ICT Management > Budgeting and Funding

Funding for ICT

By Lasa Information Systems Team

Whilst there are a number of trusts and grant funders who look favourably on applications for ICT within a project application, a limited number of funders will specifically fund ICT. Those that we know about are listed here.

• Awards For All
• Bridge House Trust
• BT Community Connections
• Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
• Microsoft
• Neighbourhood Renewal Community Programme
• The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England & Wales
• Abbey National Charitable Trust Ltd
• The Tudor Trust
• The Baring Foundation
• The Allen Lane Foundation
• The Big Lottery Fund
• The Cooperative Charitable Foundation
• The Garfield Weston Foundation
• City Parochial Foundation
• Henry Smith Charity
• The Hedley Foundation: Building or refurbishing?
• Trust for London
• The Lankelly Foundation
• Comic Relief
• JPaul Getty Jr Charitable Trust
• Switched On Communities
• Useful Links

Awards For All

Awards for All can fund projects that enable people to take part in and access community activities, as well as projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community. You can apply at any time 

• The application form is short and simple
• There are links to guidance notes and sources of help
• You will be told if you are successful or not within 3 months

Your group can only receive a maximum of £10,000 from April 2006 in any 2 year period from Awards for All. This will be from the date you are notified of any award made. You can apply if:

• You need a grant of between £300 and £10,000 to fund a specific project or activity; 
  
• You are a not-for-profit group; or
• You are a Parish or Town Council, School or Health body;
• You can use the grant within one year.

Here are some of the things that a grant could be spent on:

• Providing training courses
• Professional fees
• Equipment and materials

Application forms are available from the Awards for All website in three formats:

1. EAF (Electronic Application Form) - for PC users only
2. Adobe PDF form - for Apple Mac and PC users
3. Request a paper copy of the application pack from the website or contact on the office number below.

If you are not sure whether your project is something they can fund, please contact your regional Awards for All office Awards Officer on 020 7587 6643 or 020 7587 6642.

Bridge House Trust

Bridge House Trust has recently refreshed and re focussed its grants programmes in these five broad areas:

• Access for Disabled People
• London's Environment
• Children & Young People
• Older People in the Community
• Strengthening the Voluntary & Community Sectors

Exceptional Grants

Very occasionally Bridge House Trust make grants outside the areas above. They may consider applications from organisations which show that they are one of the following:

• Responding to new needs and circumstances which may have arisen since the Trust fixed its priorities (e.g. a major catastrophe impacting upon London)
• Requiring short-term assistance to cope with unforeseen circumstances enabling them to adapt to change and move forward (need arising from poor planning will not be considered)

Only a very small number of grants are likely to be made in this category.

Small Grants

The Trust has now been making small grants for five years and are undertaking an evaluation of the Small Grants Scheme's progress over this time. As from 22 April 2005, BHT are temporarily closing the Scheme to new applications while reflecting on the experience of the past five years and consider how best to take the programme forward and improve the impact on small organisations. They will be opening a modified scheme in the autumn and will post any updates on this web site. For more information about all the programmes see www.bridgehousetrust.org.uk

BT Community Connections

BT Community Connections is a nationwide award scheme that aims to connect local community and voluntary groups to the Internet. The scheme has already allocated 1,100 PCs throughout the UK during the past 12 months and there are a further 600 to be awarded.

Every award winner will receive a package of an NEC multimedia personal computer including speakers, 15" monitor and a contribution towards 12 months Internet access. Each award will give community and voluntary groups the ability to access up to date information via the world wide web, contact similar groups around the world by email and even create their own community interest websites.

All you have to do is log on to the website - www.btcommunityconnections.com, or request an application pack from:
BT Community Connections
PO Box 30775
London WC1B 4QE

If you, as an individual or part of a group, feel that the Internet would make a positive contribution to your community then you can apply for an award.

