YCF Small and Mighty Fund

Guidance Notes

Eligibility

Please note, the Small and Mighty Fund is only open to applications from full YCF members. We will not be able to accept applications from organisations who have not yet applied for membership or whose membership is still being processed. If you are not a member and would like to apply for a grant, you will need to submit a membership request, and only once this process has been completed and your membership has been approved should you complete and submit an application for funding.

Applications are only open to members who have not recently (within the last five to ten years) been in receipt of a Main Grant from the John Lyon’s Charity.

Applications are also only open to members whose most recently reported annual income is £250,000 or less. However, if your annual income is only slightly above the threshold, and you would like to enquire about your eligibility, or you have any other questions, please contact grants@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk.

Funding

Funding from the JLC-YCF 2023 Small Grants Fund will be considered for the following purpose (though this is not an exhaustive list so do get in touch if you have any questions):

• After-school/sessional youth work or play provision

• Weekend youth work or play provision

• Food and meal provision during the delivery of the above

• The commissioning of delivery of education, workshops or trainings for young people

• The cost of public transport for travel for off-site excursions for the delivery of education, workshops or trainings for young people

• Resources that support the delivery of the project

Funding for core costs is also available for members whose annual income is £100,000 or less.

What we will not fund:

• Core costs for organisations whose annual income is above £100,000

• Ticket prices for non-educational off-site excursions

• Youth work or play provision that your organisation delivers on a regular basis (/non-sessional)

• Coach or private transport hire

• Venue hire or rent costs (except in the case of micro-organisations (£100,000 turnover per annum)

• Summer Holiday programmes

We will consider applications for grants of up to £10,000 in exceptional circumstances, however, we envisage that most grants will be closer to £5,000.

However, the larger the grant amount being requested, the higher the standards will need to be in terms of the evidence and the proposal, including:

• Very high levels of expected participation (with reasonable cost per child per hour and evidence of strong previous engagement)

• Exceptional and unique need

• Exceptional and promising innovation

• Clear and reasonable budget

We will prioritise applications that demonstrate at least some of the following (depending on whether the funding is for project work or core costs):

• Clear programme, with times, locations, activities, staffing numbers and expected number of participants

• Clear and reasonable budget

• Clear and compelling explanation of the need for the project (or the need for the work that the organisation does if applying for core costs)

• Evidence provided where requested

• Innovative, creative and promising provision

• Depth and/or breadth of impact

• Programmes or provision that are likely to appeal to children and young people and encourage consistent participation and engagement

To apply for the Small and Mighty Fund, click here.

If you have any questions, please email grants@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk.