Volunteering Support Grant

Transcription

1 Volunteering Support Grant Application Guidance Notes The Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) has over 30 years experience of funding inspiring volunteering programmes across the Scotland. Its dual approach of providing funding and development support has had a significant impact on some of the country s most vulnerable communities. Effective volunteering can be a really powerful tool for delivering vital services to Scotland s communities. Volunteering can also bring substantial benefits to the volunteers themselves; the organisations they work within and the wider community. It is the word effective that is important. Effective volunteering projects have mechanisms to seek out, recruit, induct, train, and manage volunteers. They have clear volunteering role descriptions, intelligent risk management policies, attractive routes into other opportunities and good connections with agencies that can provide additional support. As part of the Volunteering Support Fund, funded by the Scottish Government, VAF now invites eligible organisations to apply for the Volunteering Support Grant (VSG). The VSG offers funding to third sector organisations to create new or enhanced volunteering projects, increasing the diversity of volunteers, especially those from disadvantaged groups and improving opportunities, skills and personal development through volunteering. The grant will also support third sector organisations to enhance their services and improve their capacity to deploy, support and train volunteers. Funding of up to 10,000 is available for up to 12 months activity. VAF particularly welcomes applications from organisations who have little experience of volunteering. Eligibility criteria To be eligible to apply for a Volunteering Support Grant applicants must be: A Third sector organisation (voluntary organisation or community group) whose Board of Trustees or Management Committee are predominantly volunteers Working in Scotland with an annual income of below 250,000 in their last financial year Organisations who can start the project within 10 days of receiving funding Organisations do not need to be registered charities, although their constitution/set of rules should make clear that funds will only be spent on purposes established in the constitution, and not distributed amongst members. 1

2 Rules for branches An organisation which is part of, or a branch of, a larger organisation with an income greater than 250,000 may still be eligible for the VSG if it can show it is sufficiently independent of the parent company, manages its own affairs and can account for the money. To help clarify this, VAF has developed rules for branches, which are described below: For a branch to be eligible for the VSG: The branch should have an income of less than 250,000 in its most recent financial year. The branch should have a bank account in its own name (rather than the parent organisation s name) The branch should have its own management committee which has delegated authority for the strategy and activities of the branch including the authority to raise and spend its own funds The relationship between the branch and its parent group should be clarified in documents in the name of the parent group. This could include: a handbook for branches; clauses in the parent group s constitution; a set of rules or guidelines for branches. The above documents should clarify the powers of the management committee and the process for accounting to the parent group for funds, such as a branch return. Outcomes to be achieved Successful applicants will demonstrate that by the end of the grant, their project will have delivered the following outcomes: created new volunteering projects, or extended an existing one, with additional volunteers that will increase the diversity of volunteers, especially those who experience disadvantage provided improved opportunities for skills and personal development through volunteering improved the organisation s capacity to deploy, support and train volunteers, and enhanced the services they deliver to better meet the needs of the communities they operate within 2

3 During the year applicants should recruit at least 15 new volunteers, of whom 10 will be from groups listed below. Table 1. People who may experience disadvantage (Target Volunteers) People on low incomes People with physical illness People with mental illness People with a physical disability People with a learning disability People with dementia/alzheimer s Carers People affected by abuse Older people Young people Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people Offenders / Ex-offenders Young people at risk of offending People affected by homelessness People affected by addictions Single Parents People from BME communities Priorities for funding Applicant organisations with an income of less than 100,000 will be considered a priority for funding. Should the grant programme be oversubscribed the following will also be considered when deciding on successful applications. Whether applicant organisations are: Based in, or deliver services predominantly to, regeneration areas or areas of high deprivation Based in one of the following local authority areas; Clackmannanshire; East Ayrshire; Falkirk; Inverclyde; North Lanarkshire; Renfrewshire; South Ayrshire Run by, or delivering services mainly to, people who experience disadvantage or groups covered by the 2010 Equality Act. What to apply for VAF will consider funding activities which allow organisations to meet the outcomes of the fund. In previous volunteering programmes, funds have been used to: increase the hours of an existing staff member buy in support to help develop volunteering opportunities and practices pay for volunteers expenses training for staff, committee members and volunteers trial a new idea by seeking funding for a pilot project 3

