Grants From The Community Foundation for Staffordshire

The Community Foundation for Staffordshire administers many different grants schemes from various funders.  We offer grants from our own funds, from funds set up by local donors and philanthropists, local businesses and individuals, and from national and regional charities and trusts.

These schemes are usually open all year, but tend to run in rounds, and so please make sure you check the individual cut off dates on each scheme.  The list of grants provided by clicking the ‘Grants’ tab above will provide a list of currently available grants.  If a scheme is not listed it means that it is not currently accepting applications.  Details of opening and closing dates will be published on this website, in our ‘Grants Alerts’ and newsletter, sent by e-mail to relevant contacts, and on our social media feeds.

Some schemes will use the same criteria for each round, whereas others may change from round to round depending on priorities.  It is important to carefully read the aims and criteria of a scheme before submitting your application.

Applying for Grants

Each grants page will give the details of the scheme.  This may include the origin of the scheme, the priorities of it and the round dates.  You should always try to use the online application form, but if this is not possible you can access the application pack via a link , which contains the relevant application forms for the scheme and a copy of the criteria.  These documents will be available in both Microsoft Word and PDF format.  If none of these formats are suitable please call us and we will endeavour to help with another format.

Completing Your Application Form

When completing your application form it is important to be clear and concise.  Review the criteria and answer the required questions in a way that shows that you can meet the criteria and the aims of the scheme.  Please remember that the panel making the decisions will most likely be unaware of your organisation or your project, and therefore you need to explain all necessary points, even if you think they are clear.  It’s a good idea to get a friend or colleague to review your application – someone who doesn’t know too much about your group or project, and ask them if it is clear.  Never assume that the panel will be able to ‘decode’ information from what you have said.

Supporting Documents

Each scheme will request certain supporting documents.  This helps to verify you and your organisation and they often differ depending on the scheme to which you are applying.  A list of the necessary supporting documents will be on each scheme’s webpage, and it is important to ensure that these are sent with your application.  If they are not all present and complete by the time of the panel your application will not be allowed to proceed.  We will notify you if any of these are missing or do not contain the correct detail, and if its needed we will work with you to help ensure you have everything you need.  We can place your application on ‘hold’ for up to three months while we wait for supporting documents to be sent, but if at this time they have still not arrived, we will have to cancel your application and you will need to start a fresh application.  This is because the nature of organisations and projects can change relatively quickly, and we need to ensure that we are using the most up to date information.

What Supporting Documents Do You Need?

Every scheme is different and so the necessary documents will vary.  However, grants from The Community Foundation for Staffordshire can be broken down into three general categories.  These are Grants for Individuals, Community Grants, (up to £9999) and Large Grants (£10,000+).  These are not exhaustive and other categories may be used, but these are the three most common.  The documents for each scheme vary, but as a general guide we will be looking for the following documents;

Grants for Individuals

  • A letter or statement of support, (there is usually a space for this on the application form)

Community Grants

  • A copy of your governing document, (this could be a constitution or Memorandum & Articles of Association)
  • A copy of your most recent set of accounts, (or a breakdown of your income and expenditure if you do not need formal accounts)
  • A copy of your Child Protection Policy, (if your project involves working with children)
  • A copy of your Vulnerable Adults Policy, (if your project involves working with vulnerable adults)
  • A recent bank statement from within the last three months, (if you are successful payments will be made by BACS to this account)
  • Quotes for any capital items or services costing more than £500

You may need to provide more information that this depending on the scheme.  It is important to read the full criteria and information of each scheme to check the full list.  If no further information about supporting documents is given then the above is all that is needed.

Large Grants

  • A copy of your governing document, (this could be a constitution or Memorandum & Articles of Association)
  • A copy of your most recent set of accounts, (or a breakdown of your income and expenditure if you do not need formal accounts)
  • A copy of your Child Protection Policy, (if your project involves working with children)
  • A copy of your Vulnerable Adults Policy, (if your project involves working with vulnerable adults)
  • A recent bank statement from within the last three months, (if you are successful payments will be made by BACS to this account)
  • Quotes for any capital items or services costing more than £500
  • A copy or indication of any relevant or appropriate insurance policies

You may need to provide more information that this depending on the scheme.  It is important to read the full criteria and information of each scheme to check the full list.  If no further information about supporting documents is given then the above is all that is needed.

Submitting Your Application

Online Applications

All of our ‘Community grants schemes’ and ‘Large grants schemes’ now offer an online application facility, that can be completed on a computer, tablet or mobile phone.  This can be found as a link from the grant scheme’s webpage, and we would prefer applications to be submitted using this method.  The online application facility allows you to complete part of the application, save it and return to it later, so that it does not need to be completed in one go.  You can also attach digital versions of your supporting documents at the same time.

If you are having trouble completing your application form you can call us for support.  We will be able to see what you have completed so far and highlight any areas that may need changing.

Once the application is submitted you will receive an e-mail containing a copy of the completed application and it is recommended that you save a copy for your own records.  If you are unable to attach your supporting documents you can send them by e-mail or by post, but please see the note on post below.

E-Mail Applications

Downloadable application forms are available for all schemes.  These application forms allow you to save a copy on your own computer and complete it in your own time.  Once completed you can e-mail it to us.  These forms are not optimised for display on tablets and mobile phones and so please be aware that the formatting may change.  If you use this method you can send your supporting documents by e-mail or by post, but please see the note on post below.

Paper Applications

We will still accept hard copy, or printed, application forms.  These can be downloaded from our website in the usual way, but can be printed and completed by hand.  If you use this method you can send your supporting documents along with your completed application form by post.

Important

When sending anything by post please ensure that you use the correct postage.  If insufficient postage is used the letter will not be delivered to us and we will receive a card saying that we have a letter but that there is insufficient postage.  We will then be charged the shortfall and a £1 levy per letter.  Due to the high number of applications that we receive we will not be able to pay these charges.  This may mean that the letter is either undelivered or returned to you by Royal Mail, causing a delay in your application and costing you more in the long run to post it to us safely.  Once again, please check and ensure you use the correct amount of postage.

What Happens When Your Application Has Been Submitted

Once we have safely received your application and the relevant supporting documents we will assess and process the application to ensure it is suitable for the scheme to which you are applying.  If everything is in order we will notify you by e-mail that your application has been processed and will be taken to the next panel meeting.  Your application will then be added to the list of applications for assessment at that panel.  If it is not suitable we will also inform you, so that you may revise your application for resubmission.

After the Panel

When the panel has made a decision you will be notified of the outcome.  This usually happens within 2 working days of the panel meeting.  If you are successful you will be sent our terms and conditions, which must be signed and returned before payment of the grant can be made.  If you are unsuccessful, we will provide you with as much feedback as possible as to why you have not been successful.  If you think you can overcome any objections or problems you are welcome to resubmit an application for the same project.

Please Remember…..

We are here to help you.  We can provide advice and guidance prior to completing your application and assistance and support in completing it.  We can help you with supporting documents, and if we are unable to help directly we are able to connect you with someone who can.  We want to ensure that as much funding as possible is distributed into our local communities, but we need to ensure that the funding is used appropriately.  If you need further information or would like to see a copy of our grants policy, or is you wish to raise an issue, please contact us and we can provide you with full instructions of how to access the relevant documents.

Finally,  Good Luck!