With the capital in another lockdown and our communities facing difficult times ahead, London’s funders have once again come together to provide new funding for civil society organisations.

In the programme launched today, the London Community Response is taking applications for grants of up to £10,000 to help groups support Londoners affected by covid-19 over the next six months.

Applications will be assessed on a first-come-first-served basis, with a final deadline of 5pm on Thursday 3 December 2020.

Who can apply? And what can funding be used for?

We know that the months ahead will be difficult – through lockdown and any further restrictions we face as a community – so we will provide funding for food, essentials and support through crisis. We also know that civil society was crucial to getting London through the first lockdown, and will be vital to our work through the winter months and beyond – so we will provide funding that strengthens organisations and supports the people who deliver this work.

A full list of organisational types that can apply for a grant can be found here, and the activities which you are applying for funding for need to be legally charitable and benefit Londoners (click here for a map of the 33 boroughs). If you are a national organisation you need to make clear how you meet this requirement in your application.

Reflecting learning, feedback, and intelligence from the sector (including our infrastructure partners), funding in this round will focus on people and communities that have faced disproportionate challenges and negative outcomes as a result of the pandemic. Therefore priority for funding will be given to the following:

• Equity and inclusion – organisations led by and for marginalised communities and those most affected by the covid-19 crisis (particularly Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME); Deaf and Disabled; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+); and/or women’s-led groups);
• Strong connections – groups who have a strong reach to people at high risk of negative impacts from covid-19 (in terms of health outcomes, as well as social and economic issues); and/or
• Smaller organisations – typically those with a turnover of up to £1m a year (though we welcome applications from grassroots and much smaller groups too).

We welcome applications from all parts of civil society, though our analysis highlights increased funding needs for specific themes within the sector – click here for a full list. You will be asked on the application form to indicate if you work is linked to one of these areas.

For further information – do make sure to thoroughly read the ‘Guidance‘ section of the London Community Response site before applying.

Webinar for potential applicants – 16 November

To help you find out more about this funding, including what the priorities are for this programme and how the application process works, we’re hosting a webinar for London’s civil society groups on:

Monday 16 November 2020 at 2pm

As well as providing you with more information, we’ll also be on hand to answer any questions that you may have..

If you can join us then please click here to register for the webinar, and if you cannot make it do email us to receive a copy of the slides from the session.

Who are the London Community Response?

Powered by London Funders, over 65 funders have been working together to provide coordinated funding to support groups responding to the needs of the capital’s communities during the covid-19 pandemic.

Launched four days after the first lockdown started in March, the single application point for charities and community groups enables organisations to access funding from multiple funders in a fast and efficient way.

So far, over £42m has been distributed to London’s civil society organisations through the collaboration, with funding awarded to groups in all 33 boroughs Reflecting our commitment to equity, in the most recent wave of funding over 70% grants were given to groups led by people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities, Deaf and Disabled people, women, and LGBT+ communities. Click here for a full list of grantees so far.

Click here for more news from the London Community Response.

Future funding

Whilst launching a new wave of shorter term funding, London Funders and its members are also looking ahead to renewal and recovery. Funders have heard loud and clear that the sector needs reassurance that longer-term funding is coming as well as support with emergency funds. Last week London Funders coordinated the ‘We Still Stand With the Sector’ statement – now signed by over 150 funders – with signatories promising to stand together with civil society “now, and always”, with commitments to be open with the sector about plans for longer-term funding beyond the crisis.

Reflecting the above, a broader wave of funding will be announced by the London Community Response for the new year which will support civil society as we head out of crisis. Do spread the word to the sector – we will make sure to use this mailing list to provide funding announcements.

Feedback and further resources

We’re encouraging London’s civil society organisations to share their experiences with the London Datastore’s surveying and data analysis.

If you’d like further organisational support and more information about other grants available, we’d suggest looking at London Plus, NCVO and DSC’s resources.

Header Image: Illustration: Darrell T. Watson Jr.