Grassroots Grants is a local small grant of between £250 and £5,000, to support voluntary and community groups engaged with and meeting the needs of the local community. The fund runs till March 2011.To be eligible to apply for a Grassroots Grant, your organisation must be:

•  A not-for-profit, voluntary or community group in England
• Volunteer-led
• Active in local community for 12 months or more (i.e. your group does not need to have been constituted for 12 months, but must be able to show that it has been active for 12 months. Groups without a constitution may still apply, as Grassroots Grants Local Funders are required to provide assistance to help you adopt one.)
• Average income (over three years) of less than £30,000 per year (i.e. if you add up the gross income for each year, divide by three, the resulting amount must be less than £30,000. If your group has not been running three years, then your income must be under £30,000 average over the life of the group.)
• Works for the benefit of your local community 

Your group should be constituted, but if it is not, the Grassroots Grants local funders should be able to help you. And of course, HANA can also help you with adopting a constitution that is right for your group. 

Your group can apply for up to £5, 000 in total over the life of the fund. You can apply to one Grassroots Grants local funder for a grant or more than one grant up to £5,000 or you can apply to more than one Grassroots Grants local funder (if your group works in more than one area). But your group cannot receive more than £5,000 in total.  

• If your group works in the city of Hull, you should contact Hull CVS

Hull CVS distributes Grassroots Grants monthly. You can apply at any time, but you need to allow about two months for your application to be processed and to receive a decision and (if successful) your grant. For 2010 - 2011, Hull CVS will close to new applications in September 2010.

• If your group works in the East Riding of Yorkshire, you should contact York and North Yorkshire Community Foundation (YNYCF)

YNYCF are opening their Grassroots Grants programme again. The deadline for applications is 16th April. If they do not allocate all their funding, the programme may open again. Applications can now be made online. Projects must be completed by 31 March 2011.

• If your group works in North Lincolnshire, contact Voluntary Action North Lincs  (VANL)

Go to What We Do and click on Community Pot to find Grassroots Grants. VANL  distributes Grassroots Grants quartlery and is still open to applications although they are always heavily oversubscribed.

• If your group works in North East Lincolnshire, contact Voluntary Action North East Lincs (VANEL)

VANEL distributes Grassroots Grants quartlery. However, the first round of the year (09-10)was so heavily oversubscribed that the second round was closed as the available funding had been commited. The next deadline for applications will be 27th November 2009 and then again (funds permitting) 26th February 2010.

• If your group works anywhere else, go to the Grassroots Grants page of the Community Development Foundation website to find out who administers Grassroots Grants in your area, or contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  on 01223 400 331.