Caritas Westminster and St John Southworth Caritas Fund

Project Grants

ADVICE FOR APPLICANTS AND APPLICATION FORM

1Aim and purpose of the grants:

Caritas Project Grantsare available toparishes and associatedgroups in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster to support local social action initiatives, especially to seed fund new projects. Some grants from Caritas Westminster will be made from its St John Southworth Caritas Fund.

2Beneficiaries and eligibility:

  • Parishes, associatedgroups or joint projects based in the Diocese of Westminster are eligible to apply, to seed-fund or assist in the development of locally-based social action initiatives or projects, which alleviate poverty or social deprivation. Any application made by a body other than a parish should be endorsed by the associated parish priest(s).
  • All requests should fall within Caritas Westminster’s strategic priorities. Currently these are

-Food poverty and debt

-Social isolation of vulnerable groups

-Intellectual disability

-Homelessness

-Human trafficking

-The deaf community

-Youth isolation

  • In keeping with the social mission of the Church, grants will be made to projects which protect the poor and vulnerable solely according to need without any form of discrimination.
  • Funds will only be awarded for activities which in no way act contrary to or undermine the teachingand practice of the Catholic Church in matters of faith and morals.
  • All groups/organisations need to have appropriate safeguarding procedures.

3Application Process:

  • All applications should be made on the application form.
  • Applications will be considered, approximately once a month, by a grants panel acting on behalf of Westminster Diocese.
  • The decision of the grants panel is final.

4Types of grant available and criteria:

Requests should normally be for a single one-off grant, but consideration will be given to requests for annual grant funding over 2 or 3 years. The maximum granted in any one year will £10,000. See table below for types of grant.

Type of grant / Awarded for / Maximum & terms / Notes / Criteria
PILOT GRANTS / For research into the context of a proposal and/or to test viability with a small sample / Maximum £1,000 / Where it is prudent to scope out the viability of a proposal before committing more substantial resources.
MAIN GRANTS
Single / A one-off grant to seed fund or assist the development of a new or developing project / Maximum £10,000. Normally for 1 year and/or capital set up costs / The majority of grants will be in this category / For capital expenditure to get the project going and/or first year’s running costs or an element of these. If running costs for an ongoing project, plans need to be in place for financial sustainability after the first year.
Multiple / Where year by year funding is more appropriate to the request / Maximum duration 3 years. Maximum grant £20,000 over 2 years or £30,000 over 3 years / For running costs or an element of these where difficult or impossible to cover from any other source. If an ongoing project, there should be plans for financial sustainability after the period to be covered by the grant.
Continuation / Following a single or multiple grant an continuation grant may be requested for additional unfunded needs / Maximum £10,000. Maximum combined total of grants £30,000 / No automatic right to a continuation grant / For new unfunded needs which are:
(a)Unexpected or previously unforeseen
(b)Not now covered by previously expected funding sources
(c)For further expansion because of the success of the project
SPECIAL GRANTS / Any request not easily covered by a single project grant above / Maximum £10,000 / e.g. for training or attendance at an event / Only given if no other funding source is available. Additional information may be requested.

5Criteria for assessment

The following general criteria will be used for assessment. From time to time more specific priorities may be set and will be advertised.

  • Projects should either be parish-based or serve a local need and be endorsed by the local parish priest(s).
  • Priority will be given to new or innovative projects which further Catholic Social Action in the Diocese within one or more of Caritas’s strategic priorities above

Additionally projects should:

  • Meet needs which are evidence based
  • Have a realistic engagement strategy
  • Have appropriate training and safeguarding measures in place or planned
  • Have a continuity plan or exit strategy
  • Have realistic budget and business plan
  • Have adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms

6Monitoring:

  • A Caritas development worker will maintain contact with grant funded projects and will feed back to the Caritas Director on progress and any concerns.
  • An end of the funding period a feedback/outcomes report should be submitted. This should normally be sent within 1 year of receipt of the grant using the form supplied.
  • In the case of a multi-year grant, a report should be submitted at the end of each year before the next grant installment is released.

ABOUT THE APPLICATION FORM FOR CARITAS PROJECT GRANTS

Part A requires a brief summary of the parish or group applying and the project for which funding is requested. Part B requires more detailed information including a project budget.

Report and accounts: If applicable, please enclose your most recent accounts and annual report. New initiatives should send bank statements or other relevant financial documentation.

Other information: Supplementary information is not normally required. It should be submitted only if it is clearly relevant to the application or if it has been specifically requested.

When you have completed your application please email it(preferably) or post it to the address below.

Your completed application form should be sent – preferably by email - to:
The Grants Administrator, Caritas Westminster and St John Southworth Caritas Funds

Vaughan House, 46 Francis Street. London SW1P 1QN

For more information see

or phone 020 7798 9063 or 020 7798 9357

Amended December 2016

APPLICATION FOR A ST JOHN SOUTHWORTH FUND/CARITAS WESTMINSTER PROJECT GRANT - PART A

Name of parish or group applying
Postal address
Email address
Telephone number
Name of person making application
Position in parish, group or project
Postal address - if different from above / Charity Registration No. - if any
Email address - if different from above / Annual turnover - from annual report (if applicable)
Telephone no. - if different from above / Net assets - from accounts (if applicable)
Name and location of project for which funding is sought
Name of Catholic Deanery it is in
Parish/parishes involved
Amount requested
Brief description of the aims of the group – max 150 words
(If a single parish, write Catholic Parish)

APPLICATION FOR A CARITAS PROJECT GRANT – PART B

This part of the form deals with the project for which you are requesting funds.

The project: Please provide a brief description of the project that you want funds for and its objectives in a maximum of 300 words.

Your budget for the project, showing a breakdown of all costs and including the portion for which you are requesting funds.

Please answer the following questions:

1.How long has the project been running, or projected start date?

2.Who will benefit from the project?(Include an estimate of number of people benefiting and state whether these are primarily drawn from the whole community, the Catholic community, or another specific group.)

3.Please see note 2 in Advice for Applicants above. Which of Caritas Westminster’s strategic priorities does the project fit into?

4.Please see note 4 in Advice for Applicants above. Which type of grant are you applying for?

5.Why do you believe there is a need for this project?

6.How will you know if it is successful?

7.How do you intend to measure outcomes?

8.How many volunteers will be involved? Where will these be drawn from?

9.How will the project be managed?

10.Any grant we give will be limited to the short term, normally one year. How will the project be funded in the longer term?

11.What other funding do you have for this project? (including other funding applied for)

12.What will happen if we do not fund the project?

13.Have you had any St John Southworth or Caritas Westminster project funding previously?

If yes, give date of application(s), grant(s) awarded and purpose of grant(s) below.

Declaration

√
I have completed Part A and Part B
If applicable I enclose our latest annual report and accounts, or equivalent documentation
I confirm that we have appropriate safeguarding procedures in place or planned
If the application is successful, we will provide a follow-up report/ progress report(s) in the form requested
Signed:
(Electronic ok) / Date:
Endorsed by (parish priest/s):
(Electronic ok)

Caritas Westminster is the social action agency of the Diocese of Westminster, registered charity No. 233699.

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