RAFT are providing £5,000 grants for high – quality, well-managed small charities and social enterprises with great leadership doing vital work in York.
They are initially accepting 500 applications, with places allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, after which the portal will close until they’ve allocated the funds.
The UK has a range of vibrant, high-impact small charities and social enterprises operating across the country that are addressing pressing social issues from knife crime to domestic violence to climate change. However, due to the nature of fundraising, most small charities operate on a hand to mouth basis with few reserves to sustain them through crisis times such as these.
RAFT is specifically looking to shore up and build resilience in high-impact small charities, giving them a better chance to continue their services and navigate through the crisis.
The fund is seeking to ensure that high-quality small charities and social enterprises are able to meet the rapidly changing needs of their beneficiaries, remain viable and prepare for delivery when the acute phase of the crisis is over. Many organisations have scaled back their activities significantly during this period but need to ready themselves for an intense period of delivery once current restrictions are lifted.
For example, a charity that provides tutoring for disadvantaged GCSE students will be vital after a prolonged period of home-schooling. If such an organisation could use this time to recruit and train more tutors, it will be ready to meet the increased level of need. Similarly, organisations supporting people into self-employment, addressing mental health issues or childhood obesity need to be ready for significant scale-up. Other organisations, for example an environmental charity, need to have the tools and the capacity to build on the opportunities and openness to new thinking the pandemic has brought about.
Applications for RAFT will be accepted from any UK registered charities, CICs, CIOs and CBSs with annual incomes below £500,000.
