Northamptonshire - funders

Registered charity promoting the conservation of historic buildings in the UK. Applicants must have charitable status. Projects must involve a change of ownership and/or change of use. Low-interest loans also available.

Creates partnerships between businesses and arts organisations, and a wide range of support services for arts organisations including training, Board development, advice and information. The New Partners investment programme will match a business investment of up to £50, 000 in an arts organisation.

Funding is mainly through ‘Grants for the Arts’,a lottery funded scheme that offers funding for up to three years for specified projects. Grants are available to organisations and individuals.

Has an A-Z list of trusts and foundations on the website that you can search.

Lottery funding scheme offering grants from £300 to £10, 000 for people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community.

B&Q in the Community offers Better Neighbour Grants to support projects that make a difference in local communities and ‘You can do it’ Awards in the form of materials. Click on ‘About Us’ / ‘You can do it awards’ / Better Neighbour Grant on our website for more details.

The Big Lottery Fund offers grants for health, education, environment and charitable purposes. The fund aims to bring real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need. Please note that the Big Lottery Fund will not usually support projects that might be more appropriately supported by other lottery funders (e.g. arts, sports, heritage etc.)

Funding programmes include Arts, Social Welfare, and Education.

Charitable trust whose funding areas include ‘Art, preservation and the environment’ and ‘Community facilities’ and ‘Social change and research’. Predominantly funds capital costs although grants may be offered for start-up or development costs. Emphasis on developmental or innovative projects in early stages. Preferred area of impact is at community/neighbourhood level, and development of solutions to society’s problems.

Grants to organisations working with disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

Concentrates its support on education, the arts, museum and gallery education, cultural leadership training, health and social welfare, whilst placing a particular emphasis on children, young people and society’s most vulnerable individuals. Runs a main grants programme for registered charities and the Clore Performing Arts Awards, which funds performing arts education initiatives aimed at children and young people (0-18) across the UK. Museums, galleries, local authorities, and schools/organisations currently participating in Creative Partnerships, are NOT eligible for the Clore Performing Arts Awards.

An independent charitable trust, the Foundation’s Community Support Programme is aimed at grass roots groups who want to make a difference in their own communities.

Comic Relief mainly offers funding through the Red Nose Day programmes. For 2005-08 there are 6 programme areas:

• Young people
• Older People
• Mental Health
• Refugees & Asylum Seekers
• Domestic Violence
• Disadvantaged Communities

There is also Sport Relief 2004-06, which offers grants to projects using sport to help reduce tensions and conflicts between young people, and small grants to projects that increase access to sport and leisure activities for those people who often miss out.

Fund to support individuals who can inspire others to get more involved in renewing their neighbourhoods through participation in community activity.

The Crafts Council is the UK’s national organisation for the promotion of contemporary crafts. They offer a range of services and the website has a list of useful resources, including funding resources, for craftspeople.

Aims to assist financially disadvantaged young people aged under 18 to participate in their chosen sport through provision of grants to individuals.

Many local councils operate funding schemes that support arts, sports, leisure and cultural projects. For details please contact your local council county, district or borough council.

For not-for-profit organisations.

The regional economic development agency, EMDA provides a range of support services including grants for business research and development. The website includes information on European Funds and other sources of funding.

EM Media is the Regional Screen Agency for the East Midlands, covering film, television and interactive media (games, digital media and new media). The agency offers a range of services including grants to organisations and individuals working in film and media for audience/market development, business development, product development and promotion, or skills development.

Aims to improve young people’s access to music education. Awards for schools, music students and music teachers (but not community groups). Website has links to useful resources for music projects.

An independent grant-making Foundation offering grants to organisations which aim to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, both now and in the future. The Foundation likes to consider work which others may find hard to fund, perhaps because it breaks new ground, appears too risky, requires core funding, or needs a more unusual form of financial help such as a loan. Grants are made in four programme areas: Arts & Heritage; Education; Environment; and Social Change.

First Enterprise is a business support agency for the East Midlands providing training, guidance, advice and funding in the form of business loans.

Grants to organisations for filmmaking with/by young people.

Operates a range of schemes to support football including capital grants, funding for replacement goalposts, junior kit scheme, and the ‘Community and Education Scheme’ to increase participation in sport and linked ‘Small Grants Scheme’ for new activity.

