Grants

(Click here for the latest on grants for 2010)

One of the ways in which SLF helps to make London safer is the grants it makes to community led crime prevention/reduction and victim support projects.

Grant rounds have focussed on projects addressing issues such as Hate Crime, Domestic Violence, Guns, Gangs and Weapons and Victims of Crime.

Since the Foundation began operations in 2005 we have received 780 grant applications adding up to £21,561,287.26.
In response we have been able to make 118 (15.1%) grants totalling £1,904,150.93 (8.8%).* Click here to see the projects we have supported.

Whilst we are delighted to have been able to financially support these projects, it’s obvious that there are many more projects that we could have supported had the funds been available.

By far the biggest contribution to the funding of our grants programme comes from MPA / MPS who donate £500,000 a year to SLF from seized criminal assets. Click here to find out more about POCA and Payback.

We try to maintain a relationship with the projects we fund, finding pro bono volunteer support for them from our Skills Bank and our corporate supporters, offering training and workshops and matching them with businesses looking for a community project to work with for a charity challenge day.

We monitor the progress of the projects we fund with formal reporting at specific intervals and informal visits. We have a duty to ensure that the funds we provide are put to good use.  We have supported some projects two or three times where we have recognised their success. When a project can demonstrate that it works, we want to help it become sustainable.

*Figures correct at January 2010

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Grants in 2010/11

In July, the Foundation commissioned three pan-London projects, all closely aligned with the objectives of the MPA and MPS's plans leading up to 2012. Click here for details of these commissions.

In early 2011, we hope to invite grant applications from crime reduction projects in London which are supporting the priorities expressed in MPA and MPS's plans for policing London.

If you want to be included in our email broadcast announcing the next grant round, please email Rick to be put on the list. Please include your full name and the full name and contact details for your organisation.

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November 2009 Grant Awards at Southwark Town Hall

Click here to go to the press announcement about this event at which 13 organisations received their grant awards in the presence of his worship the Mayor of Southwark, Jeff Hook, and Sir Paul Stephenson, Met Commissioner and President of SLF.

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Top ten tips for writing fundraising bids

We came acrosss these tips on the Emica Fundraising website*, offered free by Alyas Khan, expert on voluntary and community sector fundraising. We thought they were good enough to repeat here:

1. Follow the Funders Criteria: this may sound simple, but all too often many groups simply focus on what ‘they’ want and make an application for funding without carefully and accurately following what the criteria of funding bodies is. This is likely to annoy the funders and lead to automatic rejection.      
2. Don’t Duplicate: If you want to deliver activity that is the same as what the organisation round the corner is already offering, think again. Funders are very sceptical of activities that are already offered and will ask for evidence that your project will not duplicate existing provision.
3. Think out of the box: Funding bodies are getting tired of the same old ideas. Give your bid the wow factor, how will you tackle a problem in a particularly creative or innovative way? Simply stating that you need a new community centre or a community worker is unlikely to go down well. You need to demonstrate how your project will tackle an old problem in a refreshingly effective way.
4. Find the Local Priorities: Most funders want evidence that you actually know what the priorities of your Local Strategic Partnership, the Council and other strategic bodies are. These documents tell us what is needed in the local area. Your project needs to show how it will fit into this wider picture. If it doesn’t, you haven’t done your homework.
5. OK so you’ve written the bid: BUT always contact the funder first and ask them if it’s ok for them to have a quick look and give any comments. This shows the funder you are keen, are using initiative, offers the opportunity for valuable feedback BEFORE you submit, and most importantly, it enables you to build a relationship with the funder and a chance for them to become familiar with your group, which in turn gives you credibility.
6. Find out what your community needs: putting in an application without properly assessing community needs and finding out what you target groups want is one of the biggest mistakes community groups can make. Simply assuming you know what the problems are will not be enough- you need to prove that this need exists and demonstrate that you have undertaken relevant consultation, including with hard to reach groups.
7. Get yourself an Annual Report: An annual report for your organisation is a good way of showcasing your credibility and track record. If written and compiled properly, it can really help turn the tide in your favour and give you success in bid writing, if used in conjunction with the rest of my top ten tips.
8. Be clear about your Vision: organisations without a vision tend to be those that run around for bits and pieces funding all over the place, are not sure of what they want to achieve and try to do a bit of everything. This can be disastrous for a group’s sustainability.
9. Build a Relationship: start effective networking with mainstream agencies and also with other voluntary and community groups in your area. Let them know what you offer and where relevant, how you complement their services. If the opportunity arises, don’t hesitate from partnership working with other agencies- it could enhance your credibility if done well.
10. And Finally: Ensure that your organisation’s finances are properly managed and that there is no room for poor accounting. Showing effective accountable and transparent management techniques is a major plus point for funders.

*SLF has no relationship with Emica and offers no endorsement of it's services.