Thank you to everyone that joined our first Scotmid Funding Q&A session. Here is a basic overview of the session questions and answers. If you have further questions, please reach out to membership@scotmid.co.uk
Community Grants (Up to £500)
Q. For the Community Grant of £500, can you apply all year or are there application rounds?
Applications are always open. The Regional Committees consider applications every 6-10 weeks.
Q. Our village community hall has already had a grant. Can the organisation creating the community garden beside it also apply?
Absolutely! Different good cause, different project.
Community Connect (£15,000 / £5,000)
Q. Are you accepting applications?
Applications are open now! Applications close on 3rd March 2022.
Q. If a charity applied for the Community Connect could it go towards redevelopment of the building they use?
Absolutely! If redeveloping the building will benefit community, then the charity is welcome to apply.
Q. Can Community Connect funding be led by one organisation but be used for partnership working with other community organisations to benefit the area as a whole?
Absolutely! We do need the lead organisation to apply but we love collaboration/cooperation!
Q. How often is Community Connect funding open e.g. once or twice per year
Twice each year – around January/February and August. Updates are posted on @scotmid social media.
Q. Are larger charities more successful when members cast their Community Connect votes?
Not necessarily! We find that members are project rather than brand focused. We have seen the smallest good causes with no paid employees and a small volunteer base successfully capture the member vote.
Q. If a charity applied for Community connect, could this go towards emergency grants for children and their families? ( The packs consist of educational items, toys and information for parents as well as vouchers for essentials.)
Community Connect funding (£15000/5000) could be used to create packs for families. Keep in mind the time between application and award is around 8 months.
Q. Can Community Connect groups apply to be your COTY?
Community Connect groups can apply to become our COTY/Charity Partner.
Q. If we were previously unsuccessful in a Community Connect application, can we reapply?
Yes – you can apply again the following year.
Q. Is Community Connect shortlisting fair? Is it always large charities that are selected?
Community Connect is open to all good causes. Unlike most organisations, we do not insist on charitable status. We welcome applications from any project that benefits the communities that we serve. The process begins with an online application. All eligible applications (in each of the three Scottish region) are sent to a panel of volunteers (50% are elected members) who select and rank. The results are collated and six (from each Scottish region) are invited to meet the East, North or West selection panel to discuss their proposals. The panels then shortlist three each. These nine go forward to a member vote to share £75,000. We hope this thorough and inclusive process introduces a level of fairness and lack of bias that may exist when funding decisions are made by individuals.
National funding
Q. Is there an application form the national level of funding that was mentioned?
If you have a project that does not ‘fit’ our funding streams, please do get in touch for a chat. Recent projects have included a large 2-year donation to PCUK (£80,000) and the start-up costs for a community fridge (£2500) This is the ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ conversation we need to have!
Charity Partnership/COTY
Q. What is the selection process for charity of the year? Is it a staff vote?
The selection panel is made up of 14 colleagues from across the Society. There are several parts to the process, with the panel independently voting to shortlist 4 charities and then selecting the partner after meeting the shortlisted charities.
Q. Can a Scottish charity be COTY?
Scotmid Charity Partners need to align with our trading areas, which covers Scotland, NI and North England, so that all our colleagues are included in fundraising. Scotland-only charities have become our partners by joining forces with relevant organisations to achieve geographical spread. Our current partnership is with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, CHAS. Three other children’s hospices across Scotmid’s trading areas will also benefit from funds raised: Jigsaw, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and St Oswald’s Hospice. Our previous partnerships have included SSPCA, who incorporated RSPCA and USPCA.
Q. When do applications open?
Updates are posted to @scotmid social media.
General
Q. Do you only accept funding applications from registered charities?
Good causes of any size/status are welcome to apply. If your actions benefit our communities, we want to hear from you!
Q. Are there restrictions on applying for more than one scheme you offer?
You can apply for a Community Grant and Community Connect at the same time. If you wish to apply for Community Grant/Connect plus national funding or COTY then we would ask you to have a chat with us first.
Q. You mentioned that Scotmid supply raffle prizes, tea & coffee etc for fundraising events. Do I contact my local Scotmid manager?
No – all awards are organised by our Communities Managers. Simply email membership@scotmid.co.uk. Tell us who you are, what you are doing, what you would like us to donate and add your postal address.
Q. Can you apply for a regional project and a national project?
Best reach out to us for a chat, membership@scotmid.co.uk
Q. Do you prefer capital to revenue funding?
Capital for Community Grants but Community Connect is more flexible.
Q. Can I apply to The Coop too?
Absolutely. Scotmid is completely independent from all other cooperatives.
Q. Could you please tell me the three biggest focuses for Scotmid that you feel would make the biggest impact among communities in Scotland?
Our core purpose remains the same as it was when we formed over 160 years ago, to serve our communities and improve people’s everyday lives. Community needs vary from one town to another and across Scotland as a whole. We let our communities tell us what they need. Our Communities Managers and Elected Members work closely together to deliver our core purpose in a meaningful way.
Slides: fundingQ&A