Funds from
Hertfordshire Community Foundation
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Hertfordshire Community Foundation not only acts as a central point for information about funding in the county, but also manages and distributes funds itself, both on its own account and on behalf of other organisations.

These are:

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Foundation Grants

 Focus of grants
Grants are made to charities and voluntary groups - both new initiatives and existing projects - which aim to improve the quality of life for people in Hertfordshire.

Individual grants are rare but, on specific referral by a social worker, health visitor or other professional, grants of up to £200 for the benefit of local children, or older people, affected by disability and/or disadvantage may be available for essential household items or specialised equipment.

Small grants of up to £500 are available to small groups for start-up or new project costs, equipment, training and production of promotional materials.

Project grants of up to £5,000, for major purchases or to meet other specific needs, or to support the group's development may be available when funds permit.

Development grants of up to £5,000 for three years to sustain the development of a group or project may be available when funds permit.

Application process
Please feel free to call or e-mail to check eligibility and request an application pack. Grants of up to £500 are dealt with as received, with a response expected within two to three weeks of receiving the application. Project and Development grants are considered quarterly with a response usually within ten weeks of the application deadline - end of February, May, August and November.

Who to contact
Christine Mills, Grants Manager,
Hertfordshire Community Foundation,
Foundation House
2 - 4 Forum Place
Fiddlebridge Lane
Hatfield
Hertfordshire AL10 0NB

Tel 01707 251351   or   E-mail Christine.mills@hertscf.org.uk

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Sport Relief

 Hertfordshire Community Foundation is pleased to be the distributor of Sport Relief funds within the county of Hertfordshire.

Focus of aid
Projects providing sporting and exercising opportunities for people in Hertfordshire excluded or disadvantaged by low income, rural or social isolation, age, disability, race, sexuality or gender.

Eligible projects should increase access to sport and exercise, using it to increase confidence and self-esteem, or may use involvement in sporting activity to bring communities together.

Type of Aid
Grants between £250 and £5,000 may be available to organisations in Hertfordshire with a turnover of less than £100,000.

Application Process
Further information is available from the contact below.

Who to contact
Christine Mills, Grants Manager,
Hertfordshire Community Foundation,
Foundation House
2 - 4 Forum Place
Fiddlebridge Lane
Hatfield
Hertfordshire AL10 0NB

Tel 01707 251351   or   E-mail Christine.mills@hertscf.org.uk

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Grassroots Small Grants

 Hertfordshire Community Foundation is pleased to be the “Local Funder” for the government's Grassroots Small Grants Programme within the county of Hertfordshire.

Eligibility - who can apply and the rules governing applications

To apply for Grassroots Small Grants funding, you must:
  • be a not-for-profit, voluntary or community group which has been active in your community for not less than 12 months (you do not have to be a registered charity)
  • have a governing document which, at the least, shows the name, the aim/purpose, the objects of the group and which includes a dissolution clause and a list of executive members/trustees and their signatures
  • be predominantly volunteer-led
  • have evidenced income of less than £30,000 per year, averaged over the last three years
  • be able to demonstrate that it is connected with and/or meeting the needs of the community
  • be fully independent of any statutory body
  • be looking for £5,000 or less, to be spent before 31 March 2011

What can a Grassroots Grant support?

The main aim is to support projects that meet an identified need in the local community. Below are some of the examples of how community groups could use the grant. This is NOT an exhaustive list!
  • Purchase of equipment such as computers, furniture, play equipment etc.
  • Put on a local event or workshop
  • Pay for staff costs to enable the employment of individuals
  • Contribute to rental costs
  • Cover the cost of training for volunteers or attendance at an event or conference.
  • Support community activities
  • Pay for additional activities to expand an existing project
  • Help a group to achieve a quality or other standard relevant to their activities.
  • Pay for membership of local support groups (e.g. local CVS)
In addition, full cost recovery can be included. Ask us if you need an explanation of this.

Grassroots Small Grants cannot support:
  • Individuals
  • Projects which operate outside Hertfordshire or benefit non-Hertfordshire residents
  • Commercial ventures
  • Projects which solely support animals or the environment
  • Statutory organisations including Parish Councils and Schools in the discharge of their statutory obligations
  • Contributions towards large, general appeals
  • Retrospective funding (i.e. grants for activities which have already taken place)
  • Trips abroad
  • Projects for the provision of services to asylum seekers when those services are inconsistent with immigration laws or Home Office policy.
  • Groups controlled by public sector organisations such as Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts
  • Applications that support the furtherance of any one religion or political party
  • Regional or local offices of national charities (unless separately constituted and small)
  • any group not eligible under the above eligibility rules.
There are other constraints but the CVS/CDA for Herts can advise.

How to apply:

Please click here for the full application process: