<div dir="ltr">Hi Everyone,<div>Bill and I met with the people at 'Power to Change' which distributes lottery money to help social businesses to grow. We're aware that several CMA members had made unsuccessful applications, and wondered how we might help, and raise awareness of community media and its impact.</div><div>There is a deadline for their Community Business Fund next week, and there will be further rounds next year.</div><div><a href="http://www.thepowertochange.org.uk/funding/grants/community-business-fund/">http://www.thepowertochange.org.uk/funding/grants/community-business-fund/</a><br></div><div>We had a really good discussion with one of their grant managers, and have some advice to pass on.</div><div>Hope you find this helpful.</div><div>Lucinda</div><div><br></div><div><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><b style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"open sans",sans-serif">Tip</b><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b>s
for CMA members who are applying to the Community Business Fund</b><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">There
are two funds that may be of interest to CMA members. The Community
Business Fund (CBF), and the Bright Ideas Fund, which will reopen
next year. If you are not ready to apply to the CBF, eg do not have a
business plan already, then the Bright Ideas Fund may be more
suitable.<br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><font>The
CBF</font><font>
has grants of between £50K and £300K for “step change”</font><font>
in trading income and financial viability/sustainability</font><font>.
Power to Change funding is for organisations serving a tightly
defined neighbourhood – such as a one or two wards of a city, or a
village in a rural area. You should demonstrate how you reach many
different types of people who live in this neighbourhood, and not
just work with one specific group.</font><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">If
you are a licensed station, talk about your licence range, which will
usually be for a 5km radius, and about the location of your studio –
who comes through the door? What happens there as well as the
broadcasts? How does it forward community development just by being
there for people?<br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">There
are four criteria that all CBF applicants will need to meet:<br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">1)
Locally rooted<br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The
idea needs to have come from the local community, not from an outside
individual or organisation stepping in to try to change things. This
is grassroots action. Communities are defined geographically – not
as communities of interest. The project needs to be open to and
accessible by all groups of people. An example was a social centre
for people with learning disabilities. This includes a café which
all people, not just people with disabilities, can access. The centre
can be hired out by other community groups as well.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">2)
Community Accountability<br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">There
are many types of community accountability. This could include being
a membership organisation, holding consultation sessions, etc. We
noticed this overlaps a lot with key commitments. For example, how
can local people become members/volunteers/presenters at a station?
Do you have a regular feedback show to review your output? Do you
have members meetings etc? How can volunteers become board members,
and have a say in the running of things? Do you plan programming in a
democratic way? Show how local people have ownership of your project.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">3)
Trading</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><font>This</font><font>
means non-grant income. They are only interested in organisations who
are already trading, and who want to trade more. A good model is
where grants are </font><font>just
</font><font>for
extra activities, not to support the running costs. We discussed how
sometimes organisations are unclear of how to categorise their
income. For example, a service level agreement with a local council
or school – is this grant or trading? This can be a grey area.
There is no cut off point for what percentage of your income should
be from trading, but the applications are quite competitive, so the
more trading the better. Show how it can grow realistically, not too
rapidly.</font><font>
They need to see a clear trading model</font><font>
– </font><font>what
products/services is the organisation going to trade in? How does
that build on existing types and levels of trading?</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><font>4)
</font><font>Broad
Community Impact</font><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:100%"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Impact
is about how you are changing lives. This could be a wide range of
things – we would advise you to talk more about those who come
through the door, than those who tune in. This could include how
people learn skills, an apprenticeship programme, reducing loneliness
and isolation, etc. They don't want to see just one specific group
benefiting from a project, this needs to be broad. When developing
new resources, they need to see the right balance, to show
sustainability. For example, if they were to fund a new training
studio, how would it be accessed by different groups? Who would pay –
and at what rates. Different rates for different customers could mean
it brings in a good income, whilst being accessible to all.</font></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:georgia,serif"><b><br>Artistic Director<br>Soundart Radio 102.5 fm<br><a href="http://www.soundartradio.org.uk" target="_blank">www.soundartradio.org.uk</a><br>Higher Close, Dartington Hall,<br></b></div><b style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:georgia,serif">Devon </b><b style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:georgia,serif">TQ9 6EP</b><b style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:georgia,serif"><br><font size="1">Soundart Radio is a licensed community radio station <br>and a Company Limited by Guarantee<br>
Registered in England and Wales No. 6299911</font></b></div></div></div></div>
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