Cost of Living FundNewsSign saying grants open!

OCF have opened a new round of grant funding to help community organisations tackle the cost of living and build resilience. Applications are now open and close on Tuesday 27th June at midday.

Our second round of cost-of-living grant funding has now launched, totalling £240,000, with a particular focus on building resilience. These grants are funded by OCF donors and £100,000 from Oxfordshire County Council, and will also be supported through a dedicated fundraising appeal. The terms of reference for the grant funding has been shaped from the outcomes of our recent consultation with local charitable organisations about how the continued high cost of living is affecting them. We want to ensure that the grants are targeting the current critical challenges which have evolved since the cost-of-living crisis first hit last year.

The consultation showed that some charities are struggling to survive, let alone thrive as their own costs rise and demand increases. Alongside this, the cost-of-living crisis has not subsided for the poorest communities leading to continued need for food and debt relief advice as well as longer-term issues such as mental health problems, embedded debt and increased isolation.

Cllr Michael O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Inequalities says:

“Oxfordshire County Council is delighted to be pooling funds with Oxfordshire Community Foundation donors for a second round of support to the county’s essential grassroots organisations as they help build community resilience in the face of unprecedented cost of living increases. We know that investing in our strong voluntary sector will pay dividends in terms of impact for residents and together we are standing alongside communities through these hard times.”

The key dates for the grants round are:

  • Application period – from 5pm on Friday 9th June to midday on Tuesday 27th June 2023
  • Funding decisions announced – by Friday 4th August 2023
  • Grants paid – by 31st August 2023

Zoe Sprigings, CEO of Oxfordshire Community Foundation says:

“I am so grateful to everyone who has contributed to our Cost Of Living fund and I encourage more to join them. Oxfordshire’s grassroots organisations need a lifeline to get them through this sustained period of inflation, as so many residents would be lost without their support.  With them in mind, we have worked to make this our simplest application process yet, so that even the smallest volunteer groups are able to apply.”

Details of amounts available and eligibility are now available to view online along with the online application form. We can confirm that this next round of funding will allow applications for core costs, which we hope will help grantees plan for next autumn and winter.

As the window for applications is only 2 weeks, we have simplified the form and application requirements. Please don’t hesitate to contact us on ocf@oxfordshire.org or 01865 798666 with any questions. The team is available to provide support with your application.

You may be interested to read our top tips for grant applications, to increase the likelihood of a successful application.