Funding

We cannot supply you with pots of money; nor do we have the magic formula to guarantee successful applications. What we can do is offer guidance on where to look for funding and advice on some of the key principles to consider when submitting a funding application.

Key Principles

There is no secret formula to funding or grant applications
Try to match the grant to your project's need
Clearly identify your project and its outcomes
Identify how much money you need
Be clear and to the point
Plan the application process with the whole club

Planning Your Project

When form-filling, be clear about your project giving a brief description
Clearly identify the outcomes of your project
How will you deliver your project? Establish an action plan with timescales
Demonstrate sustainability - how will your project continue after the money has been spent?
Identify any risks which might jeopardise the project if funding is given
Look at how to minimise those risks
Preparation and planning will help to minimise paperwork
Most importantly - read the guidance notes which accompany the application forms

Key Funding Agents

Listed below are some of the key funding agents and weblinks

Awards for All England awards grants of between £300 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community.
Barclays Spaces for Sport helps to revitalise local communities through developing facilities and providing coaching kit and equipment. Their commitment includes expert guidance on sustainability to ensure local people benefit from the space well into the future and have the know-how and support to run it themselves. We're also helping teams by giving them the kit they need to practice in and we're helping communities come together to work towards a common goal.
Caudwell Children in association with Barcalys Wealth have launched 'Enable Sport' - a three month initial programme to fund adapted sports equipment for gifted and talented disabled children to participate in competitive sport. For more information and an application form follow the link above.
BT Community Connections offers organisations the opportunity to apply for a multi-media internet-ready PC and a contribution towards a year's broadband internet access through BT Total Broadband.
Camelot Foundation runs four grants programmes, one of which is Transforming Lives, which makes grants to voluntary organisations working with our target groups. Their trustees meet four times a year to allocate grants under this programme.
Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) is an independent body working on behalf of national governing bodies and representatives of sport, along with voluntary clubs and participants. Whilst they do not award any grants or funding, their work is aimed at promoting and protecting the interests of sport and recreation and at supporting the organisations involved in their provision and administration.
Capacity Builders is a programme of capacity building for the infrastructure of the voluntary and community sector, developed in partnership with the sector. The aim of Capacity Builder's investment is to catalyse the modernisation of infrastructure provision in order to improve its sustainability, quality and reach. Led by sector expertise, the new Capacitybuilders agency manages ChangeUp.Investment is made at national, regional, sub-regional and local levels, with the bulk of investment (65%) going through the regions to support sub-regional and local initiatives benefiting organisations on the ground.
Big Lottery Fund hands out half the good causes money from the National Lottery. They are committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and through a number of programmes provide grants ranging from £250 to £500,000
Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a key agency promoting and achieving social and economic regeneration in the coalfields of England, Scotland and Wales. They run two grant programmes: Bridging the Gap - for requests between £500 - £10,000 and Main grants - for requests between £10,000 and £300,000
These funding programmes will both run for three years from April 2008 to March 2011.
Community Amateur Sports Clubs can assist which providing tax breaks for clubs. To be eligible the club must be properly constituted as a not-for-profit organisation, with no provision for payment to members during the life of the club or upon dissolution. It can be either unincorporated (ie an association of members with unlimited liability) or incorporated as a company limited by guarantee (not shares). Proprietary and private members clubs would not be eligible.
Community Foundations are charitable trusts that support local community causes. Their role is to manage donor funds and build endowment as well as make grants to charities and community groups, linking local donors with local needs. Created by and for local people they help donors express their long-term interest in an area and its needs. Community foundations have been active in the UK since the 1980s and a rapidly growing network of approximately 60 foundations is now established across the country. About 90% of the UK population has access to a community foundation.
Community Dividend. The co-operative's Community Dividend fund has already raised millions of pounds for all kinds of community projects. Since 1998, our members have donated £6.4 million to more than 5,000 local groups. You can get involved in this worthwhile cause simply by becoming a member and choosing to donate the odd pence from your 'share of our profits' to the Community Dividend.
**30 Nov 2007 - IMPORTANT update regarding Community Investment Funding** click here.
Community Investment Fund (CIF) via Sport England makes funding available for projects that are committed to creating opportunities for people start in sport, stay in sport and succeed in sport. The grants can be for capital or revenue projects and range from £30,000 to £200,000. There is now a continual assessment process in operation and all Stage 1 applicants will receive a response within 10 working days from receipt, either being rejected or encouraged. All encouraged applications will receive a decision - rejection or award - within 8 weeks. Successful grants are usually awarded on 2:1 ratio. i.e. CIF will fund £1 for every £2 already raised on a project. Successful applications will need to demonstrate a positive impact on the Regional Plan for Sport and at least one of its seven main outcomes (see page 11 of the plan). The CIF helpline number is 0845 8508508.
Department for Culture, Media & Sport DCMS website has a number of links around its development and support of 'better sport', 'more sport' and its Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS). Together with their sponsored bodies, they have launched and supported a number of high profile projects and initiatives to achieve their aims of access to sport at all levels. They invest in school sport and community facilities, as well as at elite level. They aim to ensure that everyone has the chance to take part, while focusing on special support for world-class sportspeople.
Football Foundation is a unique partnership funded by The F.A. Premier League, The FA and the Government. The Foundation is the UK's largest sports charity. With grants ranging from £100 to £1m, the Foundation can help with all your needs, whether it is a new changing room, community project, floodlights, pitch drainage or a football kit for your junior team. Clubs other than football can apply if they are linked with or affiliated to a football club.

