CCFs Open Grants Programmes 

 

1. Covid-19 Response Grants Programme (due to reopen in Late September/Early October)

We are now entering the next phase of funding for longer term emergency support which has updated criteria and a new application form. 

Please scroll down below to access the programme criteria and apply when the fund re-opens.  

2. Warrington Older People’s Programme Small Grants

  •  Grants up to £2000 –  Supporting vulnerable peope over the age of 50 in Warrington – open now applications can be submitted on a rolling basis – and will go to a panel bi-monthly (see criteria below). For eligibility enquiries please email grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk 

3. Knutsford Fund

  •  Grants up to £2000 – Open now – applications supporting disadvantaged people in Knutsford can be submitted on a rolling basis – and will go to a panel bi-monthly.  For eligibility enquiries please email grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk 

4. Cheshire Community Foundation Small Grants Programme

  • Grants up to £2000 –  Open now  – applications supporting disadvantaged people across Cheshire and Warrington of all ages can be submitted on a rolling basis – and will go to a panel bi-monthly.  For eligibility enquiries please email grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk 

 

Other useful information

We give grants to groups addressing priority needs within Cheshire and Warrington.

Through our grant making we aim to:

  • Target community need that is informed by local research and local consultation
  • Focus support to achieve maximum effectiveness
  • Enhance community and voluntary activity in Cheshire
  • Encourage best practice among community and voluntary groups
  • Give help where it is needed most

We strive to make our grants process simple and easy for you. Our grants team are available to talk with you about your project idea and if the project is eligible to apply, and will suggest the most relevant grants programme for your application. Please contact us on 01606 330607 with any questions you may have.

Grants programmes open and close regularly so please do check the latest opportunities and deadlines. Applying to the most appropriate grants programme helps improve your chances of success and so we recommend you read and fully understand the guidelines for each programme.

For our Grant Making Complaints procedure please click HERE.

We recommend that you apply early within a grants programme application window – particularly where there may be a limited amount of funding available – as some programmes become over subscribed quickly. Wherever possible, avoid leaving the submission of your application to the last week or few days of the applications window as we have found that where an applicant has rushed in an application, it can affect the quality of the submission. It can also be beneficial for someone not closely connected to the project, to read the application, to see if they fully understand the project before it is finalised.

Capital projects

Recently we have found that there are less funds available to fund capital projects (building refurbishment or purchase of larger capital items). If you do have a capital project that you are considering applying for, please do talk to us about the likely chances of success with the project, before embarking on the application process.

Below you will find further details of our current open grants programmes including application deadlines. If you would like to discuss which fund is best for you, please call the grants team on 01606 330607 or email us at grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk

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Cheshire Community Foundation: Small Grants Programme (Bi-monthly)
Grant type Project costs
Fund supporters Click HERE to see our current donors and key themes
Status Open
Applications accepted from social enterprises? Yes
Age range of beneficiaries supported by this programme All ages
Minimum/maximum £1-£2000  over one year or less (NB: for a one off trip or luncheon, the maximum contribution is £250)  please call to discuss if you have any queries regarding the amount to apply for
Frequency Bi-monthly Panel meetings – January, March, May, July, September and November but if there are urgent covid-19 applications needing to be reviewed responsively, we will prioritise these.
Deadlines

15th for every other month as above
Criteria Please click HERE for the Grant Making Principles that apply to this Programme

 

This programme covers projects across the whole of Cheshire and Warrington for people of all ages

 

We are  particularly interested in supporting smaller charities through this programme  (with a turnover of less than £300,000) and to assist local grass roots organisations that support one, or more, of the following priority areas:


• Disadvantaged and vulnerable people affected by the covid-19 outbreak

Homelessness
• Disadvantaged and exploited young people, with a preference for prevention and early intervention projects
• Education and skills (for ages 3 to 18)
• Community support  – to include support for older people
Application form Please click HERE to go directly to the application form
Date you will hear the outcome of your application between two and ten weeks depending on when the application is received (if the applications misses a bi-monthly deadline it would carry forward to the next available Panel. 

  

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Covid-19 Response Grants Programme – Longer Term Emergency Response
Grant type Activity/Project costs (for full details see criteria below)
Fund supporters

National Emergecy Trust, Department of Culture Media and Sport, Steve Morgan Foundation and other Cheshire Community Foundation Donors have kindly supported this programme

£100,000 is available for projects £500 to £5,000

£100,000 is available for projects over £5,000 to £15,000 (typical grant c£10,000)
Status NOW CLOSED (please check back to this page – to check if any further donor funds have been received to enable us to extend the programme)

Applications accepted from social enterprises?CICs?

Applications accepted from national organistions?

Yes if there are a minimum of 3 unrelated directors and an asset lock on disolution.