Worshipful Company of Information Technologists

The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists aims to bring the benefits of IT within reach of people disadvantaged for whatever reason. WCIT members provide strategic advice to a range of not-for-profit partner organisations, working together with these organisations to develop a growing range of IT based charitable projects - from computer networks in children's hospices to the provision of online services for carers.

The Company's charitable programme is delivered through a number of Panels - groups of Freemen and Liverymen who share an interest in a particular issue, and who give their time and skills, working together to deliver a range of projects and other Company activities. WCIT also run the successful IT4Communities volunteering scheme.

For general enquiries please contact: info@wcit.org.uk
Tel: 020 7600 1992
Fax: 020 7600 1991 39A Bartholomew Close
London EC1A 7JN
Website: www.wcit.org.uk

Microsoft

The Microsoft Giving programme provides support in kind to hundreds of charity and community groups in the UK. Between 1998 and 2002 Microsoft donated over £3 million of software to the UK voluntary sector, for use in fundraising or helping to run voluntary organisations.

To apply for a donation of up to three software packages, please write to them at the address below. You should provide a brief outline of your project or organisation - concise and factual information that will help us understand how we might be able to assist you - and, where applicable, the software you require and your registered charity number.

Charities and non-profit organisations can apply every three years. Microsoft are unable to provide multiple donations to any single charity, or to local community groups affiliated with national organisations.

All applications for Microsoft Giving and commercial sponsorship should be sent to:

Freepost SCO5171 Glasgow G3 7BR or email MicrosoftGiving@microsoft-contact.co.uk
Website: www.microsoft.com/uk/community/community

Neighbourhood Renewal Community Programme (Community Chests)

The Community Programme will:

• Set up and maintain Community Empowerment Networks;
• Support community learning through small grants and the development of a learning strategy;
• Provide small grants to enable a range of self-help and other community-based initiatives;
• Support community involvement in neighbourhood-level partnerships.

The scheme is aimed at small community and voluntary sector groups who do not have access to other funding – especially those from the most deprived neighbourhoods and hard-to-reach communities such as: black and minority ethnic groups, young, older or disabled people, refugees, faith communities, travellers, lone parents, lesbian, gay and bisexual groups.

• Only organisations within the 88 Neighbourhood Renewal areas are eligible for funding. Applications must be for learning opportunities which:
• Respond to local needs and priorities (e.g., those in the local neighbourhood renewal strategy);
• Contribute to the regeneration of the local area,
• Have the support of local people
• Give value for money

Grants will be administered by specially chosen voluntary sector ‘lead organisations' in each of the 88 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund areas, supported by community networks and local residents.

Government Offices for the Regions can provide information on how to apply to lead organisations in your area (see the contact below).

Further information: To find the bodies in your region visit www.governmentfunding.org.uk

For further information on NRF allocations, contact your local authorities neighbourhood renewal team. For information about the government's renewal programme, visit: www.neighbourhood.gov.uk

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England & Wales

The Trustees' policy is to support under funded charities so people, especially disadvantaged or disabled people, can play a fuller role in the community. They support a wide range of activities which fall within the broad areas of Social and Community Needs, and Education and Training. These are:

• Family support
• Challenging disadvantage and discrimination
• Helping to make the voluntary sector more effective

Lloyds TSB have funded several advice sector projects in the past. Organisations applying must be registered charity. Most awards are one-off, but they also consider granting money over two or three years. There is some support for core costs and no deadlines for applications. It is strongly advised that you contact them for guidance in the initial stages of your application, and well before completing the form.

Grants of £300 - £5000 but grants of up to £10,000 may be awarded for special interest categories. Application forms are obtainable from any member of the Foundation staff or from their website at www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk. Forms can be returned at any time, but must be sent by post. They will not accept forms that have been emailed or faxed.

