Arts Council of Northern Ireland small grants scheme
The aims of the ACNI small grants are to fund projects which involve people in their communities, bringing them together to enjoy a wide range of arts activities. Well thought-out activities meet community needs better and have the most impact. ACNI will give high priority to activities which are new or which develop what you do now.
What grants are available? £500- £10,000
Who can apply: any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations.
Click on the ACNI link where you will find guidance, application forms and FAQs http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/award/smallgrant.html
Arts Council of Northern Ireland Re-imaging Communities
Building Peace through the Arts – Re-Imaging Communities is a funding programme that will help all communities in both urban and rural settings and the border areas to focus on positive ways to express who they are and what culture means to them artistically and creatively. The programme encourages the creation of vibrant and attractive shared public space through the use of the creative arts in the public realm, which will celebrate life, enhance the physical and natural environment and help people feel part of the community in which they live.
There are three levels of funding available:
- Small Grants – for projects between £500 and £15,000
- Large Grants – for projects between £15,001 and £50,000
- Multiple Grants – for a combination of both Small and Large Projects
Who can apply? Councils in Northern Ireland and the border areas of the Republic of Ireland, Constituted Community and Voluntary Organisations. In border areas applicants must demonstrate that their proposal links with local Peace Cluster Plans. In other areas support of a public sector body will be required.
For more information, visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/award/re-imaging_communities.htm.
Arts Council of Northern Ireland Travel awards
Travel awards enable individual artists to travel from Northern Ireland to develop their skills and expertise. Applicants must provide evidence that they have been invited by a host organisation in the country to which they intend to travel. Awards are for one-off speculative visits such as auditions, job interviews or casual meetings.
Who can apply? Individual artists and arts administrators. Employees of statutory bodies are eligible to apply but they must prove that the funds which they are seeking are for work/costs which are not properly the concern of their employer and do not form part of their professional employment
Grants are on a rolling basis but You must apply at least four weeks before your anticipated date of departure.
Click on the link for guidance and application forms: http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/award/award.htm.
Community Foundation for Northern Ireland
The Foundation will consider requests for funding for community based initiatives that promote social inclusion, tackle poverty and social injustice. Community Foundation NI is unique in that it not only uses core funding but will match the application with more appropriate external funders.
Grants available: small grants for specific community arts projects, general funds are for community based activities but not necessarily specific arts projects, so check guidance.
Who can apply? any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations (Funds available are limited and where necessary, applications will be prioritised on relative match to funding areas).
Click on the link where you will find guidance application forms and FAQs www.communityfoundationni.org/Grants.
Esmee Fairburn
Esmee Fairbairn aim to improve the quality of life throughout the UK by funding the charitable activities of organisations that have the ideas and ability to achieve change for the better. The Foundation takes pride in supporting work that might otherwise be considered difficult to fund. Within the foundation’s four areas of interest – the arts, education and learning, the environment and enabling disadvantaged people to participate fully in society.
What grants are available? The main fund has no minimum or maximum award.
Who can apply? any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations.
Click on the link where you will find guidance application forms and FAQs esmeefairbairn.org.uk/
Garfield Weston Foundation
Garfield Weston Foundation is an independent grant-making Trust that supports registered charitable groups and organisations that offer effective solutions to helping those most in need. Grants are made in the following categories –Arts, Education, Community, Religion, Youth, Health, Environment and Welfare. The Foundation prioritises applications for core and project costs of programmes that deliver services directly to beneficiaries, especially in the welfare, youth and community fields, and also in regions of economic disadvantage. The Foundation can offer two levels of financial support –(1) Regular Grants: £1,000 – £99,000 (2) Major Grants: £100,000+.
Grants can be for both capital and revenue, but Garfield Weston Foundation does not consider requests for specific salaried posts. Core costs related to project work can include some employment costs. While the Foundation seeks to support as many good projects as possible, it is regularly over-subscribed and cannot resource all the good applications that it receives.
Who can apply? Groups or Organisations must be a registered charity.
Download more information here: Garfield weston or visit www.garfieldweston.org.
