GrantRadar

Foundation Scotland

Achlachan Wind Farm Community Fund

A wind farm community benefit fund (from Whirlwind Renewables' Achlachan Wind Farm, about £30,000 a year) administered by Foundation Scotland, giving grants of up to £10,000 to constituted not-for-profit groups for charitable activity benefiting the Halkirk & District Community Council area in Caithness, with priority for projects within 4km of the wind farm. Projects must meet at least one of five outcomes (services and facilities, employment, skills and knowledge, culture/heritage/environment, getting around and connected). A local panel decides four times a year; running costs, salaries, feasibility work and multi-year awards (up to three years) can be funded.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £10,000
Deadline
58 days left
15 December
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted not-for-profit groups and organisations working to benefit people in any community within the Halkirk & District Community Council area (Highland), with priority for projects within 4km of Achlachan Wind Farm
  • Groups based outside the area are considered case by case if they show clear benefit to residents in the area
  • Groups must have a representative membership structure
  • Applicants must meet Foundation Scotland's common eligibility criteria: charitable purposes set out in a governing document with a charitable asset lock (dissolution clause) and restraints on private benefit; at least three unrelated people on the committee/board (the majority unrelated); only a minority of board members may be paid, following OSCR guidance; latest approved accounts (not needed if under 18 months old; abbreviated/micro-entity accounts not accepted, approved management accounts can be sent instead); the organisation's own bank account in the same name as the governing document, with two unrelated signatories/independent authorisation of payments; and a safeguarding policy meeting set minimum content if working with children or vulnerable adults
  • Registered charity status is not required
  • Groups may apply for more than one project per round and hold more than one grant a year, but monitoring for earlier grants may be required first

What it funds

Charitable community activity and development benefiting the Halkirk & District Community Council area that meets at least one outcome:

  • Developing services and facilities
  • Sustaining and creating employment
  • Increasing skills and knowledge
  • Preserving, enhancing or giving better access to culture, heritage and the environment
  • Getting around and getting connected

Projects not clearly fitting these may be considered where they show strong community support and evidence of need.

Can include running costs (comparable to previous years), trips outwith the area that deliver the outcomes, feasibility studies and project development work, salaries/wages (with benchmarking, job description and fair recruitment), and multi-year awards of up to three years (later years released on evidence of progress).

Requests above £10,000 are considered case by case where significant community benefit is shown (discuss first).

Applicants should show local consultation, that other funding has been explored (no set match proportion), local procurement where it offers best value, and consideration of sustainable development.

What it will not fund

  • Applications from individuals (the fund's micro-grant scheme is the route for individuals)
  • General fundraising appeals or activities
  • Trips abroad
  • Retrospective funding (costs incurred or activities taking place before a decision is made)
  • Repayment of loans or payment of debts
  • Advancement of religion or politics, including the core activities of religious or political groups (religious groups may apply for non-religious activity open to the wider community)
  • Areas that are the exclusive responsibility of statutory authorities (Parent Councils/PTAs can apply; schools only occasionally for activity additional to the core curriculum)
  • Anti-windfarm or anti-renewable energy activities, or anything conflicting with the interests of the funder
  • Activities likely to bring the fund, Foundation Scotland or the donor into disrepute (e.g. groups using hate speech or inciting violence)
  • Projects that do not benefit people living in the fund area (projects also benefiting people outside it are funded proportionately)
  • Costs directly related to the sale of alcohol, including refurbishing a bar area
  • Non-constituted groups without a host organisation
  • Groups without a representative membership structure (unduly restricted membership, or a committee/board not elected by or accountable to a wider group)

How to apply

  1. Read the fund page, Foundation Scotland's common eligibility criteria and the What we can't fund page
  2. Optionally preview the organisation application questions on Foundation Scotland's website
  3. Create an account on the Foundation Scotland online portal via 'Apply here' on the fund page and complete the online application form
  4. Upload supporting documents and submit so everything is received by the deadline (15 March, 15 June, 15 September or 15 December)
  5. Foundation Scotland checks eligibility and an assessor may call you; the local panel makes recommendations at its quarterly meeting

Criteria questions go to Eilidh Coll, Community Funds Adviser (eilidh@foundationscotland.org.uk, 07801 530 218); portal problems to grants@foundationscotland.org.uk or 0131 524 0300.

Emergency applications outside the deadlines are not currently considered. Micro-grants of up to £200 for individuals or groups are run separately by Halkirk District Community Council.

Have ready

  • Governing document (constitution or equivalent), unless downloadable from Companies House
  • Latest approved annual accounts (not needed if the organisation is under 18 months old)
  • Recent bank statement showing account name, number and sort code
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures, if your core work or the project involves children or vulnerable adults
  • Quotes: at least one for any item costing £300-£3,000 and at least three for any item over £3,000

For salary requests, also a job description and person specification, how the pay rate was benchmarked, and the recruitment process.

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.