The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales’ Racial Equity Grants programme for 2024 combines unrestricted funding of £75,000 over three years (i.e. up to £25,000 per year) with a breadth of tailored support aimed at helping strengthen charities and build the knowledge, skills and capabilities of staff and trustees. This programme is therefore for charities that are prioritising their development.
Funding is available to small local registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (COs), and Community Interest Companies (CICs) based outside of London who are working with people experiencing economic inequity because of their race or ethnicity.
Applying organisations should be led by and working for communities experiencing inequity because of their race or ethnicity. At least 75% of their Directors/Trustees and at least 50% of staff should self-identify as belonging to the communities being supported.
The Foundation provided a similar programme in 2023, for which it received 256 applications. 185 (72%) of applications met the initial eligibility criteria and 39 (21%) organisations were awarded funding totalling almost £3 million.
For the 2024 round, the Foundation expects to award 42 grants. Applications from Wales, and Yorkshire and Humber, which were underrepresented in 2023’s awards, are likely to be prioritised for grant support.
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate a track record of directly delivering services for at least 12 months to people aged 18 and over from racially minoritised communities who are experiencing significant economic disadvantage by providing:
1. In-depth services – delivering a range of services supporting individuals through a structured pathway over a prolonged period. This could include services to overcome immediate needs but will also lead to longer-term support, and/or
2. Personal plans – working together with the people they support to understand the challenges they may be experiencing and agree on how to help them find a way to overcome them.
Services should aim to support people over the longer-term and enable them to to strengthen their immediate personal or financial circumstances, as well as helping them to make progress towards achieving their career aspirations and ambitions.
Funding is not available for:
o Hospitals, health authorities or hospices.
o Infrastructure or ‘umbrella’ organisations.
o Organisations based in London.
o Organisations that are not charities or community interest companies registered in England and Wales.
o Organisations that require people to take part in a religious activity as part of the support provided.
o Organisations whose primary purpose is to give funds to individuals or other organisations. This means organisations using more than 50% of annual expenditure as grants.
o Organisations working predominantly outside England and Wales.
o Rescue services, or
o Schools, colleges and universities.
The Foundation has scheduled a free Question and Answer session on Eventbrite for those who would like to learn more about the programme. This will be held from 10:30am to 12:00 (midday) on Wednesday 24th April 2024. Registration can be made via this link to Eventbrite.
Further information, guidance, an initial Eligibility Quiz and details about how to apply can be found on the Foundation’s website.
The application deadline is 5pm on Thursday 30th May 2024.
