Frequently Asked Questions - Grants

Eligibility

Can branches of national organisations apply?

Yes, provided the branch has its own management committee and accounts.

Can religious organisations apply?

Yes, provided that the project for which funding is requested does not involve the advancement of religion and would not exclude anyone on the grounds of religion. We will consider this carefully when assessing your application.

Can schools or local authority nurseries apply?

We can not accept applications from any local authority institutions, including schools. We will consider applications from Parent Teacher Associations, but only for projects which we do not consider to overlap with the local authority's statutory responsibilities.

Can we apply to the Fair Share Trust programme?

Unlike the others we run The Fair Share Trust is not an open grants programme. Please read the information about the Fair Share Trust on this website. If you are interested in finding out more, then contact us on 01380 729284

Do we need to be a charity to apply?

No, as long as you are a constituted not-for-profit group with charitable aims, you can apply. By having charitable aims, we mean broadly that your group aims to benefit the community which you are working in, and that you have a set of rules governing the organisation.

How do you establish a group's annual income?

We look at the income in the last full set of accounts or, if it is a new group, in their projection for the current year.

Applications

Can I apply on line through this website?

No. We ask anyone interested in applying for a grant to fill in our expression of interest form to make sure that the application is eligible for funding. We don’t want you to waste your time. If your application is eligible we will send you an application form with your own unique reference code. People wishing to apply for grants for individuals should call us first to find out if you are eligible.

How long will it be before I get a decision?

For Small Grants, up to 4 weeks. For Main Grants, up to 6 months.

We no longer need a grant. What should I do?

Just call us on 01380 729284 quoting your application reference number and let us know.

Will I be contacted for more information?

The person named on the application form will be telephoned or visited for more information. In some cases, the assessor will ask you to send us additional information. References will also be taken up.

My application was rejected. Can I reapply?

Yes, if your application was eligible, but was unsuccessful, you can reapply at any time. You can apply for the same project, but please consider any feedback we gave you about why your original application was unsuccessful.

Successful applications

How is the grant paid?

When you accept our grant offer and return our signed terms and conditions we will post you a cheque. However, in a few cases, we ask you to satisfy certain special conditions before the grant is paid.

What if the project we needed the money for doesn't come off?

You will need to return the money to us. Contact us to discuss this.

What if we don't spend the whole amount?

Send us a letter stating why there has been an underspend, how much remains unspent and what, if anything, you propose to do with the remaining money. We will contact you to discuss whether or not we require the unspent money to be repaid.

Do I need to send you a report?

Yes. We will send you a Monitoring Report with your cheque. You must complete this and send it to us when your project is over. You must use the monitoring form, but we are also happy to receive any other reports, evaluation or photographs from your project. Please contact us if you lose your form and we will send you another.

Record number of grants made during 2009/2010

Our final calculations for our end of year accounts have shown that we distributed £913,000 in grants to 255 groups during 2009/2010.
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The Community Foundation Demonstrates Quality

Wiltshire and Swindon are one of the first two Community Foundations to receive enhanced quality accreditation as part of a pilot project for the Community Foundation Network.
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