Oxford City Council has made a further £10,000 of small grants available for local charities and community groups through the innovative online matching platform The Good Exchange.
Following a successful pilot earlier this year, the City Council will offer further grants of up to £1,000 through the second round of its 2018 Small Grants Scheme on the platform.
Grants will be available to organisations based in Oxford that promote equality, community cohesion, healthy living, or that tackle poverty and deprivation.
Local charities and community groups can apply for the grants via The Good Exchange website. Those that meet the criteria will be automatically matched and shortlisted to the City Council. In addition, their application will be matched to all other eligible grant givers on the platform, cutting the time taken to apply for grants and eliminating the need for multiple applications.
The Good Exchange, a charity-owned, non-profit, social platform also provides charities and community groups with the ability to manage fundraising events and public donations.
During the successful pilot between January and March this year, the City Council awarded £4,000 via The Good Exchange to the following groups:
- £590 was awarded to the Oxfordshire Play Association to contribute towards the delivery of a Level 2 Diploma in Playwork for up to nine people who are long-term unemployed or in low skilled, low paid work
- £1,200 was awarded to My Life My Choice to contribute towards three social sessions of the Stingray Club for people with learning disabilities
- £2,241 was awarded to the Young People’s Puppet Theatre to work with 35 children at Wolvercote Primary School to make marionettes, but specifically to fund the rehearsal and performance of show with their marionettes for the local community.
Oxford City Council provides £1.4m of grants every year to local charities and community groups. The grants are provided to organisations to help tackle inequality, deprivation and homelessness, and promote arts and culture.
Councillor Marie Tidball, Executive Board Member for Supporting Local Communities, said: “We are very pleased to open the second round of the Small Grants Scheme to local charities and community groups through The Good Exchange.
“This online platform demonstrates the City Council’s commitment to seek innovative ways of supporting groups and organisations in Oxford, allowing them to fundraise more effectively.”
Bryan Michell, Oxfordshire My Life My Choice Association, said: “We found that the Good Exchange was an excellent platform for charities like ourselves, to apply for grant funding and will be helpful for us to access different sources of funding. The process was straightforward, streamlined and easy to use.”
Caitlin Duschenes, Young People’s Puppet Theatre, said: “The application process through the Good Exchange was really straightforward and quick. Furthermore, the team at the Good Exchange were very helpful and supportive”
All applications for the City Council’s Small Grants Scheme 2018 – Second Round, which is now open, should be made through The Good Exchange.
Applications will be decided upon by the City Council as they come in, so charities and community groups are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date, 1 March 2019, or once the funding has been fully allocated, if earlier.
For more information about eligibility criteria for funding please visit www.thegoodexchange.com and search for Oxford City Council’s Small Grants 2018 – Second Round funding scheme.
ENDS
For more information contact
Oxford City Council
Press office
01865 252096
pressoffice@oxford.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
Media contacts
Caitlin Mullally / Charlotte Martin
The Good Exchange team at Finn Partners
TheGoodExchange@finnpartners.com
020 3217 7060
About The Good Exchange
The Good Exchange is a transformational not-for-profit cloud platform specifically designed to match those organisations and individuals who have money to give to good causes with those who need it most; on a local, regional and national basis.
As the only platform to bring together grant-making, donations, charitable projects and fundraising in one place, the automated matching system with its simple single on-line application form will revolutionise charitable giving, making it more accessible, transparent and collaborative. For the first time, those seeking to raise money for local good causes will be able to access all sources of funding including charitable trusts, corporate givers, fundraisers and public through a single process.