Charity funding from the government

Info from NCVO:

The government is providing a £750m support package for UK charities during the coronavirus outbreak. The government is currently drawing up plans for the design and delivery of the funding, including money delivered through the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF). Our understanding is that apart from the allocation for hospices mentioned below, other funding decisions have not been made. This is what we know so far:

£360m will be allocated by the government departments to charities providing ‘key services’ and supporting vulnerable people during the crisis. What constitutes a ‘vulnerable person’ is yet to be determined.This includes:

• £200m for hospices to help increase capacity and stability.
• St John Ambulance to support the NHS, for Citizens Advice to increase the number of staff providing advice and for charities supporting vulnerable children.

The government departments will be identifying priority recipients with the aim for charities to receive money in the coming weeks. We will update this page as details emerge.

In addition, the government has announced several smaller pots of funding for charities working in the following areas. This includes:

• £2m for charities that provide domestic abuse helplines and online support.
• 20m to international development charities and a further £50m for the Red Cross for their work in difficult to reach areas such as those suffering from armed conflict.
• £5m for leading mental health charities to expand support services

£370m will be provided to ‘small and medium-sized charities’ through the National Lottery Community Fund (NCLF), including those delivering food, essential medicines and providing financial advice. We understand the majority of funding will go to organisations with incomes under £1m with most grants likely to be up to £100k. The NLCF has said it considers diversity and inclusion issues throughout its decision-making process. More details about the application system is expected to be up and running within the coming week. Keep an eye on their website for updates.

Starting with a contribution of at least £20m to the National Emergencies Trust, the government will also match public donations to the BBC’s Big Night In charity appeal on 23 April.

This support builds on other measures announced by the government: the coronavirus job retention scheme, coronavirus business interruption loan scheme, and the deferment of VAT bills and business rates discounts for some types of charity.