The final round of the Aviva Community Fund for 2021 is now open, with an extra £150,000 available for projects leading the way on climate action.
The quarterly Aviva Community Fund sees it work with Crowdfunder UK to distribute £250,000 of funding from Aviva, supported further by donations from the public.
This quarter, in addition to the usual £250,000 it donates to community causes across the UK, it will be giving away an extra £150,000 to agencies that are leading the way on climate action, by matching each donation up to the value of £50.
This is to mark Aviva aiming to become a Net Zero company by 2040, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, which is scheduled to take place in Glasgow between Sunday 31 October and Friday 12 November 2021.
Aviva wants to support projects that are fighting climate change and building stronger, more resilient communities across the UK, and is investing in three key areas:
1. Climate champions: helping communities to prevent, prepare for and protect against the impacts of climate change
2. Building back better: helping society to bounce back from the pandemic by addressing the health and wellbeing, and economic impacts on communities and individuals
3. Financial empowerment: supporting financial inclusion and giving people the tools to become more financially resilient and independent
For a project to be eligible it will need to do at least one of the following:
1. Help prevent or reduce the impacts of climate change, and/or
2. Help prepare people and places for climate change impact, through education and recovery planning.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
o Be age 18 or older.
o Be a UK resident, and
o Not be using a disposable email address.
Organisations must:
o Be registered in the UK as a charity or social enterprise.
o Be based in the UK.
o Have been operating for at least 12 months at the time of submission.
o Have an annual income of no more than £1 million (can be averaged over the last three years).
o Have a UK bank account in its own name.
o Be a living wage employee (if the organisation employs people), and
o Have an active board of trustees or directors or management body.
Some examples of projects that are currently Crowdfunding through the Aviva Community Fund are available on the Aviva website, which also provides a step by step guide showing how the Aviva Community Fund works for organisations applying to join the programme.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday 5 October 2021.