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The UK Branch of the Portugal-based Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has a reputation for recognising and initiating innovative ideas. Grants are awarded on the basis of their strategic aims and objectives: Cultural Understanding, Fulfilling Potential and Environment. The UK branch has a special interest in supporting those who are most disadvantaged and places a particular emphasis on maximising the beneficial impact of their work through encouraging cross-border exchanges of lessons and experiences.
What grants are available? The grants are not available to individuals and grants are for activity based projects which average between £10,000 and £30,000.
Who can apply? any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations (you must be able to demonstrate not-for-profit status and that your constituting document does not allow for any surplus to be distributed to members).
Click on the link where you will find guidance application forms and FAQs http://gulbenkian.org.uk/.
Big Lottery Fund Awards for All
Awards for All is a small grants programme delivered and funded by the Big Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland. The main aim of the programme is to bring real improvements to communities and to the lives of people most in need by funding projects which involve people in their communities, bringing them together to enjoy a wide range of charitable,
community, educational, environmental and health-related activities.
Grants of 500-10,000 are awarded to projects combining a range of community activities. BIG will give priority to applications which increase opportunities for volunteering or build community capacity.
Who can apply? You can apply if you are a voluntary or community organisation, or a statutory organisation. You do not need to be a registered charity to apply.
Click on the link where you will find guidance application forms and FAQs www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/northern-ireland/awards-for-all-northern-ireland
Foyle Foundation Grants Programme
The Foyle Foundation supports UK organisations to benefit Learning or the Arts (either the performing or visual arts). Their Arts programme has a twofold purpose to help sustain the arts and to support projects that particularly help to deliver artistic vision. They look for value for money and sustainability in projects that they support. Typical areas of support include, accessibility, supporting new work/artists, re-equip venues and projects which reduce overheads.
Generally, grants are for specific projects/activities and will consider applications for core funding (but generally only from smaller organisations or from those not receiving recurrent revenue funding from the Arts Council or local authorities). Please note that community arts activity will not generally be supported in the main grants scheme.
Main grants are £10,000 to £50,000 and Small Grants designed to support smaller charities in the UK, especially those working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities are £1,00 – £10,000.
Who can apply? registered charities that have an annual turnover of less than £100,000 per annum.
For more information, visit www.foylefoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/.
The Ulster Scots Agency Voluntary and Community Groups
The Ulster-Scots Agency has as its remit “the promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and Ulster-Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island”. Within this remit the aims of the Agency are to: Promote the study, conservation, development and use of Ulster-Scots as a living language; Encourage and develop the full range of its attendant culture; Promote an understanding of the history of the Ulster-Scots.
Applications must have an Ulster-Scots dimension and which fall within the following general categories: Workshops, conferences, courses, events, tuition, classes, research etc. Partnership funding is available for those organisations not eligible under the Financial Assistance Scheme for voluntary and community groups e.g. Statutory organisations.
Who can apply? You can apply to Voluntary and Community Groups if you are a voluntary or community organisation. You do not need to be a registered charity to apply.
For more information, visit www.ulsterscotsagency.com/.
The Jerwood Charitable Foundation
The Jerwood Charitable Foundation supports emerging artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers and they also support arts organisations. Their support is aimed at talented and dedicated individuals, but delivered primarily through professional partnerships with outstanding arts organisations across the UK. They are active in identifying and creating new projects.
They support work in three particular ways:
Large grants more than £10,000.
Small grants for one-off projects, generally under £10,000.
Jerwood Visual Arts a year round contemporary gallery programme of awards, exhibitions, and events at Jerwood Space, London, which then tour the UK.
Applications can be made and are assessed throughout the year. Applications for specific community arts projects are not eligible. For more information please visit www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org.
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has a dedicated arts programme, offering special initiatives and open grants to organisations dedicated to advance a general involvement, enjoyment and experience of the arts. The Foundation’s Awards for Artists welcomes nominations. Priority is given to organisations which aim to maximise opportunities for individuals to experience a full quality of life, both now and in the future. In particular they are concerned with children and young people, and others who are disadvantaged.
