevention, and increasing access to sport. Applicants must meet the specific criteria of the fund and submit an application with supporting documents like a constitution and accounts. Successful applications are assessed by a panel and, if approved, grants are awarded and payment and monitoring processes followed.

1. Community Foundation for Merseyside
• Grant-Maker predominately in Merseyside and
UK wide
•Administrator of commissioned programmes
• Administrator of giving for 50 donors and
philanthropists
• Part of a national network of 58 UK
community foundations
• Linked to a global movement

2. Eligibility
• You must be a voluntary or community
group or registered charity or other
non-profit making organisation – you
must be able to demonstrate that you
exist for public benefit. We also fund
CICs and social enterprises
• You need to have a constitution or set
of rules, bank account and
management committee
• Your proposed project should be for
the benefit of the community and be
based on a real need.

3. What can’t be funded
• Statutory organisations or work that is their
responsibility such as schools, local
authority
• National organizations that cannot
demonstrate local governance and control of
local finances
• Commercial ventures
• Purchase/maintenance of vehicles
• Activities that will have already taken place
before we offer you a grant
• Politically connected or exclusively religious
activities

4. What can’t be funded
• Projects for personal profit
• Organisations that are set up for the benefit
of animals or plants: environmental groups
that work with animals or the environment
(such as city farms) are acceptable
• Groups comprising just one family
• Debts and other liabilities
• Reclaimable VAT
• Travel outside UK
• Gifts or projects exclusively for the purpose
of entertaining – social events can be funded
where there is a clear community benefit

5. Next step
• Check website for available funds
• Check that what you want to apply
for broadly meets the criteria of one
of the funds we have open – all
funds have different criteria
• Some funds have closing date and
some operate on a rolling basis
• If not sure contact us and check
• VCAW can also help

6. Peel Ports 500 Fund
• Projects must build the capacity of the
community to help itself, be based on real
need, show volunteer involvement and
demonstrate value for money.
• £50-£500 per grant
• Covers boroughs of Sefton, Liverpool,
Halton and Wirral
• Priority will be given to those groups
working in disadvantaged areas
• Groups should show how their project can
be sustained and what the long term
benefits of their project will be.
• Rolling fund

7. Merseyside Police and High Sheriff’s
Charitable Fund
• The fund aims to promote a safer and increased
quality of life through the prevention of crime
and the protection of people and property from
criminal acts – priority will be given to young
people’s projects for diversionary projects
• Grants will normally range from £500 to £2500
• Groups should have been constituted for at least
12 months before seeking funding. The panel is
unlikely to fund salaries and staff costs
• NB The panel is unlikely to fund CCTV systems
or similar pieces of equipment
• Two panels a year – Autumn and Spring

8. Deutsche Bank Fund
• Aims to prevent youth unemployment by
supporting exciting opportunities that engage
young people (aged 11- 18) – enabling them
to fulfill their potential.
• Projects that prevent young people becoming
NEET later in life;
• Projects that provide educational support or
opportunities;
• Projects that enable young people to develop
essential life skills and/or
employability/enterprise skills

9. Deutsche Bank Fund
• Grants of up to £5000 are available – can
apply for no more than 30% of your total
annual income
• Annual income must be less than £250k and
priority will be given to groups with income
level of under £200k
• Will NOT fund capital costs or equipment
purchases (but can request consumables)
and organisations established for less than a
year
• Closing date – end July (panel September)

10. Police Commissioners Police
Property Act Fund
• Aims to reduce crime, improve public safety
or support victims.
• Grants of up to £5,000 are available
• Priorities:
• Reducing anti-social behaviour
• Tackling serious and organised crime
• Maintaining public safety
• Tackling hate crime
• Improving victim services
• Supporting neighbourhood policing

11. Police Commissioners Police
Property Act Fund
• Will not support core salaries
• Closing date: 23/8/13

12. Comic Relief Local Communities
• Grants between £1000 - £10,000
• Programme aims to empower local
people, enabling them to create lasting
change in their communities.
• Projects should be run by people directly
affected by the issues they are dealing
with
• Priority will be given to small, locally
based groups or organisations in areas
of disadvantage

13. Comic Relief Local Communities
• Fund priorities - increase local services, build
skills of local people, increase community
cohesion, respond to local economic needs
• Cannot apply if hold grant direct from CR
• Must be at least 30% of total cost of project
• This round aims to spend 50% of the money
available on projects which ‘increase access to
sport and exercise for people who face social
exclusion and isolation
• Next closing date is 23/8/13
• Specific application form

14. Liverpool ONE Foundation
• Priorities - Children and Young People,
Employability and Education
• Programme 1 – Grants of up to £5,000 for
community groups with an annual income
of up to £200,000
• Aimed at grassroots groups undertaking
activity based projects - primarily fund
direct project costs and need to be element
of sustainability planning
• Ensure that your application will cover at
least 80% of your total project costs

15. Liverpool ONE Foundation
• Programme 2 – Grants of between £10k to
£20k per year for up to 3 years for groups
with annual income of up to £550k per year
• Applicants need to have a project and/or
business Plan clearly identifying the aim of
your project, milestones over the duration
of the project and the social value/impact
(outcomes) you plan to achieve
• Only 2 funded per year
• Next Panel is in December

16. How to Apply
• Online application form– www. cfmerseyside.org.uk
• Go to the ‘Apply’ section and click to start the application process
– this will take you to the ‘Apply online’ section where you can
click to apply for a small grant or large grant
• Some funds have their own application form
• It asks you to read some statements and tick a box to say you
have read and understood them
• Complete email address and click submit
• You will then be sent a link to your email address which allows
you to complete the application form
• Read the explanatory notes as they will help you with the form
• Keep hold of original email as this will allow you to return to form
at a later date
• Make sure you save when prompted
• Straightforward application form
• Submit application and post off signed Part B and supporting
documents

17. Application form
Small grants – up to £1000
• All about you – contact details, type of
organisation, aims and objectives of group
• About your project – what do you want to do
with the grant and how will they benefit
• Who will benefit
• Project budget
Larger grants – above £1000
Same as above plus
• Questions on Need and how community is
disadvantaged, how will project continue after
funding finished, what are the outcomes and
how does project meet the outcomes and
how you will monitor grant

18. Supporting Documents
Make sure to send following with Part B
• Constitution/rules
• Annual accounts or
income/expenditure document
• Bank Statement
• Safeguarding policies

19. What happens next?
• Once Part B and supporting documents
received application we check that is
eligible for one of current funds
• Assessment
• Presentation to panel
• Award of grant or feedback for
unsuccessful projects
• Payment of grant
• Variations/extensions
• Monitoring

20. TopTips
• Make sure to return your signed Part B
and documents straight away
• Keep copy of application form
• Always refer to the guidelines and fund
criteria
• Answer all questions – don’t waffle
• State clearly what applying for
• Provide detailed budget

21. Top Tips
• Avoid see attached or refer to …
• Avoid quoting too many ‘nationwide
statistics’
• Plan and research - is the need clearly
identified. Are any other groups in the
area delivering similar project?
• Apply for what you need to deliver project
and not just what is available in fund
• Get the application in on time if there is a
closing date identified

22. Thanks
Any questions
Joan Ford
Community Philanthropy Manager