Community First Prime Opportunities Fund

The Community First Prime Opportunities Fund has been set up by the generosity of a local donor. Working with Two Ridings Community Foundation, the donation was increased by 50% courtesy of HM Government’s Office for Civil Society under the Community First endowment match challenge initiative and also received gift aid to maximise the opportunity for tax-efficient giving.

As an endowment fund, this generous donation will now be used to support the area and causes close to the donor’s heart long into the future.

The fund will support voluntary organisations, community groups, small charities and other types of not for profit organisation based in and/or serving the communities in the area served by City of York council and Selby District council.

Projects must aim to address issues which create barriers to young people from Year 6 to age 19 from disadvantaged backgrounds from reaching their full potential. Priority will be given to projects aimed at supporting the most deprived communities.

Size of grants:

Grants are available of up to £500 for up to 80% of the total project costs. Where applicable, priority will be given to those projects which can demonstrate that individual beneficiaries have raised some of the funding required through their own efforts and where the grant covers a significant proportion of the project costs ie we will not prioritise an application which represents a ‘drop in the ocean’ of a much larger project.

Awards are made on an ongoing basis subject to funding being available, there is no deadline. We aim to make decisions within 6 weeks of receiving an application.

Who can apply? Our focus is to support small, grassroots organisations. As a general rule we will only consider an application from an organisation with a total annual income of under £500k per annum (this includes all income regardless of the source or purpose).

However, where it is possible within the rules of a particular grant scheme we may choose to consider an application from a larger organisation. Please contact us if you intend to make an application and your income is over £500k.

Your organisation or group does not have to be a charity registered with the Charity Commission but all groups applying to Two Ridings CF for funding do need to:

• Work primarily for the benefit of people in North and East Yorkshire
• Be ‘not for profit’ (we have additional requirements when considering a request from a Community Interest Company and further information can be found by clicking here)
• Have a governing document (also known as a constitution, rules, memorandum, or articles of association) outlining charitable objectives and with a charitable dissolution clause
• Have a bank account in your group/ organisation’s name with at least two signatories, who are not related to one another
• Be locally led and run (including locally constituted and managed branches of national charities)
• Have at least three unrelated trustees, directors or management committee members

Some of our funds have additional criteria around the size or type of organisation that they will fund so it is important that you also check eligibility by reading the guidance notes for the fund that you intend to apply to, to check for any additional criteria and exclusions.