Regional or national organisations working in Cheshire may be considered if they can demonstrate that they are the best organisation to tackle a particular social issue or address a
specific need and there is no other local organisation able to do this activity.
Age range of beneficiaries supported by this programme All ages
Minimum/maximum £500-£15,000 (we will be looking for excellent fit with programme outcomes for the maximum grant size)
Frequency

Weekly grants Panels for grants £500 to £5000 

For applicants applying for more than £5000 up to a maximum of £15,000 (typical grant c£10,000), these will go to a Panel for consideration, at the end of August
Current deadline

The deadline to submit your application for any size of application is midnight 12th August.

Note: As the smaller grants (£500-£5000) are being assessed weekly, you are advised to apply as early as you can before this deadline.

 
Criteria

Please click HERE for the Programme Criteria that apply to this Programme.

 

This programme covers projects across the whole of Cheshire and Warrington for people of all ages
Application form link will display here when programme open
Date you will hear the outcome of your application

TBC
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Warrington Older Peoples Fund – Small Grants  Programme (bi-monthly)
Grant type Project costs (see Cheshire Community Foundation criteria below)
Fund supporters The Warrington Fund has been created through the transfer of two dormant Warrington Trusts Funds which have created the fund for this programme
Status Open
Applications accepted from social enterprises? Yes
Age range of beneficiaries supported by this programme People over 50 in Warrington
Minimum/maximum £1-£2000 over one year or less (Note: for a one off trip or lunch the maximum contribution is £250) 
Frequency Bi-monthly Panel meetings – February, April, June, August, October, December but if there are urgent covid-19 applications needing to be reviewed responsively, we will process these more urgently
Current deadline 15th for every other month as above
Criteria

This programme is specifically for projects in Warrington supporting people over the age of 50  

 

Please click HERE for the Grant Making Principles that apply to this Programme.   We will accept projects supporting:

  • Disadvantaged and vulnerable older people affected by the covid-19 outbreak

For additional criteria relevant to the Warrington Fund please click HERE
Application form Please click HERE to go directly to the application form
Date you will hear the outcome of your application We aim to provide an outcome of your application within six weeks to eight from receipt of a complete application (including the  required documents)
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Warrington Older Peoples Fund – Main Grants Programme
Grant type Project costs (see Cheshire Community Foundation Criteria below)
Fund supporters The Warrington Fund has been created through the transfer of two dormant Warrington Trusts Funds which have created the fund for this programme
Status Closed – reopens January 2021
Applications accepted from social enterprises? Yes
Age range of beneficiaries supported by this programme People over 50 in Warrington
Minimum/maximum £1,000 to £10,000 over one year
Frequency Two Grants Panels per year in March and September. For this programme applicants are asked to meet with the Grant Panel (this may be via a video call for the September round), please see our top 10 tips for this process HERE
Current deadline No current deadline
Criteria

This programme is specifically for projects in Warrington supporting people over the age of 50  – we are particularly keen to prioritise activities, over one year, which focus on post-covid recovery/support for older people – including bereavement support, counselling, befriending and giving confidence to older people to re-join social activities (when the social distancing guidelines allow).   

 

Please click HERE for the Grant Making Principles that apply to this Programme. For additional criteria relevant to the Warrington Fund please click HERE
Application form Please click HERE for the application form when programme re-opens
Date you will hear the outcome of your application

Mid March 2021

Partner Grants Programmes Managed by Cheshire Community Foundation

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Knutsford Fund  – Small Grants Programme (bi-monthly)
Grant type  Project costs (see Cheshire Community Foundation Criteria below)
Fund supporters This fund has been specifically set up by a number of donors wishing to support project activity in Knutsford and the surrounding rural area
Status Open
Applications accepted from social enterprises? Yes
Age range of beneficiaries supported by this programme all ages
Minimum/maximum  £1-£2000 to be spent over one year or less
Opening Open ongoing
Deadline  Bi monthly 15th April, 15th June, 15th August, 15th October and 15th December 
Criteria

Before applying, please do read the Grant Making Principles eligibility criteria for this programme on the Cheshire Community Foundation’s website.  

