Covid-19: Social impact funding you might miss – 26 Aug update

• For organisations worldwide
• For UK organisations

For organisations worldwide

Commonwealth Foundation: Special Covid-19 Grants Call (Commonwealth nations)

Deadline: 18 September 

Grants of £10,000-£30,000 for civil society organisations in Commonwealth member states. Aims to support national initiatives that engage constructively with government in strengthening institutions, policies, and practices as communities and countries seek to recover and rebuild. Applications should relate to one or more aspects of the Covid-19 situation and response.

Schmidt Futures: Futures Forum on Learning Tools Competition (Global)

Deadline: 18 September

Teachers, students, researchers, technologists, and ed tech leaders are invited to propose a tool, technology, platform, or research project that can accelerate recovery from Covid-19-related learning loss for students and advance the field of learning engineering. Participants can request an award in one of three tracks: $25,000 and under; $25,000-$100,000; or $100,000-$250,000. Up to $2m total will be awarded.

Digital Freedom Fund: Covid-19 Litigation Fund (Europe)

Deadline: 30 September

Supports strategic cases challenging the gravest digital rights violations that are either a direct result of responses to the pandemic or are demonstrably linked to and exacerbated by it. Priority given to applications that focus on addressing the negative impact felt by the most vulnerable groups in society. Open to any organisation advocating for digital rights; applications concerning all Council of Europe member states accepted.

Fundación MAPFRE: Ignacio H. de Larramendi Research Grants (Global)

Deadline: 30 October 

Research grants totalling €240,000 to provide financial support for research projects in area of health promotion, with special attention to projects which incorporate aspects related to Covid-19 such as reducing infections, self-care and the culture of self-protection, relationship between previous health status (lifestyle) and morbimortality, Covid-19 and mental health, etc.

For UK and Ireland organisations

Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund (Scotland)

Deadline: 3 September 

A £2.2m fund to help save grassroots live music venues from permanent closure and to ensure they can re-open safely and sustainably. Permanent venues with a capacity of under 600 that were financially sustainable before Covid-19 can apply for grants of £5,000-£50,000 to help them stabilise until 31 October. 

Catalyst / The National Lottery Community Fund: Covid-19 Digital Response (England)

Deadline: 7 and 20 September 

Grants of £5,000-£60,000 for registered charities and community organisations affected by Covid-19 to develop digital, data and design capabilities to continue delivering essential services. Funding is a combination of direct grants and payment for support from digital agencies. Two funding streams available: the Discovery Programme (deadline 7 Sept) and the Development Programme (20 September).

Social Enterprise Support Fund (England) - round 3

Deadline: 17 September 

Emergency grants for social enterprises based in England, at least one year old, incorporated as a social purpose organisation with an asset lock, and with pre-Covid annual income of £25,000- £1.5m. Applicants should rely on trading income for their sustainability and either support people with high risk of Covid-19, or those likely to face increased challenges as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Round 1/2 applicants cannot reapply, unless specifically asked to do so.

• Read: Funders reiterate diversity commitment as Social Enterprise Support Fund reopens for applications

Government of Wales: Childcare Provider Grant (Wales)

Deadline: 31 October 

Grants of £2,500-£5,000 available from a £4m+ fund to support childcare providers unable to access other support offered by the UK/Welsh governments and registered with the Care Inspectorate Wales (CWI). Funds can be used for rent, utilities and unmet wages.

Sanctuary Housing - Community Investment Fund (England)

Deadline: Ongoing

Currently prioritising initiatives responding directly to the challenges of Covid-19. Charities, community and voluntary groups, schools, and residents’ groups can apply for funding to help with challenges affecting the lives of Sanctuary residents in communities during the pandemic, including job losses, mental health, money management, social isolation, and health and wellbeing.

Milton Keynes Community Foundation: MK Recovery Fund (Milton Keynes only)

Deadline: Ongoing

Grants of up to £25,000 for constituted, unincorporated, registered charities, and nonprofits. This is a follow-up to the first round of funding to help eligible organisations recover from the pandemic and sustain their work. Priority to organisations working in areas of poverty, mental health, young people, BAME communities, domestic abuse, disability, and elderly people.

Where else to look for emergency funding

Find more recent funding announcements and upcoming deadlines in all our previous listings.

For more details of funding available for social enterprises, charities and community groups worldwide, check out the databases compiled by the Charity Excellence Framework; and at covidcap.com, from the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University. 

Why we need your support too

We're working hard to provide the most up-to-date news and resources to help social businesses and impact investors share their experiences and get through the Covid-19 crisis. But we need your support to continue. As a social enterprise ourselves, Pioneers Post relies on paid subscriptions and partnerships to sustain our purpose-led journalism – so if you think it's worth having an independent, mission-driven, specialist media platform for the impact movement, please click here to subscribe.