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irwell valley foundation

Supporting people, improving places and boosting communities

The Irwell Valley Foundation has a long history of supporting people, improving places and bringing communities together across Greater Manchester.

Set up to help people find local solutions to local problems and encourage positive change for our customers, the foundation provides funding to help people with their personal development and wellbeing, as well as projects and initiatives that benefit the wider community.

Last year we donated £100,000 to projects and initiatives that improved the lives of our customers and their local communities.

This funding has...

  • improved health and wellbeing 
  • helped people into employment, education and training
  • reduced loneliness
  • improved the appearance of neighbourhoods
  • helped people to access services and support to improve their personal circumstances 
  • helped young people learn new skills and access opportunities
  • reduced poverty

Discover how you could benefit from our support and apply today.

Funding criteria

Who can apply

Anyone can apply to the Irwell Valley Foundation. You don't need to be one of our customers, so long as what you want to achieve will benefit the communities we serve. 

We welcome applications from:

  • People who live in our homes.
  • People who don't live in our homes but have an idea that will benefit the communities we serve. Please click here to see the communities we serve, to see if you are entitled to apply for funding from us.
  • Voluntary, community groups and not for profit agencies that work in the communities we serve. Please click here to see the communities we serve, to see if you are entitled to apply for funding from us.

If you are under the age of 18, please arrange for a parent or guardian to countersign your application.

 

How much you can apply for

  • We will fund applications that benefit individual people up to value of £5,000 - For example - a college course, uniform for work, help to set up a business.
  • We will fund applications that bring long term benefits to a whole community up to the value of £10,000 - For example - a youth  initiative, a social enterprise, an employment programme. 

 

What we won't fund

  • Applications that will not benefit our customers or the communities we serve.
  • Individuals, groups or organisations that have previously received a grant from us if they have not completed an Evaluation Form or kept to the terms of the funding agreement.
  • Projects, activities and responsibilities where the Local Authority or other agency has a legal obligation to provide.
  • Repayment of loans, debts, interest payments or unanticipated shortfalls in a budget.
  • Endowments (to provide a source of income).
  • Contingency costs.
  • Funds that directly contribute to a company’s distributable profits.
  • Any costs that you incur when putting together your application.
  • Any costs incurred or committed before we confirm our grant (including deposits).
  • Running costs not directly relating to the project.
  • Bodies seeking to distribute grants/funds to others
  • Organisations/Groups with restricted or exclusive memberships
  • Political parties or political activities
  • Projects that promote religion
  • Feasibility studies
  • Vehicle related costs
  • Foreign travel
  • Medical research, advice and equipment
  • Organisations or groups with sufficient funds and excessive reserves without proof of clear fund-raising evidence

 

How you will know if you have been successful 

Applications are reviewed every other month (February, April, June, August, October, December). The outcome of this will be confirmed within seven days after we have made our decision. If your application is successful, you will receive an email or letter with an offer of funding.  

If you are not successful we will still let you know. We will explain why and if possible, we will suggest other people or organisation who may be able to help. 

We want to spend our money wisely and provide the maximum benefit to our customers and the communities we serve. Therefore we might not approve an application if we feel:

  • It doesn't meet the funding criteria
  • The group or person applying has too much income or money to be eligible for support
  • The project does not benefit the communities we serve

 

How the foundation is managed

The work of the Irwell Valley Foundation is overseen by a panel of Irwell Valley Homes customers, colleagues and Board members. The panel members meet once a month to oversee the work of the foundation and consider funding applications.

The endowment fund investment of £2m is managed by Forever Manchester, the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester, registered charity number 1017504.

 

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