Completing an application for a grant
The Foundation has different grant application processes: one for requests from £1,000 to £20,000; one for requests over £20,000 and one for the Fresh Ideas Fund. Make sure you complete the correct online application form.
Complete the correct application form using the notes provided below. Make sure you attach all the required materials. Failure to supply the right information will delay the processing of the application. Keep copies of all material, including the application form, for yourself.
For all grants (with the exception of the Fresh Ideas Fund) you need to complete the following sections about the organisation that is applying.
- Contact name: this must be the person who wrote the application and can answer questions about it.
- Project name: only fill this in if your project has a separate name from your organisation’s.
- Legal structure: please tell us which of the following describes your organisation, and give any registration number.
- unincorporated association/voluntary group;
- trust;
- community interest company;
- industrial and provident society;
- company limited by guarantee;
- other (please specify).
Previous applications: have you previously applied to the Foundation for a grant? If the answer is ‘yes’ please quote the application number which can be found on previous correspondence from the Foundation. Deadlines: your organisation may be working to deadlines that we need to know about. These may be, for example, deadlines from other funders, or because a project may run out of money at a known date. Please let us know what the deadline is and describe the reason for it. Specify which programme: choose the one that best fits the results you want to achieve, even if you think your work covers several. Do not tick more than one. Amount requested: put in the total for which you are asking, e.g. if you want £30,000 a year for three years write ‘£90,000 over 3 years’ in the box. How soon could you start: write what you honestly believe to be the case. We understand that the date may be changed later. Local authority: please specify which cities, counties, districts or boroughs will most benefit from your work. If your work will cover the whole region, say so. Check the map at the front of this booklet if you are unsure.
Once you submit your online application, you should print off the Sign Off and Submission sheet, get it signed by your Chairperson or Treasurer and send it to us with any documents you can not upload. We will not start processing your application until we receive all the documents either online or by post.
For grants under £20,000 and the Fresh Ideas Fund you must then complete the sections about your proposal following the guidance.
For grants over £20,000 you must provide a brief supporting statement (no more than two A4 pages) describing:
- your organisation, its aims, its management procedures and its experience which qualifies it to take on this project;
- the need your project is attempting to meet and evidence of its importance, scale and urgency;
- what exactly you plan to do and how;
- how that will meet the aims of the grant programme under which you have applied. For example, if you apply under Changing Lives you will need to explain how your idea will help people in our priority groups to overcome barriers and move on in their lives; if you apply under Enabling Independence and Choice you will need to show how your idea will improve the quality and choice of services for our priority groups.
- how, if the programme requires it, you can demonstrate a level of user involvement in the design, planning, management and service delivery;
- how you will evaluate the project, i.e. measure its success, learn from your experience and where appropriate share the lessons with others;
- the timetable for the project;
- how, if appropriate, you would continue when a Northern Rock Foundation grant expires.
