Community development fund

Projects must include revenue costs, this can include:

• Setting up of classes, sessions, activities, and events for the community.
• Buying equipment for a community-based activity, that does not qualify as capital.
• On costs of the project for example, staff time, sessional workers, equipment, and resources required to deliver the project. Room hire costs are also acceptable but not exceeding 50% of the total grant amount requested from us.
• Providing refreshments, snacks, and meals as part of an activity.
• Marketing and promotion to increase participation in activities.
• Travel costs which are integral to an activity.
• Project management costs, not exceeding 10% of the overall project value.

You can include an element of capital work for up to 50% cost of the total grant funding requested from us.  If you have a capital element you wish to be considered, please speak to one of our community investment coordinators before submitting an expression of interest.

We are unable to accept applications for the Community development fund to support:

• Major capital works have a conversation with community  investment coordinator before applying
• Ongoing running costs of an organisation e.g. utility bills and insurance
• Items that are purchased on behalf of another organisation.
• Applications to develop the financial reserves of the organisation.
• Religious, party political or lobbying activities (non-religious and multi-faith activities may be funded)
• Loans or debt repayments
• Projects and activities for personal profit.

To be eligible for the Community development fund, it is expected that your project would last 9 to 12 months. Priority will be given to projects that can demonstrate sustainability beyond the funding period. If awarded, projects need to start within a month of receiving the first payment instalment.

There is one open call for the Community development fund per year and it is likely to be oversubscribed, so please consider all the criteria carefully before applying.

To help you prepare to make a large grant application please consider the following questions:

1. A definitive start date that allows enough time for the appraisal and approval process to be completed before the project starts. (Usually 8-10 weeks after the grant closing date.)
2. A definitive end date – not ‘on-going’.
3. What are you wanting to do, where and when will it happen and who will take part?
4. How do you know there is a need for your project? Do you already have a waiting list of people, or do you have more demand for your service? Have you found a gap in services for the people you support? Have people come to you asking for this support? Do you work with other organisations who will direct people towards your activity? How do you know people will access your project?
5. Full costings, including quotes for any capital works. These should be detailed and give us an idea of how you have calculated these costs. For example, staff costs should show the hourly rate for the member of staff and the number of hours they will be working. If you are successful in receiving grant funding, we will require two independent quotes. We strongly recommend that you get accurate costings or an estimate at your application stage.
6. Match funding information.
7. What are your project milestones? These are the key stages in your project and could be planning, marketing and publicity, purchase of resources, delivery of events, recruitment of volunteers etc.
8. What are your targets? How many people will benefit from your activities? Targets should be specific and outline how often an activity takes place – for example, we will deliver weekly craft activities over 40 weeks, 25 people will attend overall with an expected average weekly attendance of 10-12 people.
9. What are the outcomes of your project? These are the difference your project will make in the long term. Do your outcomes reflect our priority themes?
10. How will you ensure at least 30% of your beneficiaries are believe customers? It is good practice to identify how many believe housing customers you currently have involved in your project, if relevant.
11. The project will need to take place in areas believe housing operates in.
12. If planning or any other permission is required for capital works for the capital grant, this must be approved at application stage. If successful, we will ask for a copy of the planning confirmation.
13. What is the long-term impact of your project? If it is to continue beyond our funding period, how will this happen?

If an organisation has been successful in securing a large grant from believe housing (either revenue or capital), they can apply for the same project for one more consecutive year, up to a total of two years funding.

If an organisation is successful in securing funding for two years, they can apply again the following year, but this must be for a different project.

Please note that the funding is very limited and there are no guarantees to an organisation of continuous or multiple funding.

Please speak to a member of the Community Investment Team if you are unsure about your eligibility.

If believe housing agree to award a grant to help fund your project or activity, then you will be required to agree to terms and conditions.

To read the full terms and conditions, please click here.