4 What will not be funded? VAF will not fund: The continuation of an established scheme or project An organisation s core costs (other than overheads relating to the project, if they come to less than 15% of the total project cost) Activities promoting a religion or political party Items or services that only benefit an individual Activities that will take place out-with the 12 month funding period Applications from individuals, statutory bodies or commercial businesses Funding period The grant must be spent (and all the activities completed) within 12 months of the award being made (by 31 March 2016). At the end of this period, organisations will have made specific improvements to the way they recruit, involve and support target volunteers, and these improvements will be sustainable beyond the end of the grant period. Grant payments For grants over 6,500, an initial payment will be made at the start of the grant with a second payment after six months, subject to satisfactory progress being made. For grants below 6,500, the full payment will be made at the start of the grant, though organisations will still report on progress at 6 months or at the end of the project if that is first. How to apply Read these Guidance Notes and complete the electronic application form which can be downloaded from the VAF website at The completed electronic application form should be ed to VSG@vaf.org.uk Please put your organisation s name in the subject line of the . You should receive an automatic response from this address confirming receipt of your application. If you do not receive a response, please contact the Volunteering Team. You should also attach to the complete copies of your organisation s: Signed governing document or constitution. Branches of larger organisations should also attach the document(s) mentioned on page 2. Most recent, signed, independently examined or audited accounts. If you re a new organisation without your first set of accounts, please contact the Volunteering Team for guidance. If you re a branch of a larger organisation, 4

5 please submit your financial Branch Return as well as the Accounts of your parent body. Job descriptions for any staff for which you are applying for funding If you do not have, or cannot make, electronic copies of these documents, paper copies should be sent by post to: Voluntary Action Fund Suite 3, Forth House Burnside Business Court North Road Inverkeithing KY11 1NZ If these documents are not provided, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted. The deadline for submitting the application form and all other documents is 5 pm on the 27 February VAF aims to notify applicants of whether they have been successful by within 6 weeks of these deadlines. If you have not heard within 6 weeks, and there is nothing from VAF in your junk mail, please contact the Volunteering team on

6 Using the Electronic Application Form To fill in the electronic application form you will need Microsoft Excel or later versions. Once the Excel file is opened each page of the application form is a separate worksheet (or tab). Clicking on the page number at the bottom of the screen will take you to that page. Use the scroll bar on the right hand side of the screen or the up and down arrows on your keyboard to move up and down the page. Enter your response to each question in the appropriate white box. Your responses can be entered in one of two ways: 1. Click on the white box and type it in directly and when finished click enter or tab on your keyboard. If your response is bigger than the available space the box will expand while you are typing. Once you click enter or tab on your keyboard the box will go back to its original size. You may not see all the text you have entered, but it is still there and we will be able to read it. If you want to see all the text again double click on the box and it will open allowing you to see it all. To move to a new line within the text box in which you are currently working press Alt and Enter together. Clicking Enter on its own will accept your entry and close that text box. Pressing the tab key will accept your entry, close that text box and move you to the next text box in the application form. Using this method will only allow very limited formatting of your responses. For example, you will not be able to use bullet points. If you do want to format your response, or include a large amount of text, you may find it easier to use the second method for entering your responses described below. 2. Compose your response in a Word document and cut or copy into the appropriate text box. To do this: Open both the Word document and the electronic application form. Copy the required text from the Word document (highlight it, right click and select "copy"). In the electronic application form double click the appropriate text box. You should see the cursor begin to flash in the box. Right-click and select "paste". While the box is still open you can edit the text (but not format it). Click Enter or Tab to close the box. To edit the text once a text box has been closed, double click on it to open it again and using your mouse or arrow keys move the cursor to the point in the text where you want to make a change. Click Alt and Enter to move to a new line within the text box in which you are currently working. Clicking Enter on its own will accept your entry and 6