Contact Damien Wilson/Jude Stevens/Birgitta Drury, Grants Officers, England and Wales

PO Box 140
St Mary's Court 20
St Mary at Hill
London EC3R 8NA
Tel: 0870 411 1223
Fax: 0870 411 1224
Minicom: 020 7204 5442
Email: damien.wilson@lloydstsb.co.uk

Application form from website: www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk

Abbey National Charitable Trust Ltd

The Trustees are committed to empowering disadvantaged people to live fuller lives. The Trust supports registered charities which benefit people who are disabled or disadvantaged and socially isolated. Smaller charities and local appeals are more favoured.

Donations can range from £250 to a maximum of £20,000 but in practice most will be in the range of £1,000 to £4,000. We will be focusing our support in those places where we have a Community Partnership Group. Outside of these areas the maximum donation that we can consider is £2,500. We have Community Partnership Groups in:

• Camden
• Glasgow
• Bradford
• Milton Keynes
• Sheffield
• Northern Ireland
• Teesside

The Trustees' priorities are supporting disadvantaged people through:

• Education and training
• Local regeneration projects which encourage cross-community projects
• Financial advice, which helps them to manage their money

Requests must be for something that is suitable for one-off funding. The trustees favour smaller, local charities.

The trust does not issue application forms, therefore supporting information should be submitted to the trust but they suggest using the Donations Request Cover Sheet which is available on the website (address below). Applications may be made at any time and initial telephone enquiries are welcome. Successful applicants are expected to work with local Abbey National managers to obtain mutual publicity.

Contact:
Charitable Trust Manager
PO Box 911
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK9 1AD.

Tel: 0870 608 0104
Email: communitypartnership@abbeynational.co.uk
Website: Abbey National Charitable Trust

The Tudor Trust

The Tudor Trust has recently launched its new funding programme

For further information contact:
Tel: 020 7727 8522
Website: www.tudortrust.org.uk

The Baring Foundation

The 2006 Strengthening the Voluntary Sector programme is now closed. Please visit the Baring Foundation website for more information.

The Allen Lane Foundation

The Allen Lane Foundation is a charitable trust, which makes grants to small voluntary not-for-profit organisations, (which need not be registered charities, provided the work carried out is charitable) whose work benefits groups of people including:

• Black and minority ethnic communities;
• Refugees and asylum seekers;
• Offenders and ex-offenders;
• Lesbian, gay and bisexual people;
• Those experiencing mental health problems;
• Those experiencing violence or abuse;
• Older people; and
• Travellers.

The types of projects that may be funded include:

• Providing advice, information and services to one or more of the priority groups.
• Community development.
• Social welfare aimed at making a long-term difference and empowering users.

Single, one-off grants range from £500 - £15,000. Grants repeated for more than one year vary from £500 - £5,000 per annum, for a maximum of three years.

The Foundation will not fund larger organisations; eligible organisations will have an income of less than £100,000. Organisations that work across the whole of the UK will be eligible if it has an income of not more than about £250,000.

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time and are processed throughout the year.

Further information: Before completing the application, you should check exclusions and use the guidance notes on the website. Contact:

Tel: 01904 613223
e-mail: info@allenlane.org.uk
Website: www.allenlane.org.uk

The Big Lottery Fund

Reaching Communities programme

The Big Lottery Fund wishes to “fund projects that respond to needs identified by communities, and actively involve them. It wants to fund projects that help those most in need including those people or groups who are hard to reach. The fund will give support to those projects it thinks best meet their communities' needs.”

This is a 3 year programme, which will fund projects for up to five years and give grants of more than £10,000 and up to £500,000, including a maximum of £50,000 for capital grants.

For more information see www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/programmes/reachingcommunities/index2.htm

Big Lottery Fund Advice Funding Programme

Advice Plus is the name of the fund's advice services programme. Throughout this programme, BIG will invest at least £50 million in England over three years in projects that increase access to good quality advice services across England . They will support:

• the development of the existing local and national infrastructure of advice services to improve the performance and sustainability of existing services;

• the development of services that have an impact across England ;

• the establishment and development of services where either no advice service exists or where particular types of advice are unavailable.

Funding up to £500,000 may cover both capital and revenue costs and they may make grants for up to 5 years. The first year's applications close on 30 October 2006.  See the programme web page for more info.

