Applying for a grant

Hannah AlcockRegional Officer – Central Region

Our Vision

… that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach

their potential

Principles:- We are UK wide- We are broad-based - We are local to people - We support people who take the initiative

For every penny raised a penny will go to helping disadvantaged children and young people in the UK

Who we fund

Projects that make a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young

people in the UK

•Not-for-profit organisations•Working with disadvantaged children•Aged 18 and under•UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man

What do we mean by not for profit?Not for profit organisations - e.g. voluntary organisations, registered charities, self-help groups, community interest companies

The applicant must have: •Governing document – e.g. constitution, memorandum & articles•Management committee – minimum of 3 members•Bank account with two unrelated cheque signatories•Annual accounts•Written child protection policy

How we fund

• Two programmes:- small grants (up to £10,000 for 1 year)- main grants (over £10,000 per year, up to 3

years)

• Emergency Essentials Programme – grants to individuals and families for white goods e.g. beds, cookers, fridges. Administered on our behalf by Buttle UK

Disadvantage

BBC Children in Need has the following disadvantage criteria:

• Illness, Distress, abuse or neglect• Disability• Poverty & deprivation• Behavioural or psychological difficulties

Applicants for CIN funding must be able to explain how the children and young people they are working with are disadvantaged

Child focus • Children are at the centre of what we do• We only fund child-focussed projects• Young people should be consulted about the project• The project/service should have clear positive outcomes

for the child• If you’re seeking funding for a salary, the post should be

focussed on delivering outcomes for disadvantaged children for at least 70% of the time

• For projects involving families or parents, the outcomes should be focussed on the children, not the family or the parents

• Some examples where applications can fail – crèches, parenting courses, benefits advice

Positive difference – outcomes focussed funding• Our funding is awarded to ‘make a positive difference’ –

we are interested in the differences or changes that take place in children’s lives as a result of the work that we fund, i.e. the ‘outcomes’

• Applicants are required to detail the 3 main differences that their project will achieve

• The differences will be unique and specific to each project • When discussing the difference, always use a change word

(‘increased’, ‘reduced’, ‘better’, ‘more’, ‘less’) – don’t just tell us about the activities you will deliver again

What issues do children and young people face?

Learning cycle

Outcomes (or difference made) for children and young people

How you make a difference for children and young people

How the Dinamix Youth Club makes a difference for children and young people

How Keeper’s Place makes a difference for children and young people

BBC CiN’s learning approach• Learn about the difference our funded

projects are making to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

• Share our learning of what works and what doesn’t.

• Change our grantmaking as a result of that learning in order to make a better difference to the lives of children and young people across the UK.

What don’t we fund?

• Applications from local government or NHS bodies • Distribution to another/other organisations. The work we are

funding must be delivered by the applicant• Capital grants over £20K• Medical research or pregnancy advice• Promotion of religion• Retrospective funding – we only cover costs that have been

incurred after the grant has been awarded• Projects that haven’t sent previous grant reports back• The relief of statutory responsibility

• Unlikely to fund work in school time or where statutory funding has been cut

• Missing information- documents, missing answers to questions• Insufficient evidence of disadvantage• Too many people over the age of 18• Inadequate safeguarding procedures• Poor planning, monitoring and evaluation• High levels of free reserves• Poor local links to other providers and relevant networks• Not clear what the project will do• High fees• Not sufficiently focussed on needs and outcomes for children• Lack of rigour around parent involvement• Statutory responsibility or overlap – increasing issue due to cuts

Common Issues

DeadlinesThere are different deadlines for Small and Main Grants:The deadlines for Small Grants are:

1st of February, April, June, September and December

Decisions will be received in 8 – 9 weeks The deadlines for Main Grants are:

15th January, May and SeptemberIf your Initial Application is successful you will be invited to

submit a Full Application within 2 weeks, and will have a month to submit this

Decisions will be received in around 5 months (from Initial Application to Full Application decision)

Some final tips

• The bigger the application the higher the standard expected - there is greater competition for larger grants

• Spend time planning your project and your application. It’s a rolling programme – don’t rush your application

• Read the guidance on the website about our funding, policies and criteria – www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants - there’s a lot of good info there!

• Complete all sections of the application and submit all required documents

• Prepare for the assessment interview – have all the documents to hand

• We don’t subscribe to full cost recovery so keep your project running costs at a reasonable level

• Ask for help and build local links – from CIN, CVS’s and Voluntary Action, other organisations working in same area/field

How to apply

• Online application process• bbc.co.uk/pudsey• Helpline - 0345 609 0015

CONTACTSGeneral Helpline:0345 609 0015Website:

bbc.co.uk/pudseyEmail: pudsey@bbc.co.uk

Regional Office:Hannah AlcockBBC Children in NeedThe MailboxBirmingham B1 1AY0121 567 6708hannah.alcock@bbc.co.uk

Thank you