7 close that text box. Clicking tab will accept your entry, close that text box and move you to the next text box in the application form. Please be concise in your responses the bigger text boxes for your responses are limited to a maximum of 1,800 characters, including spaces. If the text you have entered is bigger than the white space provided on the application form you will not be able to see it all if you print the application form. If this is the case and you want a paper copy of the form you will need to keep a Word copy of these questions and your responses. Some text boxes are designed with a list of pre-set options where you must choose one as your answer. These text boxes, when selected, display a small downward facing triangle to the right of it. Click on the triangle and a drop-down list of options will appear. Click on your answer to select it. The electronic form can be saved at any point and re-opened later to continue working on it. To save the form use the Save as function and navigate to the folder you want to save it into. 7

8 Completing the Application Form Page Name of your Organisation This should be the name of the organisation applying for a grant who will be responsible to VAF and the Scottish Government for its use. 1.2 Address for correspondence This should be the address of the applicant organisation, where the main contact for the funding application can be contacted. Please also provide your organisation s website address if applicable. 1.3 Main Contact This is the person who is authorised by your organisation to make this application and who we can contact should we need to discuss the application further. 1.4 Bank Account Details This should be an account in the name of the applicant organisation and into which we will pay any grant award. Payments from this account must be authorised by at least two people who are signatories on the account. 1.5 Legal Status Using the dropdown box, choose one option that describes the legal structure of your organisation. If your legal structure is not listed choose Other and describe the legal structure in the next text box. If you are a registered charity, please provide your Scottish Charity number. Page 2 Is your organisation a branch of another charity? Answer yes if your organisation has been set up under the constitution or rules of another organisation that can exercise authority over your organisation, and supply the name of the parent body. 1.6 What are your organisation's main activities? Describe the purposes of your organisation and the activities it carries out to further those purposes. Tell us if you are an affiliated member of a network of organisations. For example, if you operate under an umbrella body or work to a National set of standards such as Homestart or the SPPA. 1.7 Who benefits from your organisation s work and how? Describe the main beneficiaries from the work of your organisation and how they benefit from the services you provide. 1.8 How do volunteers contribute to the work of your organisation? Describe the main roles and activities carried out by your current volunteers within your organisation. Tell us how these benefit the volunteers themselves, 8

9 Page 3 your organisation and the wider community. Demonstrate the contribution of volunteers by describing the number of services or activities delivered by volunteers and how many people or organisations benefit. For example 20 volunteers provide one to one counseling sessions two evenings a week to 230 clients a year. If you do not currently involve volunteers in your work tell us that here, and explain why you want to involve volunteers. In section 2.7 and 2.8 you will be asked more about your proposals for involving volunteers. VAF defines a volunteer as: someone who, of their own choice, freely gives their time and energy for the benefit of an individual, or groups and organisations, or communities, or the environment or society at large, for no financial gain. 1.9 Describe the makeup of your management committee, the skills and experiences of its members and the processes you have for supporting them. Describe the decision making structure of your organisation. What is the governing body of your charity (Board of Trustees, Management Committee etc) and how often does it meet? Are members elected or invited to be on the governing body and how long is their average term of office? What office bearers are currently in place? What skills and experience do they have and how do they contribute to the work of the organisation? Are there any sub-committees with particular responsibilities, for example for finance or staffing, and how often do they meet? Tell us also what induction, training and support is provided for new or existing members of the governing body. Please also tell us if any members of the management committee are also employees of the organisation What active policies does your organisation have in place to guide your work? The actual policies you have in place will, to some extent, depend on your activities and could include an equal opportunities policy; a health and safety policy or a child protection or vulnerable adult s policy The people involved in your organisation To help us understand the size of your charity, we want to know the numbers of people involved in your organisation. Tell us how many committee members or Trustees your organisation currently has in place, and how many volunteers carry out another/different role (irrespective of the amount of time they devote to the organisation or the regularity of their involvement). The number of part-time staff should be given as the headcount i.e. the actual number rather than a combined full-time equivalent. 9

