GrantRadar

Bishop of Guildford's Foundation

Bishop of Guildford's Communities Fund

Grants to community projects run by, or in active partnership with, Church of England churches in the Diocese of Guildford, which covers Surrey and north-east Hampshire. Main grants typically run from £500 to £5,000 with an average award of £3,000; a separate, much simpler small grants scheme offers up to £750 with a decision usually in four to six weeks. Applications are welcome throughout the year, though main grants are decided against published closing dates. The Fund exists to reach disadvantaged and vulnerable people, and money raised comes from Confirmation collections and the Bishop's Lent Appeal.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£500 – £5,000
Deadline
129 days left
24 February
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Projects and partnerships involving Church of England churches in the Diocese of Guildford, which covers Surrey and north-east Hampshire
  • Organisations that are not themselves churches can be funded where they are in active partnership with one
  • Only one application per parish can be made for a small or a main grant in any one year, with priority given to new applicants
  • Grant holders are asked to complete a review on the anniversary of the award so the Fund can evaluate impact, and the Grant Manager works with recipients on how best to measure it

What it funds

Community projects initiated by Church of England churches, and by those in active partnership with them, that help fulfil any aspect of the diocesan vision. The Fund names projects that:

  • Support people with disabilities and mental ill-health
  • Provide facilities and services for older citizens, children and young people
  • Support families and disadvantaged communities
  • Provide practical help for the financially challenged
  • Offer training and skills programmes

A project is much more likely to be funded if it tackles social issues adversely affecting local communities — mental health, older people's support, family support, debt counselling, youth work, homelessness and poverty are listed — or helps regenerate local communities and build capacity to meet local needs.

Outcomes sought include strengthened resilience for people in difficult circumstances, improved confidence and aspirations through training and new skills, and increased local capacity to support others.

Small grants of up to £750 can fund a new or an established project, including capital items that enable a parish to serve its community more effectively.

While awards are typically one-off, multi-year funding or larger awards may be considered where they relate to strategic, capacity-building projects, and emergency funding is considered under the small grants scheme in exceptional circumstances.

What it will not fund

  • Note: the Fund publishes no exclusion list
  • The binding limits are the ones it does state — the project must involve a Church of England church in the Diocese of Guildford, and only one application, small or main, can be made per parish in any one year

How to apply

  1. Email the Grant Manager at grants@bgcf.org.uk with a short paragraph about your project — the Fund advises doing this first
  2. Once told the project might be suitable, download the BGCF Grant Application Form, or the BGCF Small Grant Application Form for a request of up to £750
  3. Read the BGCF Assessment Criteria published alongside the forms
  4. Complete the form and attach the supporting documents, including a PDF of your latest annual report and financial accounts
  5. Email the completed application to grants@bgcf.org.uk well in advance of the published closing date

small grant applications can be made at any time and are not tied to the closing dates; a trustee follows the application up directly

for emergency funding under the small grants scheme, contact grants@bgcf.org.uk

Have ready

  • Completed BGCF Grant Application Form, or BGCF Small Grant Application Form for requests up to £750
  • A PDF copy of the latest annual report and financial accounts of your project

an end-of-grant report is required on the anniversary of the award

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