OCF’s Step Change Fund in the UK

OCF’s Step Change Fund in the UK
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Deadline: 16-Sep-21

The Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) is seeking applications for its Step Change Fund to focus on capacity building and strengthening of Oxfordshire’s charitable sector.

They are particularly interested in projects that enable a ‘step change’ in financial terms. They believe that charitable organisations need excellent internal governance and a well thought through strategy to be effective in their use of time and money.
This fund does not offer core funding simply for the continuance of existing services; grants will be given for projects that can demonstrate realistic plans for increasing reach and impact and for building longer-term resilience for the future. They therefore ask you to have a charity health check, and demonstrate your seriousness through a comprehensive business plan.
Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for funding from Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), your group must:

Be a registered charity, constituted group or social enterprise/CIC
Be based in Oxfordshire and/or have majority of beneficiaries in Oxfordshire
Have at least three trustees or committee members who are not related to each other
Have a bank account in its own name with at least two unrelated signatories, open for three months or more
Be open to people of all religions and political affiliations, and must not proselytise
Ineligible

The following types of group/project are NOT eligible:

National charities (or financially integrated branches)
Public bodies or statutory organisations (including parish/town councils)
Charities where the beneficiaries are solely animals
Individuals
Projects that are the purchase of buses or other vehicles
Large-scale construction projects (including fixed structures e.g. playgrounds)
Projects where the costs have already been incurred.
For more information, visit https://oxfordshire.org/ocf_grants/step-change/