10 1.12 Is your organisation a social enterprise? For the purposes of this application we define a social enterprise as an organisation that fulfills all 5 criteria below. It: Has social and/or environmental purposes Aspires to obtain at least 50% of its income from trading activity Re-invests all surpluses to fulfill its social and/or environmental purposes Is not a subsidiary of a public sector body Is driven by positive social and ethical values that shape its purposes and business activities Does your organisation provide public services? Answer yes if your organisation provides services which are open to the general public or groups of people within your community, including if you charge for these Annual income in last financial year The total income received by the applicant organisation as disclosed in the most recent independently examined or audited accounts. Enter "0" if your organisation is new and has not completed its first year. Page 4 Section 1 continued 1.15 Does your organisation work in the equalities field? For the purpose of this application we define an organisation as working in the equalities field if it works with individuals, groups or issues to overcome discrimination related to the following protected characteristics set out the 2010 Equality Act: Age Disability Gender re-assignment Marriage and civil partnership Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion and belief Sex Sexual orientation If your organisation is run by, or works with people in the field of equalities as defined above, select the protected characteristic(s) that your organisation works with from the drop down boxes. 10

11 1.16 What local authority area is your organisation based in? From the drop down box, please select the local authority where your organisation is based. This is where you have your headquarters, or if you don t have a base, where most of your activities take place Will the project be developed primarily within an area of regeneration or high deprivation If the majority of the work to be carried out through your project will take place in an area of regeneration or high deprivation, please provide details here. You should also provide evidence for how you identified it as such, e.g. if the area is listed by your local authority as a regeneration area or if it has a high rating in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation Provide details of an independent referee who knows the work of your organisation This should be someone who is independent of your organisation (not a member, staff member, volunteer or someone who benefits) but who knows the work you do and is aware of the project this application seeks funding for. They could be, but do not have to be, a member of staff in a local statutory body (such as the Council or Health Service) or local third sector support agency (such as your local Third Sector Interface). Tell us also their relationship to your organisation, i.e. how do they know about your work? 1.19 Where did you hear about this grant? To help us improve how we promote VAF s grant schemes, please tell us how you heard about the grant. For example, it could have been through your local Third Sector Interface, the press, an from VAF or the VAF website. Page 5 Section 2 Tell us about your project 2.1 What is the name of the project for which you are applying for funding? Provide a short name for your project that we can use in correspondence with you or that you will use in publicity and promotional material. 2.2 Project Summary; briefly describe your project, including demonstrating how it is additional to what you are already doing Provide an overall summary of the project for which you are seeking funding. What will you do with the funding if you are successful and what will it achieve? Successful organisations will be able to show their project is additional to what is already being done, either by delivering new work, or expanding existing work. Funded organisations will have shown they can increase the diversity of their volunteers by creating new opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It might be helpful to complete this section last. 11

12 2.3 Please describe the need for your project What issue or problems will the development of volunteering within your organisation address? Be as specific as possible providing evidence of the need for the project. Describe also how the development of volunteering within your organisation will address those needs. 2.4 Please describe how the project will be managed? What arrangements will be made to oversee the project and ensure the planned activities are being carried out and the outcomes achieved. Page Please describe the activities to be carried out and any targets for these Describe in detail the approaches, methods and activities you will undertake to develop volunteering and why, bearing in mind this fund is for developing new work, or expanding existing work. Be as specific as possible and include targets or numbers for these activities. For example, deliver 3 training courses on Health & Safety to 30 participants. You may wish to include a timeline. 2.6 How will you measure that the activities you plan to carry out are being achieved? Describe the systems and methods you will use to record whether you are delivering the activities and targets described above. For example, keeping a training diary to record the number of sessions delivered and the number of participants at each. See Evaluation Support Scotland s website ( for further information about evaluation tools and monitoring impact. 2.7 Tell us about the volunteers who will be involved in this project, including the number of additional volunteers to be recruited, indicating how many of these are from disadvantaged backgrounds. What will you do to support volunteers? Successful applicants to the VSG will increase the diversity of their volunteers by creating new volunteering opportunities for a further 15 people, of whom 10 will be Target Volunteers (see table 1 page 3). What groups of volunteers will you target? Also tell us about the tasks or activities your volunteers will be involved in and how will you support and develop them? 2.8 How and where will you recruit the additional volunteers for this project? How will the volunteering opportunities be promoted? What specific methods will you use to ensure you recruit volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds? Page 7 VAF is committed to supporting organisations that can demonstrate funding will make a difference. In this important section of the form, please describe the change that will result from your volunteering project. 12

