The Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland has allocated £135,000 for a locally-led funding pilot in Sunderland, which aims to pass power on grant-making decisions to the communities themselves.
They are looking to appoint a local Steering Group made up of local community leaders who will:
- Identify and agree which local needs/issues they wish the Fund to focus on/address
- Decide what activities, projects and costs are and aren't eligible for a grant
- Review applications and decide which applications receive a grant
Community Foundation will provide information, support and advice, but the local Steering Group will actively shape the programme design. It's an exciting and innovative approach to grant making, and Community Foundation want to start by recruiting local community leaders to take part.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
Those with expertise and a wide range of human experience including different race/ethnicity, genders, sexualities, ages, religions and disabilities or lack thereof. Applicants do not need to have any grant-making experience but they must demonstrate that they:
- Live or work in an area of Sunderland that experiences high levels of statistical disadvantage
- Have local roots, and are actively involved in addressing the needs of their community
- Are an established or emerging community leader - paid or voluntary
- Have (and are happy to share) in-depth knowledge of a community and ideally the wider city
- Are willing to learn about participatory grant making and help deliver an equitable programme
- Are willing to contribute positively to the development of local participatory grant making model
- Are willing to contribute objectively to inclusive and transparent grant making
- Understand how community organisations, charities or community groups operate/function
- Understand and will commit to data protection both in principle and in practice
- Understand and will openly declare potential conflicts of interest
- Can commit the time to fully engage in the programme over the next year or so. This will include attendance at in-person events, planning workshops and meetings across the city
- Commit to working respectfully and productively alongside other people of all ages, gender identities, physical abilities, ethnicities, sexualities, political and agency affiliation
- Can objectively consider the needs of other communities and their demographics.
To be considered for Steering Group membership, complete an application form and return it to Nils at nils@communityfoundation.org.uk by 3pm on Friday 30th June 2023.
Download the application form.
Read the full Steering Group membership criteria selection here.