Big Lottery Fund's BASIS (Building and Sustaining Infrastructure Services)

The new BASIS programme for England aims to improve the infrastructure support available to all voluntary and community sector organisations in England , will run for three years and aims to add value and complement the ChangeUp programme. You can apply to BASIS if you are a voluntary or community organisation whose main or only purpose is to support the work of other voluntary and community organisations. BASIS will not make grants to statutory organisations or to those whose primary purpose is to make a profit.

You can apply for up to £500,000 for capital or revenue costs for projects lasting up to 5 years with a minimum of £10,001 – the overall value of the fund is £155 million. If your project is working across England or across several regions, they will consider applications for larger amounts.

They particularly want the programme to deal with the following key issues:

• helping organisations to increase the financial and other resources open to them including through support in fundraising and financials management;
• improving knowledge and skills in organisational and project planning and management
• helping organisations to have influence on local and national policies relevant to their work, supporting trustees and ensuring organisations are run efficiently and accountably
• promoting networking and sharing of knowledge and skills

In addition they want infrastructure bodies themselves to be more financially stable, to provide more consistent support to others to achieve the outcomes listed above, and to be able to make contact with and support organisations that they have traditionally found hard to reach.

See the Big lottery Fund website at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog-basis.htm

Further information: See their website at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or contact the Big Advice Line: 0845 410 2030.

The Cooperative Charitable Foundation

Their Community Support Programme aims to encourage community involvement through supporting voluntary and community groups. They are aiming to provide assistance to groups who have a self-help approach or that can show a close involvement with their beneficiaries.

Types of projects that may be funded are:

• Support and development of new and existing community groups, community centres and transport schemes;
• Those that encourage people to work with others who have similar needs and problems;
• Provision and improvement of community facilities.

For further information contact the Donation Office to discuss your project and request guidelines and an application form, or download the relevant application form from the website.

Tel: 01706 202032
Website: http://www.co-operative.co.uk/en/communityfund/

The Garfield Weston Foundation

Current funded areas by the Foundation include:

• Social welfare;
• Community;
• Education; and
• Health.

The trustees have no specific priorities, nor any exemptions excepting animal welfare charities.

There is no limit on the size of grant; both large and small grant funding is available to community based charitable projects ranging from £5,000 to £100,000 or more in exceptional cases. They are inclined to resist funding an individual salary but are prepared to consider making a donation towards general running costs.

The Foundation supports only UK registered charities. Charities are asked not to reapply within a twelve-month period of an appeal to the Foundation, whether they have received a grant or not.

There is no deadline for applications, which are normally processed within three to four months of receipt. Applications for funding should be made in writing and must include a covering letter and a completed application form, downloadable from their website below. Completed applications should be sent to their postal address below. Further information:

Tel: 020 7399 6565
Fax: 020 7399 6580
Post : The Administrator, Garfield Weston Foundation, 10 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4QY
Website: www.garfieldweston.org

City Parochial Foundation

City Parochial funds new and emerging small voluntary organisations that benefit people and communities in London. Organisations should be a registered charity (or have applied for charitable status). They are particularly keen to help Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, disabled people, young people and self-help groups. They can provide funding up to a maximum of £10,000. Every five years they review their grant-making policies and the next review will take place in 2006.

Funding priorities include:

• Organisations providing advice, information and individual advocacy;
• Organisations developing, promoting and providing training and education;
• Work that aims to change policy relating to isolation, discrimination and violence and aimed at improving people's quality of life;
• Second tier and infrastructure organisations for example:
• An organisation that wishes to provide organisational management training and consultancy for refugee community organisations.

In exceptional cases, they will consider funding the core costs of such organisations.

They do not send out application forms. You are advised to read their guidelines and check that your organisation and the work you want them to fund fits into their grant-making priorities detailed above.

• Send them written details of your planned work and funding needs (on no more than two sides of A4 paper).
• You can also telephone a Field Officer at the Foundation to talk about your work and the funding you are looking for.