An online directory of sources of funding for anyone seeking to repair, restore or convert for a new use any historic building in England and Wales

An investment fund offering loans to help voluntary and community organisations deliver better public services.

A grant-giving charity focusing on educational, social and cultural initiatives; the arts, youth, community, heritage, religion, education, the environment, health (including research) and other areas of general benefit to the community in the UK. Grants to registered charities or those with exempt status.

Online portal to government grants to the voluntary and community sector.

Offers ‘Healthy Heart Grants’ for innovate projects that promote healthy lifestyles and prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease in specific groups or communities.

The Heritage Lottery Fund enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about their diverse heritage, from museums and historic buildings to parks and nature reserves, places of worship, and celebrating traditions, customs and history.

Offers funds towards projects in the areas of Education/training, Arts/culture, Sport/recreation, Youth, and Economic/community development/employment in Northamptonshire.

A free website with grant search facility for small businesses and voluntary groups.

The scheme enables landfill site operators to donate up to 6.8 per cent of their landfill tax liability to environmental projects in return for a 90 per cent tax credit. These may include projects that involve reclaiming land, provide or maintain public amenities or parks within 10 miles of a landfill site, restore or repair buildings for religious worship, or of architectural or historical interest within 10 miles of a landfill site, for example. Funds are distributed by Distributive Environmental Bodies (D-Ebs) – visit the website for details of the Distributive Environmental Bodies that operate in your county. To apply for awards some D-Ebs require applicants to enrol with Entrust. This costs £100.

A national grant making charity. Main programmes include the Arts, Heritage, and Developing Communities. Museums/galleries are not eligible.Also operates the Supporting Community Enterprise programme for members of the Development Trust Association, and a separate scheme to support Playschemes.

The Foundation supports registered charities working in the fields of social and community needs and education and training. Its main grants programmes are designed to address essential community needs. The Foundation is particularly keen to support small community-based charities where small amounts of funding can make a significant difference to local people's lives.

The Local Network Fund is a government initiative supporting small voluntary and community groups to improve outcomes and opportunities for children and young people aged 0-19. The object of the fund is to enable communities with limited opportunities or access to services that many young people take for granted to develop projects and activities for children and young people.

The website has a useful Fundraising Factsheet for those embarking on drama training.

Invests in new ideas, innovation and new ventures that stimulate entrepreneurship. Programmes are currently under review and new programmes will be announced in due course.

The Foundation has three Open Programmes:

• First Steps - creative music-making for children aged 0-5
• Make It Sound – music-making for 5-18 year olds who otherwise lack the chance to take part
• Vocalise! – for programmes where the voice is the main instrument

Manage a number of funds for on behalf of other agencies:

• Community Champions
• Local Network Fund
• High Sheriff’s Initiative
• Connexions Small Grants Programme
• Sport Relief

Northamptonshire Enterpise is one of seven sub-regional strategic partners funded by the East Midlands Development Agency.

The Northamptonshire Partnership is here to benefit the workforce of existing businesses, attract new jobs and industries to the county, raise the skills of Northamptonshire people and ensure we live and work in thriving local communities.

The website has a good list of potential sources of funding for arts projects.

One of the UK’s larger independent grant-making Foundations, working to address issues of inequality and disadvantage, particularly in relation to young people, through the arts, learning and education. Grants are made to organisations that aim to maximise opportunities for individuals to experience a full quality of life, both now and in the future. The Foundation is particularly concerned with children and young people, and others who are disadvantaged. New/innovative, risky or unpopular causes are a priority. Current priority areas are Arts, Education and India. In addition to the Foundation’s main grants programme it operates a small grants programme offering awards of under £5, 000. There is also a Foundation Award for Individual Artists (currently visual artists).

A £1m fund targeting investment at UK-based creative firms during 2006 only.

Makes grants to registered charities (including capital funding) for ‘Opportunities through Sport’,particularly sporting activities or projects which provide opportunities for people who are disabled or otherwise disadvantaged to fulfil their potential and to develop other personal and life skills.

National organisation dedicated to helping people aged 50+ set up in business. Offers information, support and loans.

Can offer grants and loans to unemployed people aged 18-30 who wish to start a new business. Also offers small grants to get into education, training or work or for youth-led community projects.

Offers a wide range of schemes supporting composers, musicians, bands, festivals, promoters, post-grad students of new music composition, etc.

