Community Fund
Grant Managers
Leona Forsyth
Karen Nicoll
m. 07739363866
e. [email protected];
cc: [email protected]
m. 07720 681992
e. [email protected]
cc: [email protected]
Video Guidance for the Community Fund
Aims of the Fund
The Rothschild Foundation’s Community Fund aims to respond to local need in Buckinghamshire communities, in particular those communities experiencing disadvantage and inequality. We want to increase well-being and access to opportunity, and support the local organisations, charities and groups which are best placed to help. We wish to build on local assets and encourage collaboration for the greatest benefit to Buckinghamshire residents. The Community Fund will support organisations which can provide evidence of need and demand for their service.
Who do we fund?
Funding of up to £30,000 over three years (maximum of £10,000 per year) is available for the following organisations:
- Registered charities.
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations.
- Community Interest Companies.
- Non-profit making limited companies, with an asset lock and limited by guarantee.
Funding of up to £5,000 for one year is available for the following organisations:
- Incorporated Community Groups.
- Community Amateur Sports Clubs (Applications from CASCs must benefit the wider community rather just its own members)
- Community Benefit Societies.
Funding is prioritised for organisations with an income under £1m. Applicants must hold a bank account in the name of the organisation applying to the programme.
If there are questions on funding eligibility please contact one of the Grants Managers.
Where do we fund?
- Funding is available for organisations based in and operating in Buckinghamshire (not including Milton Keynes).
- Organisations who operate in other counties will have to demonstrate that a significant proportion of the operation is in Buckinghamshire and you have strong working relationships with other organisations in the county.
- We are interested in supporting organisations which can demonstrate understanding of the needs of Buckinghamshire communities and provide evidence of impact in the county already. For more information on local data sources please visit Home – Bucks Data Exchange
- You will be asked which wards you operate in; up to four can be selected or alternatively you can select ‘county-wide’ if you work across Buckinghamshire.
What do we fund?
The Community Fund will support services responding to a broad range of needs in Buckinghamshire communities.
We encourage applications from organisations addressing:
- Homelessness.
- Financial hardship.
- Social welfare.
- Physical and learning disabilities.
- Mental health.
- Other areas not addressed through the Foundation’s strategic funding for sustainable food and farming, and culture.
A detailed list of exclusions to the programme can be found below. We encourage all those applying to consider their contribution to environmental sustainability, how they work with under-represented groups and how they collaborate with statutory and non-statutory organisations in the county. We welcome applications that develop your organisations digital capacity and skills.
Funding is available for the following activities:
- Core funding – if you are Bucks-based organisation which fits the eligibility then core funding can be used flexibly to achieve your mission.
- Specific projects – for defined work in Bucks – this may suit organisations who also work in other counties.
- Capital Funding – we prefer to not be the only funder of capital projects and there needs to be a clear link to the needs of the community. If your capital request is over £15,000, we’ll ask to see who else is match funding.
Budget – Applicants are asked to submit a budget detailing the total cost of the proposed activity or an organisational budget if applying for core funding. Please use the budget template or use an existing budget sheet that contains similar information.
Organisations may only hold one grant from the Community Fund at any time. Organisations can also apply for Strategic Grants if appropriate. Please seek advice from a Grants Manager to confirm your eligibility.
How do we fund?
Applications may be submitted on an ongoing basis and there is no deadline for submissions. We try to review applications promptly and you will hear within eight weeks.
We welcome discussion about your plans prior to application. Organisations that have been in operation for under 12 months must have a pre-application conversation which can be arranged by contacting one of the Grants Managers above.
Funding is offered flexibly so applicants can apply for what they need. Funding is available for one, two or three year periods. Please note that the level of information required at application and reporting stage will be dependent on the level of funding requested.
Applications are made online through the portal reached through the Rothschild Foundation website. Applicants will be required to select an application form based on the total value of their grant regardless of timescale. The process is as follows:
- Arrange a pre-application conversation with a Grants Manager. Please let us know any access requirements you may have. Support workers are welcome to join the pre-application conversation.
- The online application process begins with a brief eligibility quiz which confirms you can meet the criteria of the Community Programme.
- If eligible, a form will need to be completed. Please contact the Grants Managers if you need help completing the form.
- Your governing document, management accounts and budget will need to be provided to complete the application.
- The application will be submitted online, a Grants Manager may contact you to clarify an issue or ask for further information.
We welcome applications for collaborative projects. Applications must have a designated lead organisation which meets all eligibility criteria and is able to coordinate funding to partners. Organisations named as part of consortia applications will also be able to apply individually so long as there is no duplication of funding or activity.
All Applicants will be asked to confirm they have the following policies in place:
- Safeguarding.
- Health and Safety.
- Equality.
- GDPR.
Funding Exclusions
- Activity that involves breaking any UK laws.