The application process takes quite a long time, so you need to contact them at least three months before the relevant deadline.

Deadlines:

• 31 January for the March meeting
• 15 April for the June Meeting
• 31 July for the September Meeting
• 15 October for the December Meeting

Further information:

Tel: 020 7606 6145
Email: info@cityparochial.org.uk
Website: www.cityparochial.org.uk

Henry Smith Charity

The Henry Smith Charity funds projects including: purchase/refurbishment of a building or specialist equipment and other capital expenditure, or one year's running costs. Priorities include:

• Homeless
• Disability
• Elderly
• Young people
• Community service

There is a large grants programme available and small grants are from £500 to £10,000 are given to organisations with an annual income of less than £150,000.

Further information:

Tel: 020 7320 6884
Website: www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk

The Hedley Foundation: Building or refurbishing?

The Hedley Foundation have up to £15,000 (average £5,000) available for refurbishment or equipment grants for groups working with

• Young people (welfare & development, health, training and education);
• Community centres & churches (new build or adapted);
• Disabled people and seriously ill (equipment & carer support).

Further information:

Website: www.hedleyfoundation.org.uk

Trust for London

The Trust for London will fund and, where appropriate, work with new and emerging small voluntary organisations that benefit people and communities in London. Funding is available to:

• identify needs and deliver services;
• gain access to training opportunities; organise meetings;
• conferences, seminars and events which identify problems, raise awareness, explore solutions, or promote good practice.

Funding can be used to cover:

• everyday costs and overheads, including costs of heating, lighting, phone calls, postage, rent and Council tax,
• one-off capital costs for equipment
• the costs for paying for sessional and part-time staff.

They do not fund full-time staff either in full or in part.

They are particularly keen to fund work with:

• BME community organisations;
• refugee and migrant groups';
• organisations run by disabled people for disabled people;
• people living with HIV or AIDS and people with mental health problems.

Groups are advised to contact them at least 3 months before the relevant deadline. The Grants Committee meets four times a year and they next meet in December.

Deadlines:

The Grants Committee meets four times a year in March, June, September and December. The deadlines for receiving your completed application are:

• 31 January for the March meeting
• 15 April for the June meeting
• 31 July for the September meeting
• 15 October for the December meeting

£10,000 per year maximum, for no more than 3 years in a row.

Further information

Telephone : 020 7606 6145,
email: trustforlondon@cityparochial.org.uk
website: www.cityparochial.org.uk

The Lankelly Foundation

This Foundation wants to concentrate on organisations with an income of £150,000 or less, many of which will have a local or regional remit. There are no set deadlines and grants range from £5,000 - £30,000. Note that they do not fund organisations based in London or Northern Ireland . For the next 4 years the programmes include:

• Developing communities (developing sustainable funding strategies, partnership working).
• Breaking the cycle (domestic violence outreach projects, work with women and young people).
• Free and quiet minds (BME groups providing mental health services) and
• Offenders and society ( resettlement of offenders or the support of detained refugees or asylum seekers.).

There is also a limited programme to support organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers. Revenue and capital funding is available

The Foundation welcomes telephone enquiries and general enquiries by email. Applications must be made by post, and are accepted as received, allow up to 6 months for processing.

Further information:
Tel: 01235 820044
email: Barbara.garlick@btconnect.com
website: www.lankellychase.org.uk

Comic Relief - Small Grants programme

 

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for organisations with a yearly turnover of less than £150,000. Priority is given for core costs and equipment costs.

Applications can be made at any time and decisions are made within three months of application. You can apply under the following programmes:

• Older People – to combat isolation and loneliness
• Mental Health – to support user-led mental health groups
• Disadvantaged Communities – to support local community groups and community enterprises at neighbourhood level.

Applications must be made on the form, “Small Grants application form: grants up to £5,000”, which can be downloaded from the Comic Relief website. (Comic Relief also runs a main grants programme with no upper limits - visit www.comicrelief.com for details).

