Grants and Fundraising

Grants and Loans for Church Buildings in 2024

The revised application form and guidelines for the  2024 Diocesan Church Buildings Grants & Loans Scheme is now available for download at the links below:

Grants & Loans for Church Buildings Application Form 2024 (Word Version)

Grants & Loans for Church Buildings Application Form 2024 (PDF)

The grant application has been revised to reflect additional funding into the scheme, received from the Church of England in January 2024.  The first application deadline for the grants scheme will be Sunday 17th March 2024. 

Full details on the eligibility criteria for applicants can be found in the documents above. For queries regarding the Church Building Grants and Loans Scheme please email ResourcingParishes@leeds.anglican.org or telephone Janet Edmond (Senior Stewardship Officer) on 07376 525684 or Alena-Rose Douglas (Church Buildings Support Officer) on 07933 509860

 

Find Your Funder on our FUNDING PORTAL!

If you are looking for a funder for your particular community or church project then take a look at our funding portal. We are able to search for funders on your behalf or we can show you how to look for yourself. You can find the portal at this link: https://funding.idoxopen4community.co.uk/diomanchester

We also have a recorded webinar where Matthew Godfrey of Funding 4 Community demonstrates how to search the portal. Again, contact us on resourcingparishes@leeds.anglican.org for more information.

Click below to watch the webinar:

Funding Opportunities for Big and Small Projects

A booklet compiled by several Dioceses about current funding opportunities is the easiest place to start your funding search. Click on the image below for the PDF.

The Heritage Funding Directory is a free guide to financial support for anyone undertaking UK related heritage projects. This is a useful starting point for navigating funding sources in the sector.

Funding for Environmental Projects

For information on funding to support your environmental project please click here.
The Environmental and Sustainability Projects section of the Charitable Grants for Churches List (above) was updated in June 2023. For the updated version please click here

Give To Go Green

This is a new pilot scheme to help churches in our diocese double their money for carbon-cutting projects. Give To Go Green is a match-funding pilot project from the Church of England working with churches to double locally raised donations to allow for more work on reducing carbon emissions. Find out more here.

Funding Webinars

Finding funding to replace your church's heating system with a greener alternative is just one of the many environmental projects you may contemplate for your church as we all act to combat climate change. For an introduction to the fundraising landscape for environmental projects in churches and how to plan a fundraising strategy watch recordings of three helpful webinars recently hosted by the Church of England with speaker Andrew Evans Senior Consultant, Philanthropy Company. Click on the links below to access each of the recordings on YouTube. 
Environmental Fundraising Part 1 - Opportunities - click here
Environmental Fundraising Part 2 - How to start fundraising - click here
Environmental Fundraising Part 3 - Environmental Fundraising for experienced fundraisers - click here

Local Funding Opportunities

Harrogate: Up to £1000 is available every year for churches within a 7 mile radius of the Harrogate War Memorial through the Harrogate Churches Repair Fund. Please contact clare.bellamy@leeds.anglican.org to discover more.
Huddersfield and Wakefield: The Bishops Development Fund is a charity to help Anglican Churches in the Huddersfield and Wakefield Episcopal Areas to develop new mission initiatives. Email Caroline.Asquith@leeds.anglican.org to find out more.
The Leeds Church Extension Society exists to support churches in the episcopal area of Leeds. The objectives and activities are to help provide finance for mission halls and new parish churches and vicarages, to assist with the stipends of both clergy and lay workers, and to help maintain and re-order churches and church halls. In addition grants are made to church community and similar outreach activities within the city.

Finding Your Own Funding

Doing Good Leeds is an advice website if you are based in Leeds and the surrounding areas. There is an excellent funding document which is updated regularly and can be found here. Go to: https://doinggoodleeds.org.uk/
Nova is a helpful website for charities in the Wakefield area. It gives information about funds available both locally and nationally and has plenty of advice for running a charity. It also helps volunteers and charities find one another! Go to: https://www.nova-wd.org.uk/funding/
It's always good to get something back from the taxman and with the Listed Place of Worship Scheme you can do just that! Works to listed buildings are able to claim back VAT costs. 
Five Community Foundations that operate in our Diocese are the Community Foundation for Calderdale, 2 Ridings Community Foundation, One Community, the Lancashire Community Foundation and Leeds Community Foundation. If you are planning a community action project then they are a good place to look for funding.

Ecclesiastical Fundraising Hub

Working in partnership with The Philanthropy Company, Ecclesiastical have produced this excellent set of webpages that will advise you on all aspects of fundraising. Click on the image below:

Where To Start If You Are Planning Major Fundraising

Fundraising is a crucial part of any project. 'Raise the Funds' is the Church of England's step-by-step guide to fundraising in your church. It begins with advice on putting together your fundraising team and gives guidance on developing your vision and story, collecting evidence and writing your strategy. An invaluable toolkit is available to download. This is an excellent place to start for ideas.
There is a wealth of information available to help churches looking for funding, through the funding guides on the Parish Resources website, and when planning a larger project here.
The Stewardship and Income Generation Team have produced a 20 minute film which will help you plan your fundraising for a larger project. Please click on the image below to be taken to the Digital Learning Platform.


 
We know that leading a larger project can be a daunting prospect and so the Church of England have produced a toolkit called 'Crossing the Threshold'. First created by the Diocese of Hereford in 2009, and subsequently updated in 2013, this invaluable resource is packed with 268 pages of advice, hints and tips for any group taking a community development approach towards adapting a church building for wider community use, while balancing the needs of existing worshippers. This free resource breaks down projects into three key stages:

  • Preparing the Ground,
  • Looking at Your Options,
  • Delivering Your Project

 

And Finally, Help is Always At Hand...

Support and advice is available through the stewardship team to help with funding projects. Look out for training events or contact us have a chat about the opportunities and challenges specific to your project. 
 

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