Funding Opportunities
One of the unique strengths of OWW is that it is not about ‘raising money for charity’ but about changing people’s attitudes. However, if it suits your group, acquiring more funds can widen the scope of your events without compromising your voluntary ethos.
On this page you will find links to various funding opportunities that your group can apply for to help with the costs of an OWW event. We will do our best to inform you of any new grants that become available, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you know of any other funding opportunities whether local or national.
1. The Co-Operative Society - Updated 22 May 2013
OWW shares many values with the Co-operative movement. They may be able to provide you with vouchers for food for local events - Apply in writing to the Manager of your local branch. Some Co-op Societies offer grants to local organisation for projects in the local community - your event might qualify.
2. Near Neighbours Fund Grant Criteria ( Church Urban Fund) - posted 25 April 2012
The Near Neighbours Fund is targeted at creating additional relationships in local communities across boundaries by enabling opportunities for deeper levels of communication and understanding in local neighbourhoods.
This is a rolling programme with no deadlines but it is due to end in March 2014. They will invest in environmental, social, cultural, artistic and sporting ideas but they need to fulfill certain criteria.
The overall aim of the fund is to encourage stronger civil society in areas that are multi-religious and multi-ethnic by creating association, friendship and neighbourliness. It intends to bring together people of different faiths and of no faiths to transform local communities for the better.
As this is a major part of what OWW events aim to do you might well be able to get a grant to help you with your event IF you live in an eligible area - mainly large multi ethnic and multifaith cities - see whether you are in an eligible area.
3. Community Development Foundation – Posted 22 May 2013
You can find up to date guidance here about how to look for funding for community activities and links to funding websites
4. The Church Urban Fund mustard seed grants - 2013 (posted 22 May 2013)
The Church Urban Fund gives grants to community groups, usually linked to churches and faith-based activities, enabling them to offer all kinds of help to people living in our poorest communities. Over £66 million has been awarded throughout England since the organisation was established.
The Mustard Seed Programme has been designed to enable groups to turn their ideas into action. The CUF believe it is their role to hear what groups are saying and not create barriers to applications, so the Mustard Seed Programme application process has been made as simple as possible.
Grant requests up to £5,000 will be considered. This is a rolling programme and there are no deadline dates.
Groups in England can apply. To find out if your activity would be eligible for a grant and for full details, visit the CUF Mustard Seed page or please call 020 7898 1647.
5. Waitrose (ongoing - posted 22 May 2013)
Has your local organising committee thought of applying to your local Waitrose Store for funding for your local event? If you stress your role in bringing the local community together to explore how to build a more sustainable and fairer world, you stand a chance of being selected. There is often a long lead-in time though so apply early and keep it general, as you might not get it in time for this year's theme but maybe next year!
This is from the Waitrose website: To be considered for a donation, good causes and charities should contact their local Waitrose branch store. Partners (Waitrose employees) will then vote which three causes to support each month at their branch's 'PartnerVoice' forum, a means of voicing opinion on branch issues. Customers and Partners can also put forward the names of organisations they would like their local branch to support by filling out a leaflet in store.
Shoppers then get to help decide how the sum is divided amongst the three selected organisations. They will be given a token at the checkout, which they can place in one of three boxes at the store exit, each allocated to a different cause. The amount a cause receives is directly proportional to the number of tokens they receive from customers.