Paul Hamlyn Foundation Youth Fund
Sophie Eminson
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established in 1987 with the mission to help people overcome disadvantage and lack of opportunity, so that they can realise their potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives.
It has a particular interest in supporting young people and a strong belief in the importance of the arts, so it developed the youth fund specifically for organisations working with young people toward the same goal.
What does it fund?
The foundation offers funding to projects that are looking to develop their impact in the community. Organisations may be planning to grow their impact by:
- Replicating a programme or service
- Widening the reach of an idea or innovation
- Spreading a technology or skill
- Advancing policy or enhancing its implementation
- Influencing attitudes.
The grant will provide core funding to youth sector organisations and those working with young people. To achieve the greatest positive impact in the lives of young people, organisations need to achieve a balance of stability, continuity and flexibility.
Bidding organisations should seek to use approaches that build on and develop young people's strengths and talents, helping them to reach their potential. Examples of this include "asset-based", "strength-based" and "advantaged thinking" approaches.
Funding will only be offered to those already embarking on this approach.
Applicants must be committed to youth participation and working in partnership with young people. Young people's voices and experiences in influencing decision making should be included in the application, where appropriate.
Projects can be supporting young people to understand and realise their rights and entitlements, and should seek to collaborate with others to improve the lives of young people, including working across sector boundaries.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome from organisations who meet the following criteria:
- Are not-for-profit
- Work in the UK
- Work at either local, regional or national levels, or at more than one level
- Provide direct services and/or second-tier support
- Whose main purpose is about supporting young people.
Applicants should be having a positive impact and have the potential to achieve more. For many organisations, this may be through replication of the organisation's approach.
However, the strongest applications will be from organisations that are spreading practice, knowledge and influencing policy.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate all of the following:
- The organisation should show how a grant will strengthen themselves and benefit young people
- The organisation must be committed to using data and evidence to improve outcomes and increase its impact
- Applicants must work well with other organisations, collaborating for greater impact
- The project must have robust governance and safeguarding policies and practices, as well as a strong approach to equality
- There is robust financial management, forward planning and strong leadership.
How to apply
The Youth Fund has no deadlines, so applicants can apply at any time. There are two stages, so applicants are encouraged to submit their application as soon as it is ready.
Organisations apply by completing an online application form. They will receive an acknowledgement by email.
Decisions will be made for stage one applicants on the basis of the written information only. At the second stage, applicants will be asked to submit further information and a meeting or phone call with the chief executive will be arranged.
Stage two applicants will be provided with additional guidance to help preparations. Following an interview, the foundation will decide whether to take the application for a panel decision. Decision making panels happen regularly throughout the year.
Applicants should expect a response within three months of receipt.
Written feedback will be provided to unsuccessful applicants at stage one. Applicants who are unsuccessful at stage two will receive written feedback and can request a follow-up phone call.
More from:
https://www.phf.org.uk/funds/youth-fund/
FUNDING ROUNDUP
- Power to Change, the independent trust supporting community businesses in England, has announced that the next round of its flagship Community Business Fund will open in April. With £5m available to be awarded in 2018, this will be the largest round of the fund in the trust's history. The Community Business Fund awards grants between £50,000 and £300,000 to established community businesses that need funding for a business development project to make them more financially sustainable.
- Comic Relief has launched a £4m fund, Safe, Secure, Settled, to improve the lives of homeless young people. The funding will be awarded to organisations using sport to improve the lives of young people without a safe or secure place to live. Grants will be awarded to projects in the UK, India, South Africa, Brazil and Kenya.
- Nesta has launched a £15,000 prize for innovative social programmes to increase their impact from running innovative "good help" programmes that have the potential to transform public services. The Good Help Award will recognise teams that are taking a creative approach to helping people manage and overcome issues - such as homelessness, long-term health conditions, unemployment and special educational needs.
- The Big Lottery Fund, Blagrave Trust, Comic Relief and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation have launched a £900,000 fund to allow young people to shape their own support services under a fund designed to capture their views and voices. The Listening Fund will be shared across 22 youth-focused organisations in England and will promote creative mechanisms to make sure young people's voices are heard.