What's in scope?

The Community Action Fund will provide flexible support to grassroots groups that are building the power of their community and campaigning for change. The Fund will open in December 2022 and awards will be made in March 2022. Grants will be awarded on a sliding scale between £2,500 and £20,000.
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What is the Civic Power Fund looking for?

The Civic Power Fund exists to help community organisers and campaigners who are tackling injustice and exclusion. 

We want to grow people's ability to make a difference on the issues that matter most to them. We want people to have the power to change the conditions they live in. We want them to influence the decisions that impact their lives now and in the future. 

Community organising and grassroots campaigning enables communities to do all of this in a way that lasts. 

What is community organising and why do we care about it? 

Community organising brings people together. It builds relationships. And it brings people into the spaces and places where decisions are made.  

Organised communities provide immediate and vital support to one another. As they come together to work on shared issues, they get stronger. As their strength grows, they can demand more. This makes it harder for people in power to ignore them. And it means they can win lasting change for individuals, communities, and society. 

Organising allows people to see their own power in new ways. In an organised community, people who work together can go from being  friends or neighbours to being leaders that inspire others, challenge power, and change conditions.

Organising can change an area or a community. It can force decision-makers to listen to people they have ignored. It can put power into communities' hands. 

Ultimately, community organising gives people power over the spaces and places where they live and the systems under which they are governed. 

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Who will the Community Action Fund give money to?

You don't have to call yourself a community organiser or talk about power to get funded by the Community Action Fund, but to apply for funding you do have to meet the criteria listed below. 

• You are working to address issues of injustice or exclusion in a local area or across a community of common experience.
• You help people to understand the issue, how it impacts them and what can be done about it. 

• You bring people together to think about what change they want to see.
• You help people come up with the tactics they need to make that change a reality.
• You help people develop their own leadership and not tell them what to do. 
• You are building something that lasts beyond a single campaign or intervention (but the money can go towards an important moment or event on the horizon).
• You are building or aim to build relationships and alliances with other groups that have similar goals.
• Your work shares responsibility. You allow lots of people to get involved. You don't rely on one or two people to manage everything and decide everything.
• You promote respect for others and encourage participation from all kinds of people.
• You don't discriminate against anyone, exclude or promote hatred. 
• You are lacking the resources to take your vision to the next level. 

Community groups come in lots of different flavours and types. You might provide a service. You might be protesting or campaigning. You might be a way for people to connect and come together. If all these bullet points sound like - or what you aim to do - then you are the type of group that should apply for the Community Action Fund.

The Community Action Fund supports groups, not individuals. However, we know that many grassroots groups will not have a formal structure. This should not stop you applying. The Civic Power Fund is partnering with the Social Change Nest to ensure that safe and transparent fiscal hosting is available for un-constituted groups. 

We don't want to waste your time!

If you are thinking of applying please CLICK HERE to complete a short yes or no questionnaire. These questions will let you know if there is anything that should stop you from applying.

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Are you a funder interested in finding out more? 

In December 2022, we are launching a fundraising drive to grow the Community Action Fund from £150,000 to £300,000. Our experience working with grassroots organisers and campaigners tells us we will be significantly oversubscribed, so we are seeking donations of £10,000 and above to help us reach even more communities. If you’d like to be part of this innovative collaborative fund please read more here or just get in touch.