Alan Higgs
Community Grants
The Trustees have now partnered with the Heart of England Community Foundation recognising their expertise in making grants to small organisations. The Alan Higgs Community Grants are in addition to the Trustees’ normal grant making programme. The grants are aimed at small grassroots community-based organisations.
Coventry and Warwickshire only
The grants are available only in Coventry and Warwickshire. Applications must meet one of the following aims:
- Relieve poverty.
- Promote economic and community development, and employment.
- General charitable purposes.
Priority will be given to those organisations whose focus is supporting children and young people.
Small grants to work in the community
The grants are designed to help small grass roots organisations or groups. The maximum grant will be £1,000. The total amount being raised cannot be more than £2,000.
The grant must be spent within 1 year.
The grants can be used for:
- Start-up costs for a new project or organisation
- To extend or develop an existing project
- To purchase equipment or resources
Who can apply?
- Registered charities
- Constituted Community groups
- Companies Limited by Guarantee with charitable aims
- Community Interest Companies
- Co-operatives – registered Community Benefit Societies and registered Industrial and Provident Societies
- Social Enterprises
**Funding to Community Interest Companies and other non-charities may include conditions to restrict funding to charitable objectives only.
- Additionally, your organisation/company income level must be equal to or less than £500,000, as shown in your most recent annual accounts.
The grants cannot be used for:
- Direct replacement of statutory obligation and public funding
- Promotion of religious or political activities
- Groups with significant financial free reserves
- Retrospective grants
- Contribution to endowment fund, payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans
- National charities
- Overseas travel or expeditions
- Medical research and equipment for statutory or private healthcare
- General appeals
- Animal welfare, unless the project benefits people (e.g. disabled riding schemes)
- Statutory work in educational institutions
- Sponsored or fundraising events or groups raising funds to distribute to other causes
- Schools, Churches, Parish Councils or PTA’s unless community benefit is demonstrated
- Boxing clubs or associated organisations
To be eligible to apply you must be able to provide proof of:
- Your organisation / company has a management committee / board of trustees / board of directors with at least 3 unrelated people as members, a list of those directors will be required showing who has bank authorisation.
- A written constitution / articles / set of rules.
- A copy of your most recent annual accounts or financial records showing your organisation’s balance of funds, income and reserves.
- A bank account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories
- A bank statement from the last 3 months.
- Copies of your safeguarding policy (if you will be working with children or vulnerable adults)
- Equal opportunities policy.
- Quotes for capital items over £300.
All grant recipients will need to complete an end of grant monitoring form at the end of their project and supply at least one case study.
All grant recipients will be expected to participate in any appropriate publicity as requested by Heart of England Community Foundation.