Foundation for Sport and the Arts look to support a wide range of activities where there is clear beneficial impact across the community, with a particular goal at this time to encourage active participation by young people. They look for evidence of active fund raising, and the involvement and commitment of local people in trying to help themselves, where an award of up to £40,000 can make the difference between success and failure. Apart from professional football and horse racing, most socially inclusive sport is considered. Support for the arts covers the widest spectrum of activity.
Help Yourselves! aims to support adults and young people working together. Created by Save the Children and British Gas, they aim to get young people involved in dynamic and lasting community projects. With over 300 awards to give away in England, Scotland and Wales, this website will show you how to get motivated and take action.
Inclusive Fitness Initiative promotes and supports opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in physical activities.
j4bGrants is a free database for community groups to search for funding for sports projects.
Kellogg's Active Living Fund will give small grants to fund projects and activities that directly lead to people taking part in sustained physical activity. The aim of the fund is to help remove the "barriers" which stop people being active.
Lloyds TSB Foundation aims to support and work in partnership with charitable organisations which help people, especially those who are disadvantaged or disabled, to play a fuller role in communities throughout England and Wales. They are particularly keen to support small community-based charities where small amounts of money can make a significant difference to local people's lives.
Local Network Fund for Children and Young People supports small voluntary and community groups to improve outcomes and opportunities for children and young people aged 0-19.The object of the fund is to enable communities, with limited opportunities or access to services that many young people take for granted, to develop projects and activities for children and young people.Advice and support is available to groups for project development, establishing and running community projects and developing safeguarding procedures. The fund offers grants between £250 and £7000.
Lottery Funding is a joint website which provides details of all the lottery funders in the UK and guidance on how to put together applications.
National Sports Foundation is a Government-led initiative designed to facilitate and encourage partnerships between private investors and community sports projects in England. This is a great opportunity for both investors and community sports organisations to work together to improve the sporting infrastructure of the country. The Government has allocated this funding to the Foundation over a two year period to attract match-funding from private investors.The funding will be allocated as follows: 2006/7 - £14.5m 2007/8 - £20m. The Government has identified three priority areas for funding in 2006-2008:
Fit for Sport - projects to improve both physical and human infrastructure for community clubs. This will include investing in clubs, coaches and volunteers in local communities.
2012 Kids - building on the success of the Olympics, projects to encourage children and young people to take up sport and
Women into Sport - projects to increase female participation in sport, including providing coaching and support for female teams.
Sports Aid helps young sports people all over the country when they're starting out. This is a critical time for young athletes and we can help them to advance to the next level. SportsAid can make the difference to sports people at a key time. SportsAid is also at the heart of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS). This is a Government funded programme designed to bridge the gap in sport's talent development pathway, between junior representative sport and world-class levels, for our more talented 16-25 year-old sportspeople.

Sportsmatch is a government funded scheme set up to help fund grass roots and community sports in England. This is done by matching new sponsorship money with Sportsmatch funding, on a pound for pound basis.Applications to Sportsmatch for funding can be made from any not-for-profit organisation capable of delivering community sport. It is directed at projects which aim to increase participation in sport at grass roots level, and/or improve basic skills. For important information regarding Sportsmatch click on the link above.
Sport England's 'Get Funding' Guide also provides comprehensive guidance on sources of funding, the process involves and useful resources.
Staffordshire Olympic Grant Scheme aims to help young athletes achieve their 2012 Olympic dreams. The Staffordshire County Council grant scheme is designed to support sporting excellence and to encourage young people to achieve the highest standards in sport.
Click here for Sport England's National Lottery Funding Guide for the West Midlands.

If you need any further guidance try your Local Authority, your sport's National Governing Body officer listed on our contacts page, or contact Naomi Bird at Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.