Who can apply? For the Open Arts Grants, any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations (you must be able to demonstrate not-for-profit status).
For more information, visit www.phf.org.uk/landing.
Steel Charitable Trust
The Steel charitable trust have five key areas of focus: Arts and Culture, Education, Environment, Disadvantaged and Health. On top of this, they have fourteen key objectives, including ‘the prevention or relief of poverty’, ‘the advancement of religion’ and ‘the advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science’.
Who can apply? registered charities and non profits.
For more information, visit http://www.steelcharitabletrust.org.uk/index.htm.
Tudor Trust
Tudor makes grants, and provides other types of support, to voluntary and community groups working in any part of the UK. They particularly want to help smaller, community-led organisations which work directly with people who are at the margins of society: organisations which support positive changes in people’s lives and in their communities. They want to respond flexibly to your ideas and energy, and to fund effective organisations working to high standards. As well as core funding we can also provide project grants, capital grants for buildings or equipment and grants to help strengthen your organisation. There is no maximum or minimum grant.
Who can apply? any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations. You don’t have to be a registered charity to receive funding from Tudor; they can make grants to other organisations as long as the grant is used for charitable purposes.
For more information, visit http://tudortrust.org.uk/.
Ulster Garden Villages
Ulster Garden Villages primarily funds projects within Northern Ireland that will have a positive impact. Funds are not given retrospectively and it is not usual to give grants for office expenses or administrative staff salaries. In addition to grants, assistance may be given by way of loans which may carry certain conditions at the discretion of the Committee. Preferred projects will be those demonstrating active participation and self-help. They should be innovative and developmental with an achievable, practical and sustainable objective.
UGV will not fund activities which are the responsibility of any statutory agency, neither will they fund the direct replacement of statutory funding.
Objectives: Health; Disadvantaged sections of our society; Young people; Culture & Heritage; Environment.
Who can apply? Normally registered charities.
While applications are open all year round, it is advisable to contact UGV to see when the next committee meeting will take place.
For more info, visit http://ulstergardenvillages.co.uk/.
Enkalon Foundation
The Enkalon Foundation is an Antrim based grant-making trust which makes small grants primarily in the fields of cross-community, unemployment and generally helping disadvantaged people. Enkalon Foundation awards are open to community groups and organisations across Northern Ireland. Historically the range of applicants has ranged from youth groups, senior citizens clubs, charities, self help groups, animal welfare, arts and mental health groups.
Who can apply? any constituted, non-profit community groups, voluntary organisations or arts organisations.
For more information, visit www.enkalonfoundation.org.
Community Relations Council Publications Grant Scheme
Grants up to £5,000 are available to publishers under this scheme to encourage the production and dissemination of publications that will contribute to greater understanding and better community relations in Northern Ireland.
Objectives:
- To support publications which encourage constructive debate on community relations themes and challenge negative stereotypes.
- To subsidise publications supportive of community relations principles so that they might reach a wider audience.
- To support the production and dissemination of publications which will create a greater awareness and appreciation of local cultural diversity as a means of increasing mutual respect and understanding.
The Council particularly welcomes applications from training and educational organisations aiming to produce relevant print resources which will support community relations learning through taught programmes.
Who can apply? Publishers or any organisation producing a publication that meets the objectives.
For more information, visit http://www.community-relations.org.uk/funding/publications-criteria/.
Santander Community Plus Grants
Community Plus grants of up to £5,000 are available for small local charities or local projects of national charities with funding available to cover salaries, equipment or materials. Grants must directly help disadvantaged people in your local area. The scheme is designed to be quick and simple to use and nominations can be made by charities as well as Santander customers and staff. Just visit any Santander branch and complete a Community Plus Nomination. The completed form should then be dropped into your local branch.
There are no closing dates and entries will be considered by a panel of staff drawn from across the region once every two months. Successful charities will be notified within 2 months of submitting their nomination. If you have not heard from Santander within 2 months then you have been unsuccessful, but you are free to apply again at any time.
Who can apply? any registered charities (the grant must benefit local disadvantaged people).
For more information, visit http://www.santanderfoundation.org.uk/community-plus.aspx.