13 2.9 What will change for volunteers as a result of your project s activities? Tell us about the changes or difference (the outcomes) volunteering will bring about for the volunteers, and how this will be achieved. How will they increase their skills or develop personally? Will volunteering increase their employability or health and wellbeing? Will they be able to access training or employment? Be as specific as possible with numbers or targets. For example we expect that 20 volunteers will have increased their employability through improved CVs and work experience. See Appendix 1 for examples of Outcomes your project might achieve for Volunteers What will change for your organisation as a result of the project s activities? Tell us about the changes (the outcomes) the project will bring about for your organisation and how this will be achieved. For example, what will be the impact on your ability to deploy, support and train volunteers? How will your capacity be increased? What will be the effect of increasing the diversity of volunteers? Be as specific as possible with numbers or targets. For example we expect to increase our capacity to involve volunteers and deliver our services through a new volunteering policy and recruit 15 new volunteers to support 20 new clients. See Appendix 1 for examples of Outcomes your project might achieve for your organisation What will change for the wider community as a result of your project s activities? Tell us about the changes or difference (the outcomes) developing volunteering within your organisation will bring about for the wider community in which you operate and how this will be achieved. Will the project allow you to enhance your operations by delivering new services or enhancing existing ones? Be as specific as possible with numbers or targets. For example we expect to increase the number of counseling sessions for people with drug and alcohol problems from 2 to 4 per week benefiting 50 new clients a year. See Appendix 1 for examples of Outcomes your project might achieve for communities. 13

14 Page How will you measure progress towards achieving the changes listed in 2.9, 2.10 and 2.11 above? Describe the processes and methods you will use to monitor and evaluate whether you are delivering the changes and targets described in 2.9, 2.10 and For example we will use the Rickter IMS scale ( to monitor progress made by our volunteers. See Evaluation Support Scotland s website ( for further information about evaluation tools and monitoring impact What will be the challenges of this project and how will you overcome them? Tell us about any difficulties you expect to face with implementing this project and what you plan to do to overcome them. For example Persuading people who are unemployed to volunteer with us, when some cultures within our community regard this as unpaid work. We ll meet with Jobcentre Plus staff to discuss how they identify/refer candidates who could benefit from volunteering (to help them become more work-ready) and what language to use in describing volunteering roles at point of referral. We ll subsequently meet with those referred individually to ensure they clearly understand the roles and tasks that they are being matched to and how their work will differ from that of paid staff What will be the legacy of this project for your volunteers, your organisation and the wider community? How will your project deliver long term change to your volunteers, your organisation and the wider community that will be sustained beyond the funding period? For example the three members of staff who receive training in managing volunteers with support needs will be better equipped to support volunteers in years to come. Page Which of the 16 Scottish Government National Outcomes will the project contribute to and how? From the list of National Outcomes in Appendix 2 below, choose those that the project will contribute towards and describe how. For example We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger. By recruiting, training and supporting ex-offenders from Barlinnie, we will equip them for employment and help reduce the likelihood of re-offending If you are applying for funding to pay for a member of staff, tell us the following information for each employee to be funded by this project Posts such as Volunteer Coordinator, Administrator or Trainer could be applicable as long as they are relevant to the project. However, professional support and management fees should be listed as overheads. 14

