Donor Matching Scheme

Eligibility Criteria and Guidelines

Funding requests of up to £3,000 can be considered but typical grant awards are often much less. Do not just apply for the maximum amount: apply for what you need.

There is no deadline for submission: funding requestsare usually considered on a monthly basis, though this can vary depending on workload and staff availability.

Please note that by applying to Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation you give us consent to share your application details with other voluntary and community sector groups, support organisations and funders.

What kind of group is eligible?

  • You need not be a registered charity, but must be a group with clear charitable aims and a set of rules (a constitution)
  • Your group must either have its own bank account, with at least two signatories,or a ‘sponsor’ organisation (e.g. your local Parish Council or Council for Voluntary Service) that is willing to accept the funds for your use
  • You must be able to provide us with up-to-date financial information for your group.
  • Your group must have at least 3 people on its management committee or board of trustees
  • Your group must operate in Leicestershire or Rutland and be locally run
  • You mustspend the grant within 1 year of the money being awarded
  • Social Enterprises are eligible to apply as long as they meet the above criteria

What groups are NOT eligible to apply?

We are unable to give grants to:

  • Individuals
  • General appeals (you must have a specific projector on-going costs in mind)
  • Statutory organisationslike schools, colleges or local councils (N.B. PTFAs, Friends organisations and Parish Councils can apply for projects which do not overlap with statutory responsibilities).
  • National charities (except independent local branches)
  • Projects taking place outside Leicestershire and Rutland or not mainly for Leicestershire and Rutland communities
  • Activities promoting political or religious beliefs
  • Minibuses or other vehicles – we are unable to fund purchase or maintenance of vehicles but can support reasonable travel costs
  • Animal welfare
  • Retrospective funding (projects that will have started before an application can be processed or repayment of money you have already spent)

What we are looking for:

  • That all the sections of the form are completed
  • That your project or on-going work contributes to improved quality of life or life chances foryour community and users
  • Clear evidence of need: this means showing us any research and consultation you have carried out; support for your workfrom people in the community; showing us how you work in partnership with other similargroups nearby
  • Beneficiaries– the numbers of users you willreach, their diversity, and whether the proposalrepresents value for money givenyour budget
  • Management –the strength and relevant experience of your management team and whether your proposed work is well planned and realistic
  • Finance –your group’s track record, whether it is likely to be viable longer term and whether your proposed budget is realistic and accurate. Make sure you provide a full project breakdown for the amount of funding you are requesting and include costs associated with the entire project if you are only applying to us for a portion of it.

Please contact a member of the grants team if you have any queries or need help at any stage of the application process.

We are always happy to help in any way we can.

Telephone: 0116 2624 916

Email:

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