Bank of Ireland: Begin Together Fund

Overview

The Begin Together Fund will provide valuable investment for community initiatives making a difference in towns and villages across the island of Ireland.

Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Fund wants to get behind those making the lives of others in their communities better by improving their physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Fortunately, in every town and village there are people, businesses and organisations working hard to make things better for everyone. Bank of Ireland supports them and their work in communities all across the island of Ireland. They want to get behind those trying to make the lives of others in their communities better by improving their physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Eligibility

Applications will only be eligible if:

• The applicant organisation has an annual income less than €500,000.
• The proposed project addresses at least one of the strands of ‘wellbeing’ listed below.

Preference will be given to applications that:

• Serve disadvantaged communities or minority groups.
• Will have an ongoing impact within their community.
• Address more than one strand of wellbeing.

Application Criteria

Applications are welcome from charities and not-for-profit community groups working in communities that address one or more of the following strands of wellbeing:

Strand 1- Physical Wellbeing – projects that aim to increase levels of physical activity and improve overall physical wellbeing within their local communities.

Applications must demonstrate a clear link with one of the areas outlined below:

• Participation – projects that encourage inclusive participation of individuals in physical activity.
• Promoting Ability - projects that encourage individuals to become more physically active at a level appropriate to their ability e.g. projects supporting older people, young children, long-term inactive cohorts, to become more physically active.

Strand 2 - Mental Wellbeing: projects that promote positive mental health within their local communities.

Applications must demonstrate a clear link with one of the areas outlined below:

• Active Participation – projects that encourage the active participation of individuals in their own mental wellbeing. Projects should aim to promote increased independence/resilience in relation to an individual’s mental health.
• Promoting Access – projects that improve the ability of individuals to access mental health and wellbeing services either i) directly, through the provision of supports or ii) indirectly, through education/awareness raising programmes.

Strand 3 - Financial Wellbeing: projects that provide people with the skills and knowledge to access services and manage their money with confidence.

Projects should either:

A) Strengthen the capacity of individuals to engage with a range of available digital services in order to help manage their money in a digital age.
B) Enhance people’s financial knowledge through financial education programmes.

Assessment Criteria

All applications will be judged on the following:

• Strategic Fit The proposed project must serve an identified need, work with the target group identified and fit with the fund’s objectives. Applicants must demonstrate why their organisation is best placed to lead the project.
• Applicants must clearly demonstrate how their project links to

o A strand (or strands) of wellbeing.

o One of the outlined focus areas within the respective strand(s).

• Realistic Budget The proposed project must include clear, detailed, realistic costs and timelines.
• Reach The proposed project must not be internal to the organisation and must have a wider community reach.
• Measurable Results Applicants must be prepared to track project activity throughout the duration of the project and will be asked when applying to provide 2 key outputs and an outcome that will demonstrate impact/change at the end of the project.
• Active Participation Active participation of communities is a key aspect of the Begin Together Fund.

Applications must outline how the proposed project involves the persons who are the target of the project’s actions, ensuring they have the opportunity to actively participate, gain confidence and enhance their ability/self-reliance as a result of the project.

Applicant Requirements:

• Only one application will be accepted per organisation.
• Applications must be from community and voluntary groups that possess charitable aims and are not-for-profit.
• Applicant organisations must have an annual income not more than €500,000.
• Applicants will be asked to state if their organisation would benefit from volunteer support from Bank of Ireland staff.
• Organisations working with cohorts under the age of 18 will be required to produce a copy of their Child Protection Policy.
• Organisations working with vulnerable adults will be required to produce a safeguarding policy or ‘vulnerable adults’ policy.
• Organisations will be asked to submit a copy of their founding documents (e.g. Constitution or Memorandum and Articles of Association). Organisations that do not provide required documents will not be considered.
• Organisations will be asked to provide a copy of a recent bank statement - This is for account verification only and all financial transactions may be redacted before submission. Organisations who do not possess a bank account in the name of their organisation and/or who do not submit a copy of the statement as requested will not be awarded funding.
• Proposals must include clear, detailed, realistic costs and timescales. o Applicant projects must take place only after the funding has been awarded i.e. July 2020 and must be complete within the following 12 months.