Co-operative Foundation Community Support Programme

The Co-operative Foundation is an independent charitable trust set up in 2000.

The Foundation is funded by The Co-operative Group – United Region which trades within the North West, South Cumbria, Yorkshire & Humber, North Midlands, Northern Ireland and North Wales. It has donated nearly £10 million to the Foundation to be invested to generate income to support the Foundation’s grant making programme. They have awarded 524 grants valued at £2,955,887 since 2000.

Aim

• The Co-operative Foundation supports community and voluntary sector activity through grants to local groups and organisations across its trading area.
  • It is particularly interested in locally led and run groups which can demonstrate evidence of co-operative values and principles: self-help, equality, democracy, concern for the community.
  • In support of this community-led approach the Foundation has one focussed grant-making programme, the Community Support Programme, for community based groups.

“Supporting community groups to find co-operative solutions to community challenges”

The programme was developed to help groups who want to make a difference in their own communities, through grass roots community activity. The community can be geographically-based, such as a village, town or housing estate, or could be a community of people brought together to address a specific issue.
Examples of work funded under the Community Support Programme include:

• Activities that encourage people to work with others who have similar needs or face similar challenges, including the development of community groups.
• Work that aims to resolve or reduce conflict, such as community mediation or the reduction of harassment.
• The setting up or development of community safety schemes.
• Provision and improvement of community facilities that allow premises and equipment to be shared between organisations.
• Work to assist people, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, to gain access to IT equipment, training or support.
• Development of out-reach work to offer services to the most vulnerable in society.
• Improvement of access to information, advice and advocacy services that enable people to make informed choices about their lives or lifestyle.
• Work which supports that undertaken by volunteers.
• Work with communities with significant needs such as minority groups, people with disabilities and their carers, or those with special needs, mental health problems and learning disabilities.

What For?

Grants between the values of £500 and £30,000 are given for One-year projects – for either part or total funding:

• Capital costs – these are the costs of tangible and lasting items such as buildings or equipment. If you are applying for capital equipment then the cost should be based on the quote of at least two suppliers. These quotes must be included with your application.
• Revenue costs – these are the costs of running of your project. Typical revenue costs include rent, maintenance, training and utilities. Please note that salaries are not being funded.

Who Can Apply?

The Trustees will give high priority to applications that can demonstrate they meet the assessment criteria as set out below:

• Project is identified and initiated by local people
• The project meets a challenge which is particular to the local community
• The project must fall within the area in which the Co-operative Group – United Region trades
• Located in a ‘disadvantaged’ area
• Demonstrates clear plans for the future of the organisation
• Demonstrates a high level of sustainability in terms of benefit to the target group
• The group demonstrates a co-operative, partnership or self-help approach
• Has funding or part funding needs ranging from £500 to £30,000.

Exclusions

In order to ensure the Foundation’s funds are distributed within our grant making priorities, the following exclusions apply and will make the application ineligible for a grant:

• Applications from outside our trading area as defined opposite, including overseas applications
• Organisations whose activities are not recognised as charitable or philanthropic
• Charities that have large unrestricted reserves
• National Charities (unless there is a specific local project, which has been initiated by the local community benefiting from the grant)
• Applications for salaries
• Replacement of statutory funding
• Applications from local authorities
• Applications from health authorities
• Activities that are the responsibility of local or central government
• Organisations that promote political parties
• Applications for projects which are deemed to promote a particular religious group or activity
• Applications to help animals
• The Scout movement, including Guides, Cubs, Brownies, Beavers and Rainbows
• Groundwork
• YMCA and YWCA
• Schools, including PTAs
• Residential homes which are the responsibility of the local authority
• Retrospective grants
• Groups not demonstrating self help
• Applications benefiting individuals
• Grants for outstanding debts or down payments for loans
• Groups that have received a grant from the Foundation in the last twelve months
• Groups which are applying for more than one year’s worth of funding
• Applications where the questions on the form have been amended or altered

Deadline

They run four grant rounds each year – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, giving an average of 20 grants per round. The programme is always oversubscribed and approximately 1 in 5 applicants are successful in their requests for funding.

More Information

Click here