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Eligibility

NOTE: This has been updated 19.03.24, The community council will now be asking for a small report on any funding provided.

Purpose of this fund

Greencoat North Rhins Community Fund will support a broad range of community activity and development by primarily supporting the charitable activities of constituted, not-for-profit groups working to benefit residents within the Area of Benefit.

This includes (but is not restricted to) the:

  • Promotion of sustainable development –including promotion of energy efficiency measures, renewable energy schemes,
    sustainable transport options and a contribution to community acquisitions eg land or buildings.
  • Advancement of environmental protection or improvement.
  • Advancement of citizenship or community development(including rural or urban regeneration and promotion of civic responsibility, volunteering, the voluntary sector or the effectiveness or efficiency of charities).
  • Advancement of culture or science.
  • Advancement of education.
  • Advancement of public participation in sport and general physical activity.

Eligibility checklist

As a minimum, we carry out checks on your supporting documents as described below to ensure they meet ours and the donors eligibility criteria. We may ask for further information about how your organisation meets these criteria during our assessment process.

Please carefully read the criteria below to ensure your Committee or Board understands what is required. Unfortunately, if you cannot meet these criteria, we cannot progress your application.

Management Committee

  • There must be a minimum of three unrelated persons on the management committee or Board. This is to ensure that the group has a range of perspectives and experiences and is not dominated by the interests of a single family or similarly connected individuals.
  • For the same reasons, the majority of your management committee or Board members must be unrelated.
    Governing Documents
  • Your organisation has charitable purposes, and these are described in your governing document (your governing document is a Constitution, memorandum and articles of association or a set of rules) .•
  • Your governing document includes suitable restrictions on the disposal of assets under the organisation’s control (an ‘asset lock’) and its management committee or board members' remuneration. It should feature:A charitable dissolution clause (or ‘asset lock’) stating that on winding up the organisation’s net assets must be put towards a similar charitable purpose(s) to that of the organisation (which may include a named charitable organisation with a similar charitable purpose).Suitable restraints on the provision of benefit to individuals. Assets should not be distributable to, or otherwise used for, the benefit of members or individuals beyond that which can reasonably be considered charitable.
  • If your governing document allows for the remuneration of any Board or management committee members (for example, if the lead member of staff is also a Board Member), then your organisation must comply with the below points.
    • The maximum amount of the remuneration is set out in a written agreement
    • The maximum amount of the remuneration is reasonable in the circumstances
    • The organisations trustees/committee are satisfied, before entering the agreement, that it is in the interest of the organisation for that person to provide those services for that amount
    • Immediately after entering into the agreement, less than half of the total number of trustees are directly or indirectly remunerated
    • The governing document does not prohibit the remuneration of charity trustees.We may require the following:
    • Your organisation’s governing document must allow for only a minority of those on the Board or management committee (less than half) to be remunerated for their services (as Trustees/Board Members/committee members or under contract).
    • None of those who are remunerated as such should be involved in decisions about that remuneration.
    • Information on the nature of the services to be provided in relation to the remuneration, level of remuneration and evidence of how this was agreed and by whom, including quotes.


Accounts & Financial Procedures

  • You must be able to supply your latest set of approved accounts, unless your organisation is less than 18 months old, in which case no accounts are required.
  • For all constituted groups these will need to have been approved by your management committee or Board.
  • You must have your own bank account
  • The organisation name on your accounts must match the name on the governing document and bank account.
  • Your financial transactions are required to be either authorised (before payment) or checked (after payment) by another person independent of the person initiating the payment. We often refer to this as having two account signatories.
  • None of your appointed account signatories can be related. This is to act as a safeguard against fraud or misuse of charitable funds under the organisation’s control..

 

Common exclusions

We cannot fund the following:

  • Non-constituted groups.
  • Applications from individuals.
  • General fundraising appeals or activities.
  • Costs already incurred or activities which will take place before we’ve decided on an application, i.e. retrospective funding.
  • The repayment of loans or payment of debts.
  • The advancement of religion or politics, including requests to support religious or political groups' core activities. However, religious groups may apply for funding for non-religious activity that will benefit the wider community beyond their own specific congregation and is open to all on a non-denominational basis. For example, a church may apply for funding to upgrade a church hall that is regularly used by other community groups.
  • Payments towards areas understood to be the exclusive responsibility of statutory authorities. However, we can provide grants to Parent Teacher Associations/Parent Councils if they are appropriately constituted and occasionally to schools where the activity being delivered is additional to the core curriculum/statutory activity.
  • Activities that are likely to bring the fund, Stranraer Community Council, Foundation Scotland or the donor into disrepute. For example, we can’t fund groups or organisations using hate speech or inciting violence, or those linked to such groups or organisations.
  • Activities that conflict with the interests of the funder. For example, where a renewable energy company provides funding, we can’t fund any projects or organisations that are anti-windfarm or anti-renewable energy as such activities are likely to be contrary to the interests of the funder or its subsidiaries.
  • we can’t support projects which don't benefit the people who live within the defined fund area. Projects that benefit people in the fund area plus others outside that area can be supported on a proportionate basis. Applicants to these funds don’t need to be based in the fund area.
  • For themed/cause-related funds we can’t support projects which don’t relate to the priorities stated for the fund.
  • Costs directly related to the sale of alcohol, including but not limited to the refurbishment of a bar area.