Community development and funding

We fund projects that will benefit our customers and improve the quality of their lives.  We’re looking for projects that will support people to overcome financial barriers, improve their mental and physical health, reduce isolation or help build residents confidence. Please make sure your project is aligned to at least one of these outcome and will be delivered in one or more of our communities/neighbourhoods (Ardwick, Beswick, Clayton, Fallowfield, Gorton, Levenshulme, Longsight, Openshaw, Rusholme, Moss Side and Hulme). 

We only fund projects that will be delivered in one or more of our community areas. The main One Manchester neighbourhood areas are Ardwick, Beswick, Clayton, Fallowfield, Gorton, Levenshulme, Longsight, Openshaw, Rusholme, Moss Side and Hulme. 

Constituted groups are registered charities or Community Interest Company (CIC), that have a governing document or constitution. This document outlines your organisation’s purpose, structure, and rules. Being constituted means that your group is properly organised, accountable, and legally recognised. Unfortunately we’re unable to accept applications from groups who aren’t constituted.

We’re looking to fund organisations that have a clear governance structure. Funding an organisation with a clear governance structure, shows us that the project will be managed by people with the right skills and experience. Strong governance means your organisation is accountable, transparent, and able to deliver the project effectively.

If your application is successful, we ask you to send over several documents for us to review before we proceed. We’ll ask for you to send us details of your constitution, financial statements, and copies of important policies like insurance, safeguarding, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. These documents show are to show us that your organisation is run responsibly and follows the law and other relevant regulations.

If your application is successful, we’ll need to see that your organisation manages its finances properly. Your organisation should have its own bank account that is managed by a Treasurer, Director or other named person like an accountant.

We want to know as much about your organisation as possible, so we can understand who you are and what you do and what impact your work has. In your application please tell us about your organisation’s capacity, experience, and the impact your work has in the communities you deliver projects in. This information will enable us to see how well your project aligns with our funding priorities.

It’s important to show us evidence that your project addresses a real issue or gap in provision in the community. You can use statistics, survey results, or feedback from people you work with now or plan to work with in the future to show why your project is necessary and will have a valuable impact.

Please provide as much detail as possible in the project description section. Explain what you plan to do, why it’s needed, who will benefit, and how you will deliver the project. Please make sure you include detail about the activities, timelines, and expected outcomes for the project.

We want to hear about your successes, so include any relevant experience that shows how your organisation can deliver your proposed project well. Tell us about any current or past projects, partnerships, or relevant skills within your team.

In your application please tell us about the outcomes your project will deliver. Tell us who’ll benefit, how many people you expect to reach, and what short and long-term positive impacts you intend your project to have.

It’s really important to include a detailed budget for your project so we can see how you plan to spend the grant money. It should include everything your project will need money for like staffing, materials, overheads, and any other expenses. You can also include ‘in kind’ donations – so if your room hire has been gifted, include it in the table but with zero cost. A detailed budget shows us that you have thought carefully about the resources needed to deliver your project successfully.

If your project will involve partnerships or collaborations, make sure you tell us about it. Working with other organisations shows us that your project has support and is more likely to succeed. Working with other organisations can also increase your project's impact and show us that you have a network of support to help you deliver the project.

We’re delivering three ‘Meet the Funder’ workshops. These will go through how to write a strong application and give you the opportunity to ask questions. The sessions are taking place on the following days:

Online

When: Thursday 10 October (10am-12pm)

Gorton Hub

When: Thursday 10 October (11.30am - 12.30pm) Where: Gorton Hub, Gorton, (M18 8HE)

Aquarius Centre

When: Monday 14th October (10.30 – 11.30am) Where: Aquarius Centre, Hulme, (M15 6AX)

If English is not your primary language and you require support with the application, please request support via the application form.

The project must start between January - April 2025 and end before December 2025.

We’ll be assessing applications in November, and will aim to notify all applications of the outcome before the end of November. If you have any further questions, please complete the application form and a member of the Community Investment team will respond within three working days.