The overall Impact that we are aiming to achieve in Knutsford is as follows:

  • To improve mental health and wellbeing – particularly at an early intervention stage
  • To tackle poverty and disadvantage for people of all ages
  • To build stronger communities 
  • To increase education skills and employment opportunities

Priority activities for the fund (agreed in consultation with a range of community groups and stakeholders in Knutsford) are those which:–

  • Support lonely, disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable people of all ages – who lack access to volunteering opportunities, employment and skills support, regular transport, befriending services, peer support, social activities and key public services and who want to feel more valued and  improve their overall mental health and wellbeing.

with particular emphasis on supporting:-

  • Disadvantaged and vulnerable people affected by the covid-19 outbreak
  • Lonely isolated older men  
  • New mums 
  • Young people 
  • Carers (of all ages)

​The geography of the fund will cover projects supporting beneficiaries in the four Knutsford wards of Nether, Norbury Booths, Over and Bexton and extend to the rural areas surrounding Knutsford town –  including Tabley, Lower Peover, Tatton, Ollerton and  Chelford where people rely on services delivered in Knutsford.  Please do contact us if you are unsure if your project and beneficiairy support fits with The Knutsford Fund.
Application form  To access the Small Grants Application form please click HERE
Date you will hear the outcome of your application  The month following submission i.e. for the 15th October 2020  deadline, you will hear the outcome in the first week in November 2020
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Knutsford Fund  – Main Grants Programme 
Grant type Project costs (see Cheshire Community Foundation Criteria below)
Fund supporters This fund has been specifically set up by a number of donors wishing to support project activity in Knutsford
Status currently closed
Applications accepted from charitable organisations and social enterprises? Yes
Minimum/Maximum Minimum £2000 maximum £25,000 typical grant c £8000 over one year
How to access application form  Online application form  

Current deadline 

 currently closed
Criteria

Before applying, please do read our  Grant Making Principles eligibility criteria

The overall Impact that we are aiming to achieve in Knutsford is as follows:

  • To improve mental health and wellbeing – particularly at an early intervention stage
  • To tackle poverty and disadvantage for people of all ages
  • To build stronger communities 
  • To increase education skills and employment opportunities

Priority activities for the fund (agreed in consultation with a range of community groups and stakeholders in Knutsford) are those which:–

  • Support lonely, disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable people of all ages – who lack access to volunteering opportunities, employment and skills support, regular transport, befriending services, peer support, social activities and key public services and who want to feel more valued and  improve their overall mental health and wellbeing.

with particular emphasis on supporting:-

  • Lonely isolated older men  
  • New mums 
  • Young people 
  • Carers (of all ages)

​The geography of the fund will cover projects supporting beneficiaries in the four Knutsford wards of Nether, Norbury Booths, Over and Bexton and extend to the rural areas surrounding Knutsford town –  including Tabley, Lower Peover, Tatton, Ollerton and  Chelford where people rely on services delivered in Knutsford.  Please do contact us if you are unsure if your project and beneficiairy support fits with The Knutsford Fund.
Application form  Click HERE for the application form  when the programme re-opens and  HERE for the Programme Criteria 
Date you will hear the outcome of your application TBC
Funding for specialised disability equipment for people of all ages

The Assura Community Fund

 
Grant type This programme will support  health and wellbeing* projects for charitable organisations delivering  services within a 15 mile radius of an Assura Healthcare building – click HERE to check your project activity location.  
Fund supporters

Cheshire Community Foundation is delighted to be working in partnership with Assura Plc to deliver this £550,000 grants programme to support health and wellbeing projects.
Status Closed 14/9/2020 there will be a further round in 2021 
Eligibile organistions UK based registered charities, constituted community groups and other charitable organisations including Social Enterprises and CICs. 

Note: The programme will only consider National charitable organisations, if they can demonstrate that they are the best organisation to tackle a particular issue or need – and there is no local organisation able to deliver activities of a similar nature.  For eligibility enquiries please email assura@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk

 
Minimum/Maximum grant size £1000 to £5000 to be spent over one year
Frequency One initial grants round in 2020 – with further rounds in subsequent years
Current deadline

Closed.
Programme Criteria * Click HERE for the  Assura Community Fund Programme Criteria   which outlines the priorities for funding and the outcomes to be achieved. 
Online Application form Click HERE for the online application form.  
Date you will hear the outcome of your application  Applicants to the 2020 round will hear the outcome mid-November 2020

 

 

Cheshire Minds Matter
Grant type  support to strengthen organistional capacity, test out new ways of working and innovation to survive and thrive.
Fund supporters

This fund has been specifically set up by a number of donors wishing to capacity build organistions who

support the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable people affected by covid-19
Status CLOSED 
Applications accepted from social enterprises?  yes
Minimum/Maximum

£5000 minimum

up to £15,000 for single organistions applying

up to £50,000 for partnerships with a lead applicant
Frequency  one grants Panel
Current deadline CLOSED
Programme Criteria  Click HERE  for the Cheshire Minds Matter Programme Criteria which outlines the priorities for funding and the outcomes to be achieved. For eligibility euquiries please email cheshiremindsmatter@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk
Expression of Interest form  All expressions of interest have now been received and are being processed
Date you will hear the outcome of your Expression of Interest  25th August   groups will be notified if they have been selected to move forward to the full application stage.  organistions will have until 30th September to submit their full application and will hear the outcome late November 2020