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The Charities Aid Foundation has given out its first 500 grants from its Coronavirus Emergency Fund, totalling more than £2.3m.
CAF launched the total fund, comprising more £5m of funding from CAF and an additional £1m from private individuals, trusts and businesses, in late March, offering grants of up to £10,000.
However, the organisation was forced to close it to applications on 5 April after receiving more than 5,000 in a single week, requesting a total of more than £40m.
The CAF Coronavirus Emergency Fund was established to get help to small charitable organisations to cover core costs including staffing, volunteer costs or equipment, such as SIM cards for volunteers who are keeping in touch with vulnerable people over the phone.
The charities awarded grants from the fund cover a wide range of cause areas, with the most common being poverty prevention, followed by health and children and young people.
Monica Brown, CAF’s head of charity advisory and programmes, said: “We have now managed to get funds to 500 charities and have heard from members of the public, CAF clients and businesses of their desire to help CAF get this emergency money to the charities battling through these times.
“It is our plan to continue to grow this fund so that we will be in a position to help more small organisations to continue to deliver vital services in the weeks and months ahead.”