Area: |
UK-Wide |
Funding Size: |
up to £40,000 |
Deadline: |
TBC |
Decision communicated: |
TBC |
Funding starts |
TBC |
Intro
We had our first ever open funding round in November 2020, where we received over 500 applications for our Tipping Point and Immediate Impact grants. In total, we distributed over £200,000 to 42 organisations.
The vast number of applications was indicative not only of the huge challenges faced by communities around the UK, but also of the power of community-driven action in tackling these needs. We were left feeling incredibly inspired by all of the projects we reviewed.
In January 2021, we hosted a feedback session with unsuccessful applicants. This was invaluable to an organisation of our size, and we took on the feedback to ensure our grant-giving process is as transparent and straightforward as possible.
As a small team, we unfortunately do not have sufficient resources to hold another open round this year. We will be moving to a proactive funding approach, meaning we will not be accepting unsolicited applications. You can find further details on the ‘Grant-giving Process’ tab.
In 2021/2022, we will be focussing on projects which promote social justice in education by improving learning, knowledge, access, routes into employment & further education and self-fulfilment.
Grant-giving process
The 2021 grant-giving process will be as follows:
We will reach out directly to organisations who align with our area/s of interest and values. We will no longer be accepting unsolicited applications.
-
We will visit organisations/projects and then invite selected organisations to fill out a short application form.
-
We will review completed applications and carry out the necessary due diligence checks
-
Applicants will be asked to prepare a 2-slide presentation summarising their project, which will be put in front of an expert committee.
-
Application outcomes are communicated and funds are disbursed within 4 weeks.
If you think your organisation’s work aligns with Isla’s focus area/s, then please email us at info@islafoundation.com with a link to your website. Please do not send through project proposals. If you are a good fit, we will reach out to you for next steps.
What we fund
What you can use the funds for:
-
Staff costs
-
Running costs
-
Activities
-
Equipment
-
Other core costs needed to support the project
-
One time events if we understand their role in the project’s wider aims
What you cannot use the funds for:
-
Capital costs (such as building and land improvements)
-
Fundraising events
-
Repayment of debt
-
Redundancy costs
-
Contribution to reserves
-
Religious events or advancement of one specific religion
-
Projects that are discriminatory in any way. This includes, but is not limited to, discriminating on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, age, marital status, disability, political or religious beliefs, national or ethnic origin.
Please note, The Isla Foundation does not exclusively support, and will not be affiliated with, any specific political party.
Organisations we support
Eligible organisations fall into the following categories:
- Micro organisations/community groups – Less than £10,000.
- Small-sized organisations – between £10,000-£100,000.
- Medium-sized organisations – £100,000-£1M.
- Large organisations – £1M-£10M.
FAQ
Still have questions? Have a look through our FAQs.
As your questions may be useful to other applicants, we will update our FAQ to reflect your question (anonymously) and our answer.
Q1. I think my organisation would be a good fit for ISLA, can we apply?
A1.We are not accepting unsolicited applications. However, if you think that we may be interested in your work, please email info@islafoundation.com with a link to your website. Please do not send a proposal as we will not be able to review it.
Q2.We are interested in a partnership with the Isla foundation and do not require funds, can we get in touch?
A2.Yes! Please send us an email at info@islafoundation.com. We are always looking for new and exciting partnerships.
Q3.What level of reporting do you expect?
A3.While reporting on use of funds is a requirement, we are flexible in how this is done. We understand not everything can be measured in numbers. If quantitative results cannot be provided then there are other ways you can report on your project. Examples of what we accept includes (but is not limited to): written reports, spreadsheets, videos, articles, press coverage, campaign results and client testimonials. We are keen to learn from our grantees so we’d also love to hear about your different approaches, what worked and what didn’t work. Results don’t mean success; learning from you and sharing lessons learned will benefit the sector as a whole.
Q4.Do you fund religious organisations?
A4. We can fund religious organisations as long as the project benefits the wider community (it is not limited to the specific religious group) and does not contain any religious content. Please note that we may ask for you to provide evidence that activities are secular.
Q5.Do you provide multi-year funding?
A5. No. We are currently only offering one-off grants and cannot commit to funding over several years.
Q6.If we are awarded a grant, when do we need to spend the funds by?
A6.The grant period will be for the calendar year 2022 for the majority of expenditure, however if a small part of the budget has not been used by 31st December 2022, funds may be used up until 31st March 2023.
Q7. What kind of non-financial support could you offer?
A7. Depending on your project, we can have a think together on what we can offer (take out/rephrase?) As defined on the values page of the website, we aim to support our partners as much as possible. Awarding grants, helping measure a project’s impact and providing access to a network. We are committed to providing tools that can help connect, facilitate or implement an idea. For example, we can facilitate networking opportunities with other organisations that work in the same field or tackle the same issue through a different angle.