Project Information

 

Grassroots Grants – Government Incentive to double the impact of your local giving

The Big Idea

The Grassroots endowment match challenge for Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton is an exciting opportunity to double the impact of charitable giving that strengthens your local community. Until 31st March 2011, every £1 that you give will be matched by a special government incentive so that it is worth £2. 56 with Gift Aid. If you are a higher rate tax payer you may claim tax relief so the gift only costs you 75p – more than doubling your impact.

Thanks to support from the Office of the Third Sector, community foundations and other organisations throughout England have £50 million to offer in match funding for donors wanting to encourage and fund the long term growth of local small charities and voluntary organisations – organisations which provide really effective support to people in need, such as friendship clubs for older people, support groups for people with disabilities and positive activities for young people.

To benefit from the match funding, all donations flow through “local funders”, over 90% of which are community foundations like us.

We are firmly rooted in the local community and experts in supporting local organisations. We ensure that the grants that are made are relevant to local needs, with all kinds of additional benefits to tackle the issues that really make a difference to local deprivation. All the distributing foundations have been independently assessed as meeting quality standards endorsed by the Charity Commission. Any donations that are made, together with the match funding, are invested in special endowment funds and invested effectively for the long term benefit of Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall or Wolverhamptons people in need. Every year your gift will be part of a fund that contributes to helping local people and, in that sense, it is a gift that keeps on giving or with a larger donation you get the opportunity to set up a fund in the name of yourself, your company or a loved one.

Read more about the Charity running this project.