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Most applications are assessed within three months, some considerably sooner.
We can make grants to groups that are charitable, educational or benevolent in purpose. You do not have to be a charity. Most successful applications are from user-led, self-help groups that can show real community support plus direct benefits resulting from the project funded. We will expect you to demonstrate in your application that your group and the proposed project work in similar ways. We give small grants to small groups, so please do not apply if you don’t fit the bill!
You can only hold one grant from each programme every 12 months. This means that you could hold several grants from County Durham Foundation at one time for the same or different projects e.g. a Local Network Fund grant plus a Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chest grant. You can immediately reapply for a different project from the same programme if your application is rejected, but cannot reapply for the same project unless your rejection letter says that you can do this.
No. We don't require applicants to secure matching funding to our grants, but we're happy to match fund.
You will need to supply us with a copy of your constitution, or (if you are a new group) a set of rules that explains what you do and how you take decisions. You will need a bank or building society account with at least 2 (unrelated) signatories. If you do not have a bank or building society account, you can nominate a recognised group such as the local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) to receive the grant on your behalf.
You will need to provide an up-to-date record of your group’s finances. If you have been running for over a year we would expect to see a full, examined set of accounts. If you are a new group, you can supply a bank statement plus an annual budget showing estimated income and expenditure for your group authorised by your Treasurer.
If your group has unrestricted reserves of more than £15,000, it is unlikely that you will receive a grant from us unless you can satisfactorily explain to us in writing why your project cannot be supported from these funds.
If you are applying for a project that works with children and young people, you will need to enclose a copy of your group’s Child Protection Policy plus an Equal Opportunities Policy. If you do not have one of these, please contact the office before you submit an application. You may be eligible for a Local Network Fund grant, which can provide you with money to develop these policies. County Durham Foundation also has a free guidance note on developing a Child Protection Policy, which is available from the office. We are also organising training on developing a Child Protection Policy and you could be entitled to attend. If you do not have a Child Protection Policy please do not let this stop you from applying, as we can offer your group a grant subject to you developing one.
If you are applying for an environmental improvement project, you must know who will maintain your site after completion of the project and have permission from the landowner. Evidence of the landowner’s permission (i.e. a letter) must be included. You will also need to supply detailed plans and sketches for the site, which can be prepared by a landscape architect. You can apply for a one-off development grant of £250 to help fund the production of these plans by ticking the relevant box on the application form.
You also have to include photographs of the proposed site and we encourage you to use re-cycled materials and plant native species of trees and shrubs in all environmental improvement projects.
Signature 1 must be the person who completed the application form. Signature 2 should be the Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary or other senior official of your group.
The referee must not be a member of your management committee, a volunteer or user of your group. They could be your local member of the clergy, policeman, councillor or a professional local resident (e.g. solicitor, accountant, doctor or teacher) who knows your group and its activities well.
If the application is for a project/activity working with children and young people, the referee should be knowledgeable on child protection issues and be prepared to vouch that the group either has a Child Protection Policy that is implemented and updated regularly or is in the process of developing one.
Your application will be acknowledged within a week of receiving it if you return the acknowledgement post card (correctly stamped) included with the application form. Once it has been received, we will contact you to discuss your project further or even arrange a visit. A factual report on your project will be produced and circulated to members of the Grants Committee who will then meet to consider your request. Different grant programmes have different committees that take the decision on whether to fund your application or not. Many of these committees involve local people and are District based. Full details of who sits on the Grants Committee appropriate to your application can be obtained by telephoning the office. We actively discourage you from lobbying members of any County Durham Foundation Grants Committee or staff in support of your application. You can, however speak to County Durham Foundation staff for advice prior to submitting your application.
If your application is unsuccessful we will give you feedback as to why we could not give your support and we will, where possible, give advice on how to direct it to other, more appropriate funders.
If you are unsuccessful in getting a grant from us and you disagree with our decision, you can appeal in writing. This appeal will be considered by either the Assistant Director (Grants) or the Director of County Durham Foundation, depending upon who was involved in the original decision. If necessary either of these people can refer the application back to the original Grants Committee that declined the application. If following this process the application is still declined then there is no further right to appeal.