John Paul Getty Jr. Charitable Trust

The Trust aims to fund projects to alleviate poverty and misery in general, and unpopular causes in particular, within the U.K. The emphasis is on self-help and enabling people to reach their potential. The Trustees favour small community and local projects which make good use of volunteers.

Beneficial Areas

One of the main beneficial areas is Social Welfare including:

• Communities which are clearly disadvantaged and trying to improve their lot, particularly projects to do with helping young people in the long-term.
• Homelessness, particularly projects which help prevent people becoming homeless or to resettle them.
• Ethnic Minorities involved in above areas, including refugees, particularly projects aimed at integration.
• Mental Health in a wide sense. This includes projects for:
  • mentally ill adults;
  • drug, alcohol and other addictions, and related problems;
  • support groups for people under stress, e.g. battered wives, victims of abuse, families in difficulties, etc;
• Offenders, both in and out of prison, men and women, young offenders, sexual offenders.
• Job Creation projects or ones aimed at making long-term constructive use of enforced leisure time, particularly ones set up by unemployed people.

Grants are usually in the £5 - 15,000 range, for both capital and revenue. Those for salaries or running costs can be repeated on an annual basis for a maximum of 3 years. Previous funding includes supporting an outreach debt advice service.

To apply, write to them. They only accept applications by post. A letter no more than two sides long is all that is necessary at first, giving an outline of the project, who will benefit, a detailed costing, the existing sources of finance of the organisation, and what other applications, including those to statutory sources and the Lottery, have been made. Applications are processed all the time, and three months is the least it usually takes to award a grant.

The Trustees usually meet around the end of March, June, September and December . Some small grants of up to £2,000 are also made in between the quarterly trustee meetings. Priority is likely to be given to projects which cover more than one beneficial area.

Further information:
Please send applications by post to: Ms Bridget O'Brien Twohig, Director, J. Paul Getty Jr. Charitable Trust, 1 Park Square West , London NW1 4LJ
Telephone: (020) 7486 1859
Website: www.jpgettytrust.org.uk

anchor:socSwitched On Communities

The aim of the programme, which is being managed through the DSG International Foundation is to tackle the ‘Digital Divide’, which excludes disadvantaged communities from online resources.

Grants are available for community-based projects that improve local, social, economic and environmental conditions in and around DSG International sites, and in areas where the Group’s presence is most closely felt.

• The programme also aims to provide information technology to disadvantaged groups   
• Supporting training initiatives to help bridge the digital divide and
• Local projects to promote the inclusion of young people into mainstream education and society.

Examples could include teaching refugee elders I.T. skills or an outreach advice centre in a college wishing to offer access to relevant website information.

Grants range up from £500.  You can apply by completing an application form downloadable from the website – applications take 4-6 weeks to be processed.  For an application form and more information see their website given below.

Further information:  See their website at: www.dsgiplc.com, then click on ‘Corporate Responsibility’ on the top horizontal menu.  Click when you see ‘Community Section’ on that page and then you will be led to ‘Switched On Communities’.  Click on ‘Community’ link on top of that page and scroll to ‘Apply for Support’.  Once you are in that page you will see a red colour link inviting you to apply.

Useful Links

ICT Hub Sources of Funders Research (Jan 2007) Funders that fund ICT. Includes a list of over 50 funders, background information, funding checklist, a full report on the research and other useful apendices.

How To Cost and Fund ICT - ICT Hub website, includes downloadable guide (1.3 MB PDF document, requires Adobe Reader. If you don't have this download it free from Adobe)

10 Tips for Funding Technology A TechSoup article on how to fund and sustain technology in your organisation so you can do the work that really matters

Writing a Good Grant Application for an ICT project  Anne Murray, Information Officer for the Baring Foundation, gives some useful guidance on how to ensure you get funding for your project

Writing a Winning Grants Proposal - how clear goals and a careful cost/benefit evaluation helps with applying for grants.