British Airways’ Better World Community Fund is not a conventional grant programme and is worth noting as we may find more of these types of schemes emerging in the future. British Airways will provide 50% match funding up to £50,000 for eligible organisations that raise the initial funding through a Crowdfunding appeal. Funding is predominantly for revenue projects.

Eligible organisations include UK registered charities, social enterprises, including Community Interest Companies (CICs), community benefit societies and charitable companies. The Crowdfunder appeal must be made through Crowdfunder.co.uk, which is widely acknowledged as the UK’s leading Crowdfunding platform.

The Better World Community Fund is specifically targeted at projects that create a positive impact in one or more of the following fields:

o Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, including health and well-being services.
o Education and employability, in particular creating opportunities for disadvantaged communities, people from ethnic minorities and girls in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
o Environment, climate and nature, especially enabling communities to become more sustainable by supporting ideas to prevent or reduce the impacts of climate change, and
o Thriving communities, in particular projects that encourage and enable social mobility.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how their projects will achieve one or more of the following:

1. Deliver support in areas experiencing social and economic deprivation, including rural communities.
2. Work with one or more of the following groups as a main focus:
o Culturally diverse communities.
o Disadvantaged females exploring STEM opportunities.
o Groups exploring or providing solutions for climate change.
o Individuals struggling with mental health and wellbeing, and/or
o Lower socio-economic groups.

Examples of some Community Fund projects can be found on the BA Better World website (scroll down the page).

Funding is not available for:

o Applications for capital expenditure over £5,000.
o Applications which are for the benefit of one individual.
o Closed or “Always On” campaigns on Crowdfunder.co.uk.
o Faith or religious groups.
o For profit businesses or partnerships.
o Individuals or sole traders.
o Local authorities.
o Ongoing or pre-existing core/salary costs.
o Organisations seeking to distribute grants on British Airway’s behalf.
o Organisations that do not have published online accounts.
o Organisations that have been operating for less than 12 months.
o Organisations without a trustee board/management committee (with three people minimum).
o Projects intended for private gain.
o Projects promoting religion.
o Schools, colleges and universities, or
o Vehicles or building purchases.

To apply, applicants should complete the application form available on the BA website. Successful applications will then need to create a crowdfunding campaign.

Further information is available of the British Airways website.