DHSSPS Core Grants for Voluntary Organisations

Overview

Supports the role of voluntary organisations and volunteers who assist the Department in attaining its policy objectives in the health and personal social services field.

These notes of guidance have been prepared by DHSSPS to explain how the grants programmes work and to advise voluntary and community organisations wishing to apply for a grant of the relevant criteria and conditions. They should not be regarded as an authoritative statement of the law.

Authority for Grants

The Strategy for Grant making is set out in the Strategy for the Support of the Voluntary Sector and for Community Development in Northern Ireland. This document, which is currently being revised, indicates that the Department will consider applications in support of;

• (a) the core costs of regional voluntary and community organisations whose services help the Department to further its policy objectives;
• (b) the core costs of regional voluntary and community organisations that provide resources and support to the wider voluntary sector;
• (c) projects with a regional or potentially regional application that seem likely to promote the Department's policy objectives;
• (d) projects that assist the development of the infrastructure of the wider voluntary and community sector.
• (e) capital grants are given only rarely to regional voluntary and community organisations whose services help further the Department's policy objectives.

The two main types of grant available are;

• (a) revenue grants which are offered to support an organisation's core activity or to support projects; and
• (b) capital grants payable towards lands, property, or equipment costs.

There is no minimum or maximum level of grant in cash terms, but funds are limited and this restricts the number and amount of awards that can be made. Applicants should demonstrate a need for the grant and should be able to show other efforts that they have made to raise or attract lunding. In dealing with new applications and requests for renewal of grant in the context of competing demands from eligible organisations the Department will as appropriate consider the following factors when deciding how funds should be allocated;

• the extent to which the services to be provided to meet practical needs;
• whether the organisation is duplicating work already being funded;
• whether there are realistic and achievable objectives and means of assessing that these have been met;
• efforts to attract other resources;
• the extent to which the organisation uses volunteers or promotes volunteering;
• the effectiveness of the organisation's management and financial controls.

Revenue Grants Core Activity

A core grant is made to assist with certain central costs of a regional voluntary and community organisation whose services help the Department to further its policy objectives or which provides resources and support to the wider voluntary and community sector. It can cover:

• central administrative costs (i.e. costs administering the organisation rather than providing the services for which the body exists);
• costs of providing training, advice, information, other practical support to local groups, other organisations and end users; costs of developmental work;
• costs of putting views to the public, to the private sector, and to Government, on behalf of the voluntary and community organisation and its members; costs of involving volunteers.
• A core grant will not cover administration costs included in the price of contracted services

Subject to availability of resources the Department may core fund if it:has a clear long term policy need for fir. Services provided;

• values the range of services being provided by the voluntary and community organisation, and agrees with the organisation's view of their relative priority;
• values the body's expertise and ability to develop new approaches to meeting needs.

Only in very exceptional circumstances may a core grant exceed 75% of an organisation's reckonable expenditure for grant, and the actual proportion payable is usually much lower. The Department will expect the organisation to explore thoroughly all other possible resources of funding and to demonstrate that it has done so. In certain circumstances the Department may provide short term ftmding towards advice to an organisation on ways of increasing its income from other sources.

Renewal of a grant is by no means automatic. For example, if an organisation ceases to be effective, or if its objectives do not fit the Department's funding priorities, its grant will be stopped. A renewal application will be subject to the same assessment procedures as a new application, and account will be taken of the organisation's performance and achievements during the preceding grant period as demonstrated through the monitoring and evaluation reports received.

Example Grants

• Action Mental Health £74,608 (2005)
• Autism NI (PAPA) £46,148 (2006)
• Aware Defeat Depression

How to Apply

"A submission detailing proposals for the future delivery of Departmental grant funding to the Third Sector is currently with the Minister for consideration (as of 10 January 2010). We won't be calling for any new applications for core or project funding for 2012/13 until a decision has been made. We will be in touch with NICVA when this position changes."

A project grants scheme will open prior to any announcement on the future of core funding.There is an annual cycle for making core grant applications, and for giving decisions on the award of core grants.

A voluntary organisation which wishes to discuss a proposed grant application and is unsure of the appropriate liaison point should contact Family Policy Unit which will refer it to the relevant official.

Family Policy Unit
Room C4.22, Castle Buildings
BELFAST BT4 3PP
Tel: 028 9052 0530

Disability and Mental Health Unit
Room 119/120, Dundonald House
BELFAST BT4 3SF
Tel: 028 9052 4294/4262

Health Promotion Branch
Room C4.22, Castle Buildings
BELFAST BT43PP
Tel: 028 9052 0533

Child Care Unit
Room 508A, Dundonald House
BELFAST BT4 3SF
Tel: 028 9052 5051

Elderly & Community Care Unit
Room 115, Dundonald House
BELFAST BT4 3SF
Tel: 028 9052 4950

Emergency Planning Unit
Annex 4, Castle Buildings
BELFAST BT43PP
Tel: 028 9052 3351

Secondary Care Unit
Room 113, Dundonald House
BELFAST BT4 3SF
Tel: 028 9052 4728

HPSS Superannuation Branch
Waterside House
LONDONDERRY
Tel: 028 7131 9141

REMEMBER always to check you are using the most up to date forms with the Department.