Veterans' Foundation Small Grants

Overview

The Veterans’ Foundation (VF) has established a new funding programme, Small Grants. The grants are to support charities and groups that provide assistance to those in need among serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families.

Definition of ‘Need’

Trustees award grants based on this definition of need:

A potential, qualified beneficiary “in need” is one or both of the following: 

• At a disadvantage compared with non-armed forces citizens due to their service.
• Someone who is experiencing challenges such as the following: unemployment, homelessness, mental and physical ill-health, injuries, poor welfare, a child's loss of parent or addiction.

The VF gives priority to charities and organisations who can demonstrate that they are directly involved in the provision of support to those in need. They seek to prioritise organisation who have a low to medium income.

Funding

• Fund level: £500 - £5,000

Eligible Organisations

All registered charities and other not-for-profit groups that support their beneficiaries mentioned earlier, may apply.

The range of charities and organisations supported by VF is extensive and covers every aspect of social care and includes but is not limited to

• homelessness,
• employability,
• financial disadvantage,
• disability,
• welfare issues, and
• mental health.

Whilst they will accept grant applications from organisations that do not exclusively support Armed Forces’ beneficiaries, information will be required as to why the service given to Armed Forces’ beneficiaries differs from your other services. Information on what the additional/different needs of the beneficiaries are, and why your organisation is best placed to deliver the project should be included in your application.

The Veterans’ Foundation encourages applications from under-represented groups such as:

• People with additional support needs
• Ethnic minorities
• LGBT+ community
• Female groups

Assessment

• Governance, Trustees and management of the group.

VF will look closely at any information provided to evidence that the organisation is effectively managed and has in place satisfactory operating procedures and risk management procedures.

Please upload the following documents in support of your application:

• Constitution - if your group is not a registered charity or company*
• Annual approved accounts OR Bank statements for the last 3 months OR 12 month cashflow (for new groups)
• Safeguarding policy - if available
• Reference - required for groups that have not previously received a grant from the VF. The reference should be from individuals who work in the Armed Forces communities and who are familiar with your group. The reference should include information such as the outcomes of your work, your groups’ ability to deliver the project and information on how you engage with other armed forces groups in the community.

• Spending

Please be clear about exactly what items a VF grant would fund. A breakdown of the project costs will be required. They want to ensure that the project is well costed, value for money and the costs are proportionate. For this programme, they will not accept applications for salary costs but may consider costs for a sessional worker.

• The need

Please include information on how this need was established and any consultation that has taken place.

There are many ways to evidence this, indicators include the level of local commitment to the project, evidenced by such things as fundraising activity, volunteer involvement, local authority support, and most importantly the number of serving individuals or veterans, family members that the project will reach or has previously reached.

Information should be included as to whether organisations are delivering similar projects in your geographical location, they wish to avoid duplication in services or please advise if there any specific gaps in service delivery.

• Beneficiaries

The number, type and degree of need of the beneficiaries will be considered by VF. You should be able to verify the number of beneficiaries to them, if asked to do so.

• Armed Forces Community Networks/Referrals

They would like to know the degree to which your organisation collaborates with other service providers specifically in the armed forces’ community. Please explain existing networks and partnerships with services charities and the armed forces’ communities.