Comic Relief is proud to partner with the National Emergencies Trust, Barclays and The Clothworkers' Foundation have launched The Global Majority Fund, dedicated to further Covid-19 response work with communities experiencing racial inequality.

They are seeking organisations willing to act as intermediary technical partners, who have the ability, expertise, networks and knowledge to distribute rapid funding to a diverse range of locally-led and focused organisations across the UK.

They believe communities flourish when all stand together, advocating for those who are most at risk and partnering with the right organisations to reach smaller community organisations undertaking much needed and valued community work. Working with intermediary technical partners is one way to help us ensure our funding reaches all those who need it.

Funding Information

• They have approximately £2.1 million available to make and manage grants. They envision making between 10-15 investments between the value of £150,000 - £250,000. Funding is available for up to 18 months.

How the Fund Works

You will be responsible for making grants to other organisations focussed on addressing Covid-19 needs and priorities among communities experiencing racial inequality. Some examples of what your funding might support (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Support the ongoing needs of communities who have elevated risk factors which increase their vulnerability to Covid-19;
• Support activities that relieve pressure on local statutory services, particularly emergency or health and social care provision, or compliment their response;
• Groups and activities that support people who are self-isolating (older people, people with pre-existing medical conditions…etc.);
• Immediate response interventions such as foodbanks or other hardship funds caused by Covid-19;
• Volunteer costs for new and existing organisations responding to the effect of the crisis;
• Additional costs of working remotely and adapting services delivered in the wider community;
• Additional support as required for emotional support, mental health and bereavement support.

They are actively encouraging applications from prospective partners who can reach grassroots organisations who work with communities identified as ‘higher risk’, due to intersecting issues that sharpen the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic such as:

• Domestic abuse;
• Poor or worsening mental or physical health;
• Interrupted or limited access to advice and services;
• Homelessness and insecure shelter;
• The increasingly hostile environment faced by migrants, undocumented groups, people seeking asylum and refugees;
• Communities with no recourse to public funds.

This list is not exhaustive, and they encourage applicants to share with us the context and issues specific communities are facing as a result of Covid-19 in their application.

Eligibility Criteria

The funding is for organisations applying to distribute and manage funding on our behalf to a diverse range of locally led and focused organisations in the United Kingdom only. You need to be a legally constituted group or organisation to apply for funding. They can accept applications from:

• voluntary or community organisations;
• registered charities;
• constituted groups or clubs;
• not-for-profit companies or Community Interest Companies;
• Your organisation must have an annual income of at least £75,000 (according to your last annual accounts. If your income has since fallen due to Covid-19 – don’t worry, you can still apply).
• Your organisation must be led and managed by the communities you serve – by this they mean at least 51% of the senior management team and trustees are from the community(ies) you represent.
• Your organisation places the communities you represent at the heart of programme design and decision-making.
• Your organisation has governance systems and policies in place, capacity and experience of making grants and managing rapid funding.
• Whilst the funding call is specifically for communities experiencing racial inequality, they are not expecting you to work with everyone! The impact of Covid-19 will be felt differently across communities and if your work is focussed on specific communities, for example: with the East African community, Roma community or the Bengali community, this is fine! They do not expect you to work with everyone if this isn’t what you do already.
• Your organisation will need to have a presence and/or networks as a minimum, at a county level (opens in new window) to onward grant to.
• They welcome applications from individual organisations and partnership bids from organisations who already have experience of working together. In this case, they expect you to identify clears roles and responsibilities each organisation will hold and how the funding will be managed.

For more information, visit Global Majority Fund.