Guernsey’s Social Investment Fund has launched a new grants programme aimed at charities and non-profit organisations who support Bailiwick residents.
Under the Small Grants Programme, applicants who qualify for help will get a grant of up to £25,000 to put towards one-off projects or ongoing expenses of a year’s duration.
The programme is funded using the Guernsey net proceeds of the Channel Islands Lottery. Until last year, lottery proceeds were distributed by the Association of Guernsey Charities. From now on the Social Investment Fund has linked with the Guernsey Community Foundation who will administer the new scheme.
The Foundation have extensive experience in this area: as well as running their own grants programme for more than a decade, they administer grants on behalf of several private charitable trusts. The Foundation will process applications and check that everything is in order before the board of the Social Investment Fund makes the decision on which applications have been successful and who gets funding.
Jurat Stephen Jones OBE, chair of the Social Investment Fund, said: “We’re excited to launch this new programme, which in many respects is the successor to AGC’s Christmas Lottery payments. In setting the eligibility criteria, we’ve been careful to ensure that no-one who would have been eligible under AGC’s scheme is prevented from applying.
“Having the Guernsey Community Foundation on board to administer the programme means we can make the application process as smooth as possible while still making the decisions ourselves,” he added. “The Foundation’s extensive experience of grant-giving and their knowledge of the sector makes them an ideal partner.
“We’re very much looking forward to working with the Social Investment Fund,” said Jim Roberts, Chief Executive of the Foundation. “Because we operate our own grants programme, and because we can access funding from private trusts, charities who apply to the Small Grants Fund may, with our help, get additional support from elsewhere”.
Charities can complete and submit an application form electronically via the Foundation’s website found here. You can also contact the Foundation’s Grants Manager, Anna Le Page, at anna@foundation.gg
Complete applications must be received by Friday 26th February. Applications for grants in excess of £25,000 can be made direct to the Social Investment Fund as part of a new Major Grants Programme to be launched in the near future.
