Update from the Foundation
Northern Rock Foundation’s trustees have confirmed their main spending priorities for 2013 and 2014. Trustees have agreed to continue to invest in their current grant programmes over the next two years but to tighten their focus with a particular emphasis on helping voluntary organisations to become more resilient.
The Foundation will continue and increase the Fresh Ideas Fund which helps charities to grow, explore new ways of generating income and achieve greater impact. The Foundation will also work with regional and national partners to seek to increase the levels of grant funding and social investment available to the voluntary and community sector in the region.
Trustees intend to close the current grant programmes at the end of 2014, as part of the completion of the Foundation’s present five year strategy in 2015.
In order to make sure the Foundation makes best use of its funds , to achieve the most impact for disadvantaged people, we plan to target our main grants and work more closely with some of our current grantholders. Trustees have therefore decided to only accept bids for funding by invitation for the next two years. This will also help voluntary organisations by minimising wasted effort on unsuccessful applications.