Funding Sources
3VA provides free specialist funding advice (supported by The BIG Lottery) if you are unsure about how or where to start looking for funding. Please contact one of team for support:
Eastbourne: Maureen Anstey maureen.anstey@3va.org.uk 01323 419 788
Lewes District: Lorna Stagg lorna.stagg@3va.org.uk 01273 483 832
Wealden: Sue Shoesmith sue.shoesmith@3va.org.uk 01273 483 832
GrantNet
If your group is based in East Sussex, you can sign up to use GrantNet for free. A search through GrantNet will look at a number of local and national grants, loans and other funding opportunities. Find out more at GrantNet.
Keep Updated
We also work closely with partners in other organisations and recommend that organisations sign up for East Sussex County Council’s comprehensive monthly bulletin on funding sources.
A Selection of Local and National Funders:
- Opening Soon! Commissioning Grants Prospectus primarily offering funding for health and social care work in East Sussex - opens 15 February with a closing date of 26 April 2012.
- The BIG Lottery - The BIG Lottery have a range of funding streams which can be applied to, including the Awards for All for £300-£10,000 for small project work.
- Sussex Community Foundation - the Foundation manages a number of funds from a range of donors and applications are invited from East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
- Lewes Town Council Grants - applications are invited for under £2,000 (assessed four times a year) or over £2,000 (assessed once a year)
- Seaford Town Council Grants - applications are invited for small grants under £500 and larger grants over £500
- South East Region ESF Community Grants- grants of up to £12,000 for developing skills of local people and supporting people into employment
- Next Round Now Open Seedcorn Funding - open to groups looking at new or innovative ways of delivering services, deadline for applications is 17 Feb 2012
Sustainable Income
Funding doesn't always have to mean grants. There are a range of other sources of funding and when you are looking at funding your work it is important to consider the range of options available, including:
- Private fundraising
- Donations
- Sponsorship
- Legacies
- Gift aid
- Trading
- Delivering contracts
If you would like any support in building these funding sources into your organisation's work, please contact one of the team above.
Commissioning
We are seeing more and more commissioning, particularly from the public sector. This may be to replace grant funding, or to run alongside it. If you are interested in applying to deliver services, please use the following links to some of the local public sector organisations, which may include opportunities for voluntary and community sector groups:
Business Link also includes a contract finder for public sector opportunities on its website.
NAVCA, one of the national body for Councils for Voluntary Services, has also published A Bridge Between Two Worlds which looks at best practice in commissioning from the sector, with a number of relevant case studies.