The fund assists young people involved in athletics who are in education and may need financial help towards training or provision of equipment. Applicants must be aged between 15 and 23 years, All-England Schools finalists or at County representative level and above.

A charitable trust working to promote and develop community amateur rugby in England. Offers capital funding through the Groundmatch Grant Scheme for projects that contribute to the recruitment and retention of community rugby players. The foundation also offers interest free loans to clubs to help finance capital projects for the same purpose.

Works across all sectors to enable social enterprise to develop and grow. SEEM’s own Social Enterprise Development Fund is now closed but the website offers information about other sources of finance.

Sport England invests in projects that help people start, stay and succeed in sport. The ‘community investment’ stream offers grants of £10, 000+ for local/regional projects. The website also has a good list of funding resources.

A government initiative helping fund grass roots and community sports in England. Matches business sponsorship pound for pound.

These partnerships have been set up to deliver the East Midlands Development Agency's (emda) Regional Economic Strategy in local communities at a sub regional level. The East Midlands is covered by seven partnerships:

• Alliance SSP
• Derby and Derbyshire Partnership
• Greater Nottinghamshire Partnership
• Leicester Shire Economic Partnership
• Lincolnshire Enterprise
• Northamptonshire Partnership
• Welland Partnership

SSP’s have funds to support projects that will bring about economic benefits. Further information and contact details for the SSP's are available on the emda web site. Each local agency is also listed individually in this section of the site.

Awards to local organisations whose core work supports children’s education and welfare/children and adults with disabilities/elderly people in areas where there are Tesco stores.

The Foundation makes grants to voluntary sector organisations to improve quality of life for disadvantaged people. Runs three grants programmes: Arts, Strengthening the Voluntary Sector, and International grants.

Offers guidance and advice on funding for those studying in post 16 education in the UK, including those at specialist arts institutions. There is also a useful online database which will search for charities appropriate for your course.

The Foundation channels money donated by Littlewoods Gaming to a wide range of sporting and artistic causes. Their goal is to increase active participation in sport and the arts, especially amongst young people and those with more ability than resources. Museums may be eligible where there is a strong link to the arts. The Foundation can also offer interest-free loans where appropriate (e.g. during purchase or lease of property).

Offers general charitable support, ranging from the disadvantaged in society and general welfare, to the churches, heritage and the arts, plus financial support for craftspeople to train, and a number of educational initiatives directed mainly towards primary and secondary education.

Offers grants to organisations under categories including Performing Arts and Music, and Wingate Scholarships to individuals are of great potential or proven excellence who need financial support to undertake pioneering or original work ‘of intellectual, scientific, artistic, social or environmental value’,and to outstandingly talented musicians for advanced training.

The Foundation focuses on sculpture, drawing and printmaking and offers a range of funding schemes including the Challenge Fund for galleries, museums or other appropriate institutions, to support the undertaking of ambitious exhibitions and commissions that would otherwise be very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve, particularly outside London.

A national charity providing funding to:

• Provide incentives to play cricket in schools and clubs
• Enable young people with special needs to participate in sporting activities
• Supply minibuses to special needs organisations
• Create recreational facilities, in conjunction with the National Playing Fields Association.

The Network’s website has a comprehensive list of private trusts and foundations that may consider supporting arts in health or other arts projects.

The Welland SSP isone of seven sub-regional strategic partners funded by the East Midlands Development Agency to tackle across the board economic regeneration issues.

Welland is the region’s only exclusively rural SSP, with an agenda focused on 12 markets towns and rural communities across four counties covering the 1, 000 square miles of Harborough, Melton, East Northamptonshire, Rutland and South Kesteven.

Working through key partnerships, the Harborough based executive team, develops and manages an economic programme covering enterprise and business development, innovation, tourism, community development, employment and skills, rural development and diversification, boosted by high leverage of public and private sector funds and contributing to a significant number of key regional outputs.

The UKVillages Community Kitty was established to celebrate the first birthday of national and local community website UKVIllages.co.uk and so help support small groups at the heart of UK communities. These are often the uncelebrated projects, the truly local clubs that make a difference to the daily lives of those living in the local community including playgroups needing toys, sports equipment for youth clubs, a Parish Council notice board and playing field committees and village hall facilities. Your group, society or club must be registered on UKVillages and the funds must go towards a clearly identifiable project. Grants are available from £50-£300.