Voluntary Action Fund

Community Chest

Community Chest is our small grant programme providing grants of up to £1,000 and free training to help small community groups in Scotland sustain and develop their activities. Groups can apply for funding for a wide range of activities or operational costs. However, we are particularly keen to fund activities that will help build and develop strong organisations, for example: training for committee members and volunteers, visits to other organisations or conferences; Professional support or consultancy.

We are keen to fund groups who meet any of the following criteria:

• Are based in West Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire or North Ayrshire
• Work with disability or health related issues;
• Whose beneficiaries might be disadvantaged through their ethnicity, disability, gender or sexual orientation;
• Provide childcare.

Applications for the Community Chest programme are welcome throughout the year with the next deadline being the 30 June 2010.  Other deadlines are the 30 September and the 31st December.  Groups wishing to apply for a Community Chest grant can download an application form and guidance notes. We will let you know within 12 weeks of the deadline whether your applications has been successful or not.

Free training will be offered to all groups applying for a grant on topics such as charity law, making successful funding applications, and monitoring and evaluation. The training events will also provide information on where groups can go for further support and funding. Groups receiving a grant will be expected, as a condition of the grant, to attend at least one of the free training events.

Groups will be considered for a grant if they have:

• An annual income below £25,000 per year (excluding any income for capital items such as buildings or equipment);
• A signed constitution or set of rules (if you do not have a constitution you should approach your local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) who will be happy to advise you);
• A bank account in the name of the group;
• An independent referee, such as a communityworker or a CVS or volunteer centre worker, who can vouch for the group and has knowledge of the plans for using the grant.

Groups not eligible for funding include:

• The Community Chest programme will not consider funding individuals or activities that promote a political party or religion.
• The Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) will also not fund groups that have had a Community Chest grant within the previous 12 month period.
• Parent Councils and PTA's will not be eligible to apply for a Community Chest grant as funding is likely to be used by a third party rather than the Parent Council or PTA itself and for activities that may be a statutory responsibility.
• Hobby groups and private clubs with a resrictive membership that do not provide a service wider than their members will be a low priority and are unlikely to receive a grant.

If you require any further assistance please contact either Patricia or Chris at the Voluntary Action Fund on 01383 620780.

The Community Chest grant programme is managed by VAF with funding from the Scottish Government. The programme has £400,000 available over the two years 2009-10 and 2010-11.

For information on the who has been successful in the latest Community Chest funding round click here