Change Grants Programme – Helping Scotland Recover

Bank of Scotland Foundation recognises the significant impact that Covid-19 has had on people across Scotland. To ensure Bank of Scotland Foundation funding can reach those in real need, the Change grants programme for 2021 will have a strong focus on Helping Scotland Recover.

For the first time, charities can apply for unrestricted core costs through our Change programme. We hope that unrestricted core cost funding will give charities greater flexibility over how they use their resources, allowing them to respond quickly to a changing environment and deploy resources accordingly.

Offering up to £200k over two years, our Change programme extends a lifeline to charities allowing them to apply for whatever is their greatest priority and area of need - whether that be capital costs, project work or unrestricted core costs.

To be eligible for this programme charities must have a minimum of 3 years accounts at OSCR. Please note the annual income inserted in your application form, must be taken from the most recent accounts which have been lodged and checked at OSCR and must be between £500k and £2million.

Charities can apply for funding between £50,000 and £100,000 per year for between 1 and 2 years. The same amount must be requested in each year and must be for the same purpose.

To apply you must submit an online application.

Charities can apply for whatever is their greatest priority and area of need and request funding for either:

• Capital costs e.g., a building project, repairs, equipment etc.
• Project work e.g., a programme of work which is limited in scope and seeks to achieve particular outcomes including funding for project costs, staff costs, materials
• Unrestricted core costs e.g., a contribution to general running costs such as management, staff, utilities and rent

For capital costs and project work applications, charities are required to provide a budget breakdown and are asked to attribute Bank of Scotland Foundation funding to particular elements of the capital costs and project work.

For unrestricted core costs applications, charities are asked to provide a breakdown of their general core costs for the last year, as per their most recent accounts submitted at OSCR.
Charities should also provide the total amount of the contribution they would like the Foundation to make to their core costs, over one or two years. Charities are also expected to convey in their supporting documentation:

• why unrestricted funding of core costs is needed and important to the charity
• why the charity is helping their group of service users, what they aim to achieve and how

Please note we will not fund certain unrestricted core costs such as:

• project costs or overheads incurred before the grant application is received,
• any costs not related to delivering outcomes such as a contribution to reserves,
• notional costs and costs that will never be incurred e.g., rent free premises

Please note if you are currently in receipt of a grant from Bank of Scotland Foundation you cannot apply to this programme.

• Your charity must have an income of between £500k and £2M
• You cannot apply if you are a newly registered charity operational for less than one year with no accounts lodged at OSCR
• You must be a charity registered in Scotland, operational for more than one year.

You cannot apply if you are a newly registered charity operational for less than one year with no accounts lodged at OSCR. You cannot apply if you are currently in receipt of a grant. You cannot apply if you are a charity whose purpose is:

• Political organisation
• Animal welfare
• The promotion of religion
• Medical research
• To make grants, donations, loans, gifts or pensions to individuals