Eligibility

The Neighbourhood Fund prioritises smaller community groups, therefore, applications made by groups with annual expenditure over £250,000 will not usually be considered by the panel.

Groups must be local to Dorset. We do not fund national charities but can fund local branches if they have independent governance and are financially independent.

Groups with two or more current grants from DCF funding programmes are a lower priority for funding.

Organisations that can apply:

• Registered Charities
• Constituted Community and Voluntary Organisations
• Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee
• Companies limited by guarantee that have a clear not-for-profit clause in their governing document and clear charitable or social objectives

To be eligible the organisation must have:

• At least 3 unrelated people responsible for running the organisation (for registered charities these are your Trustees, for CICs/Social Enterprises these are your Directors)
• A written constitution or set of rules that sets out the purpose and management of the organisation
• A bank account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories required for payments
• An appropriate Safeguarding Policy and EDI policy

Exclusions:

• Schools are not eligible but we can fund PTA groups if they meet our eligibility guidelines
• We cannot fund the promotion of religion or political causes – faith based organisations should advise whether funded activities are designed to, or include elements that are designed to influence people’s religious choices
• We cannot fund public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
• We cannot fund animal welfare organisations
• We cannot offer retrospective funding for items already purchased or work completed
• Organisations with more than 12 months’ unrestricted reserves are usually not funded

Priorities

The Neighbourhood Fund supports grassroots community groups delivering services/activities that address a broad range of local social issues, problems, poverty and disadvantage. Grants help local groups to improve the lives of those most in need of support. We want our grants to support and reflect the diversity of our county and we welcome applications from groups supporting diverse communities including communities who may be facing discrimination.

Priority may be given to groups that work in partnership with other providers, involve service users in the design of services and invite feedback, and where the service/activities are easy to access with clear referral routes. We are looking to support services that effect positive change and bring tangible improvements to quality of life for Dorset residents.

In addition to the broad objectives of the fund outlined above, the Fund has two particular areas of interest and applications working in these areas may be prioritised:

• Services that support older people to lead more active, healthy and independent lives (addressing social isolation and loneliness, declining health, poor access to services and support for carers)
• Services that support people experiencing mental health issues, including those with diagnosed conditions and early intervention work (addressing low self-esteem and personal aspirations, relationship difficulties, unhealthy coping behaviours and other issues)

 What can I apply for?

Grants of up to £5,000 are available.

Groups should hear the outcome of their application by the end of February 2025, so the earliest start date for your activities is 1st March 2025.

The activities funded must start within 2 months of the award and groups have up to 12 months to spend the grant. Applications do not need to be for new services. We can fund the continuation of existing services that are delivering evidenced outcomes, the expansion or adaption of these services in line with local needs or increased demand, piloting new ways of working or launch of new services.

We will fund any costs relating to the work you deliver including core costs, service delivery costs and reasonable capital costs (e.g. office equipment, sports equipment, tools etc). Contributions towards large capital appeals are a low priority for funding.

Monitoring and reporting

 You should have tools in place to measure and record the intended outcomes of the grant. We do not expect complex or multiple methods – examples may include feedback forms/questionnaires, interviews or discussion groups, recording observations, attendance logs or other relevant data.

Completion of an online End of Grant report is a requirement of funding, including how funds were spent, the outcomes achieved (for beneficiaries and/or your organisation), learning during the grant period and individual case studies where relevant.

Pre-application support

Pre-application support is particularly encouraged for groups who have not applied to our grant programmes before but is available for anyone in need of advice about the application process, or if you are unsure whether your project/activity is suitable. Please email our Grants Manager to arrange a 20 minute phone call.

Please also contact us if you need the application form in an alternative format.

• Grants Manager, Ellie Maguire: 07592 032666 / grants@dorsetcf.org

How to Apply

You will need to attach the following supporting documents to your online application, or send them via email to grants@dorsetcf.org

• A copy of your constitution/governing document, if not registered at Companies House or the Charities Commission
• A copy of a recent bank statement no more than 3 months old
• A copy of your latest annual accounts, or in the case of new groups, please send a financial forecast or budget for your first year if you have one
• Your Safeguarding policy and Equality & Diversity policy *our guidance notes may be helpful
• (CICs operating more than 1 year should also provide their CIC 34 report, and those with micro accounts only should provide their Trading profit and loss accounts)

Apart from the bank statement, you do not have to send these if you have already sent these documents in the last six months.

The deadline to apply is midday 17th January 2025.

Groups should hear the outcome of their application by the end of February 2025.

To apply please CLICK HERE

 

* For support with policy development or reviews we recommend you contact one of the local support agencies for voluntary sector groups – Community Action Network offers free support to groups across the county of Dorset, and low cost training & events. Dorset Community Action  provides support to groups in the Dorset Council area.

Safeguarding policy – there are helpful online resources such as the Charity Commission’s guidance on Safeguarding and the NSPCC website. New groups or those without any current policy may find it helpful to watch this short video ‘Safeguarding adults in the voluntary sector’  introducing what Safeguarding is and why it is relevant for all voluntary sector groups, no matter how small or who you are working with.

We also recommend groups consider adding their details to the helpandkindness website, which provides a map of services in Dorset to help people find local support when they need it.

Equality & Diversity policy – we recommend this should include as a minimum: reference to the Equality Act 2010 and explicitly covering all protected characteristics, equal access to services & employment and ways you achieve this, preventing harassment or discrimination and how complaints are dealt with fairly.

In order for us to follow our decision-making process, the information given in your application will be shared with our independent panel members and/or donors as appropriate. Panel members are subject to a confidentiality agreement. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on data sharing and storage.