Launch of Comic Relief's New Core Strength Programme (UK)

The Core Strength Programme is provided by Comic Relief. It is partly funded by HM Treasury's 'Tampon Tax' to help tackle the various issues that many women and girls face.
Through the Programme, Comic Relief wants to recognise the importance of local community organisations and the pivotal role they play across the UK.
For the first time Comic Relief is providing grants for core costs, which are defined as the core costs of running an organisation. This includes salaries, overheads and day-to-day running costs such as rent, heating and lighting. Grants can also be awarded to support specific work that will strengthen organisations for the future. This could include improving leadership and governance, or planning and development.
Examples of the kind of work that might receive funding through this programme include:

• Strategic planning and policy improvement, including business planning, fundraising strategies, income generation, policy and procedure reviews.
• Planning to improve structures and systems that will improve efficiency and quality, including financial controls, human resources, management of volunteers, risk management, monitoring frameworks, impact assessment and accredited quality marks.
• Improvements in leadership and governance, including review of board/committee policy and practice, Trustee training, involving users, change management and new skills development eg around social entrepreneurship.
• General running costs, including rent, lighting, heating or contributions towards salaries.

Grants of up to £40,000 over 24 months of activity (£20,000 each year) are available. It is expected that about 100 organisations will receive funding.
Charitable organisations in the UK are eligible to apply as long as they have a turnover of between £100,000 and £500,000. They must be delivering services in one of Comic Relief's programme areas (at least 75% of an organisation's activity must fit one of these themes):

• Investing in children and young people.
• Empowering women and girls.
• Improving health and wellbeing.
• Building stronger communities.

The deadline for applications is 27 July 2016 (midday).