The Co-operative Membership Community Fund FAQs
1. How can I apply?
Applications to the Community Fund can only be submitted online.
2. How much can I apply for?
Between £100 and £2,000. If you are a newly formed group (less than three months old) the maximum you can apply for is £500.
3. Who can apply?
Community groups, voluntary groups, self-help groups, community charities or local branches of national charities are eligible to apply.
4. What types of things can my group apply for?
Anything from equipment to event costs, help towards rent or fixtures, sport or computer equipment. If you need further clarification as to whether your project items are eligible, please call 0161 827 5879.
5. Can my group apply for running costs?
Yes, the fund now supports running costs including, rent, heat, light etc.
6. Who can be an independent referee?
Anyone who knows about the group but has no direct link to it, for example a PTA of a school could not ask the head teacher of the same school to act as referee as their pupils would be beneficiaries of the grant. Basically the referee needs to be someone who could never benefit from the grant, now or in the future. The referee also needs to be independent from the applicant and not related in any way.
7. What account information is required for applications over £500?
If you are applying for over £500 you must provide a copy of your group’s most recent accounts. If you do not have accounts, you could submit a three-month record of your income and expenditure, signed by the group’s treasurer. This could be a spreadsheet kept by the group, logging all the income and all the itemised spending of the group. Bank statements will not be accepted. Accounts do not have to be audited.
8. If I'm asking for money to update a building, does my group have to own the building?
Your group either needs to own the building or own the lease (detail the length of time left on the lease), if you are asking for money towards building or renovation costs, or anything that will be a permanent unmoveable fixture.
9. How long does it take to get a decision?
Groups will receive a letter notifying them whether their application has been successful or otherwise within four months.
10. Who decides whether my group is successful?
There are over 50 Area Committees made up of democratically elected members of The Co-operative Group who meet and decide on applications from their specific area. With their local knowledge, they are tasked with making the tough decisions on which projects to fund. These meetings are generally held every other month.
12. Do groups always get the full amount they apply for?
No. Area Committees have a limited pot of money and may only have enough to make a donation towards the project.
For any further questions contact us at:
Community Fund
New Century House
Manchester
M60 4ES
By phone:
Help line: 0161 827 5879
By email:
community.fund@co-operative.coop