Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation has relaunched its flagship Making Local Life Better grant programme, making it easier and faster for local charities, voluntary groups and community organisations to access the funding they need to improve lives across the city and counties.
In response to growing demand and feedback from applicants, the Foundation has made several key improvements to ensure the programme remains responsive and supportive:
- No application deadlines: Groups can now apply at any time, no last-minute rush to meet a deadline.
- More frequent grant panels: Decisions will now be made more regularly, helping organisations receive funding sooner and deliver their projects with less delay.
- Clearer criteria: Updated guidance and a refined application form aim to reduce ineligible submissions, helping groups make the most of their time and effort.
The Making Local Life Better grants are designed to support grassroots organisations working to make a real difference in the lives of people facing disadvantage whether through tackling isolation, reducing health inequalities, improving wellbeing, providing opportunities for young people or generally helping communities thrive.
“We know that small local organisations are often closest to the people who need support most,” said Debs McCahon, Grants Manager of Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation. “By making our processes more responsive, we want to make it easier for these vital groups to access the funding they need, when they need it. Over the next 12 months we will be looking at other ways to make our fund giving more open and accessible to small organisations.”
The Foundation remains committed to being a supportive, approachable partner to local groups, helping them build stronger, more connected communities across Leicestershire and Rutland. The Foundation strives to attract new funds to Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland whilst supporting local groups to thrive. To help potential applicants, and to stop wasting their time, we have clarified some grant priorities. For example, our commitment to prioritise:
- Locally run and managed organisations
- Organisations which support inclusion, by proactively addressing barriers to participation
- Organisations with a turnover of less than £1,000,000
- Organisations with free reserves or between 3 and 6 months core operating costs
Local organisations can find out more and apply at https://www.llrcommunityfoundation.org.uk/making-local-life-better-fund-open/
Further information and support is available at grants@llrcommunityfoundation.org.uk