- For-profit organisations and businesses without an asset lock and not limited by guarantee.
- Organisations lacking a demonstrable track-record of working in Buckinghamshire.
- Projects that benefit people living outside the county of Buckinghamshire.
- Projects with budgets detailing more than 50% costs for procurement of equipment, including IT equipment.
- Reimbursement for work that has already been delivered.
- Proposals that are only for the benefit of one individual including academic research, scholarships, bursaries, or any kind of student fees.
- Proselytizing organisations and the promotion of religion.
- Organisations with less than three Directors or Trustees.
- Overseas travel, expeditions, adventure and residential courses, and respite breaks unless they are based in Buckinghamshire.
- Repayment of loans or debt.
- Statutory bodies including schools, prisons and hospitals. Town and Parish Councils or Community Boards may be considered as part of wider strategic initiatives on a case by case basis in discussion with the Grants Team.
- Organisations providing medical care or with the sole purpose of distributing medical equipment.
- Animal welfare charities and campaigns.
- Schools should consider applying to the Schools Access Fund. In some exceptional circumstances we will accept applications from schools for non-statutory provision and projects. A pre-application conversation is recommended in this instance.
- Activity for Community Amateur Sports Clubs that only benefits its playing members.
If your grant is successful
All organisations awarded a Community Fund grant will be asked to report to the Foundation on a yearly basis including at the end of the grant period. Reports will include reflections on how your organisation has addressed needs of Buckinghamshire communities, important learning and a breakdown of expenditure. Organisations in receipt of larger grants will be asked to identify emerging needs. This information provides valued reflection on our grant-making priorities. Organisations can use reports prepared for other funders if appropriate.
If you wish to publicly acknowledge the support of the Rothschild Foundation advice and our logo can be found here. The Rothschild Foundation will also connect with and share information about grant holders on the news section of our website and on social media platforms.
If your grant is unsuccessful
You will be provided with feedback on why the grant was not approved. There is no time limit on when organisations can apply again, though it is recommended that organisations speak with a Grants Manager before applying again.
Additional Information
Application form
Eligibility Quiz
Here are the questions you will be asked in the application eligibility quiz:
| Under £5,000 application | Over £5,000 application |
| 1) Have you read the application guidance documents and information about the Community Fund on the Rothschild Foundation’s website? | 1) Have you read the application guidance documents and information about the Community Fund on the Rothschild Foundation’s website? |
| 2) Does your organisation provide benefit to communities in Buckinghamshire? | 2) Does your organisation provide benefit to communities in Buckinghamshire? |
| 3) Is your organisation a not-for-profit entity? For example: a registered charity; community interest company limited by guarantee with an asset lock; incorporated or unincorporated community group; or community amateur sports club? | 3) Is your organisation a not-for-profit entity that is registered with a regulating body, such as Companies House of the Charity Commission? (If you are a not-for-profit group and not registered with a regulating body, please apply via our Under £5k Community Fund form). |
| 4) Does your organisation have a governing document? | 4) Does your organisation have a governing document? |
| 5) Can you provide an annual budget for your organisation? | 5) Can you provide an annual budget for your organisation? |
| 6) Does your organisation have its own named bank account? | 6) Does your organisation have its own named bank account? |
| 7) Does your organisation hold a current Rothschild Foundation grant? | 7) Does your organisation hold a current Rothschild Foundation grant? |
| 8) If you have received a grant from the Rothschild Foundation in the past, have you submitted all the reporting required by the terms and conditions of your grant? | 8) If you have received a grant from the Rothschild Foundation in the past, have you submitted all the reporting required by the terms and conditions of your grant? |
Application questions
Please see the screenshots below to see the application questions. The form needs to be completed online once the eligibility questions have been answered. The form can be saved at any point and returned to later. Multiple people can use the organisation log-on and the form can be emailed to view (but not edit).
For applications under £5k the ‘About your organisation’ section is as follows:
The following monitoring questions are also mandatory:
Which Buckinghamshire Wards will benefit from your work?
Is your activity supporting a particular ethnicity? If so, which ethnicity will be primarily benefit from your activity? (This question is for internal monitoring purposes and not used to assess the strength of the application. Please only select a group if your service is specifically targeted at them, if your activity does not benefit a particular ethnicity, please select ‘Not applicable’.)
If your activity is targeting a specific beneficiary group, please select them from the list below. (If your activity does not specifically target any of these groups, please select ‘Not applicable’)
Is your activity targeted at a specific gender? If so, which gender will be the primary beneficiary of your activity? (If your activity does not benefit a particular gender, please select ‘Not applicable’)
Is your activity addressing groups with a particular disability? If so, which will be the primary disability group benefiting from your activity? (If your activity does not benefit a particular disability, please select ‘Not applicable’)