15 Page 10 The pay/salary grade should be appropriate for the work involved. The hours per week that they will be working on this project should be stated along with the cost of these hours for the duration of the project. If you are applying for part-funding for an employee (i.e. their work on this project is part of a broader role and the rest of their work is paid for by another source), only include the hours and cost of the time they will spend working directly on this project. A job description for each employee funded by the project must also be supplied Tell us about the budgeted income and expenditure of the project Other Funders You do not need to have other sources of funding for this project. However, if you do, you must tell us the names of other funders you have approached and how much you asked for. Please indicate in Section 2.18 the amount and whether or not the funding has been confirmed. If you still don t know, please tell us when you expect to hear. Please also clarify in Section 2.18, what items of the budget you are asking VAF to pay for if other funders are involved. Staff costs The salaries should correspond with the figures in Employers National Insurance and Pension should apply only to the pay awarded through this project (if the employee s work will be part of a broader role). Staff expenses could include travel to events or subsistence if away from home. Please ensure you budget sufficient staff hours and resources not only to deliver this project, but also to attend VAF meetings, events and training sessions; as well as to monitor the project s progress and report regularly to VAF. Volunteers costs Expenses paid to individual volunteers, including those who are unemployed, should be limited to essential out-of-pocket expenses. Travel and subsistence should be at rates approved by your organisation for volunteers. Training costs Any training paid for as part of the project should be relevant to the work of the organisation and ultimately for the benefit of volunteers. For example, it could include a course for staff on how to work with and support volunteers, for committee members on how to be more effective trustees, or for volunteers on first aid or using power tools. Other project costs Must be limited to the expenditure directly related to the activities being carried out as part of this project. For example, tools for volunteers to use, or the publication of a staff handbook on the role of volunteering. 15

16 Page 11 Contribution to overheads You can include an appropriate pro-rata contribution to running costs of your organisation. Explain in Section 2.18 how you calculated this contribution. The cost of overheads should not exceed 15% of the project s total cost. Capital Capital expenses are larger items of equipment that are integral to the activities of the volunteers and should relate directly to the delivery of your project. You must obtain three quotations for any items over Tell us if there is anything we should know about the figures in the budget Use this space to explain how you worked out your budget including costings (quotes, estimates, tenders); the cost of any external support including daily pay rates and how the contribution to overheads was calculated. Explain also what assumptions you have made when working out your budget. If your project budget includes funding from other sources, please tell us, for each other funder, when the applications were made and when you expect to hear the outcome. Section 3 Declaration Please read the declaration page carefully to ensure you agree with the terms under which you are applying for funding. It must be completed by the main contact for this application who has authorisation to do so. Once the Application Form has been completed, it should be ed to VSG@vaf.org.uk (this address is only for complete applications) along with all supporting documents, and with your organisation s name in the subject heading. The deadline for submitting your completed application and all the required documents is: 5pm on Friday 27 February For general enquiries about the fund, please contact the Volunteering Team via VSFenquiries@vaf.org.uk or phone The Voluntary Action Fund receives funding from the Scottish Government. Scottish Charity number SC Company Number SC

17 Appendix 1: EXAMPLE OUTCOMES Example outcomes or changes that could be achieved with the Volunteering Support Grant and which contribute to the programme outcomes listed on page 2 are listed below. This list is not exhaustive and your project may achieve different outcomes however, your project s outcomes must contribute to the programme outcomes. Example Outcomes for Volunteers Volunteers will have more self-esteem and confidence as a result of participating in work that is useful, valued, structured and supported Volunteers will have improved health and wellbeing, and will make better choices They will have better social and support networks, and positive role models Volunteers will be more work-ready, with improved time-keeping, communication skills, co-operation and teamwork Volunteers will have better access to training and employment opportunities Volunteers will reduce risky behaviour Example Outcomes for Organisations The development of good-practice structures and frameworks to sustain inclusive volunteering beyond the lifetime of the funded project An increased understanding of outcomes-based funding, and systems and processes to demonstrate the difference that their work achieves Organisations are able to enhance existing services and develop new ones that better meet the needs in communities Organisations will be better connected to each other and benefit from shared knowledge and systems Organisations will be better placed to secure or generate additional funding Example Outcomes for Communities There will be more and better services in local communities that meet the needs of local people and which makes a difference to their lives There will be a culture of active involvement and participation in local communities There will be better community networks and social infrastructure 17

18 Appendix 2: SCOTLAND S NATIONAL OUTCOMES We live in a Scotland that is the most attractive place for doing business in Europe We realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities for our people We are better educated, more skilled and more successful, renowned for our research and innovation Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens Our children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed We live longer, healthier lives We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others We value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations We take pride in a strong, fair and inclusive national identity We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people s needs Our people are able to maintain their independence as they get older and are able to access appropriate support when they need it 18