London Borough of Islington

Charity Number: CUSTOM_2F16E74F

Annual Expenditure: £2.7M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £2.7 million+ (VCS Partnership Programme) + £225,000+ (Local Initiatives Fund) + Community Chest
  • Success Rate: 59% (Community Chest)
  • Decision Time: 8-12 weeks (Community Chest and Local Initiatives Fund)
  • Grant Range: £250 - £13,000 (across small grant programmes)
  • Geographic Focus: London Borough of Islington only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.islington.gov.uk/advice/voluntary-and-community-sector/funding-support

General Enquiries: partnerships@islington.gov.uk

Community Chest Programme Manager: Patrick Jones, patrick.jones@cripplegate.org.uk, 020 7288 6948

Overview

The London Borough of Islington is a local authority that operates multiple grant-making programmes to support voluntary and community organisations serving Islington residents. The council demonstrates significant commitment to the voluntary sector with over £2.7 million per annum allocated through its VCS Partnership Grants Programme 2024-2028, plus additional funding through smaller grant schemes. Islington is recognised as a Living Wage Funder, requiring all grant-funded organisations to pay the London Living Wage to employees. The council's strategic approach centres on partnership working to make Islington a more equal borough, with particular emphasis on community-led initiatives, energy projects, support for sanctuary seekers, and neighbourhood improvements. Despite many councils reducing voluntary sector funding, Islington remains “strongly committed to supporting and funding our voluntary and community sector.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

VCS Partnership Grants Programme 2024-2028

  • Total allocation: £10.846 million over four years (£2.7 million annually)
  • 51 organisations funded through this programme
  • Applications for this scheme are periodically open (contracts commenced April 2024)

Islington Council's Community Chest (ICCC)

  • £250 - £5,000 per grant
  • Managed by Cripplegate Foundation on behalf of the council
  • Funds over 60 organisations annually across two funding rounds
  • Priority given to organisations with turnover under £50,000
  • Applications accepted twice yearly

Local Initiatives Fund (LIF)

  • £350 minimum grant amount, average award £1,384
  • £13,000 per ward annually (16 wards in Islington)
  • 163 projects funded in recent year totalling £225,634
  • Three application deadlines per year
  • Applications made directly to ward councillors

Islington Community Energy Fund

  • Supports community-led, innovative energy projects
  • Particularly projects benefiting residents in fuel poverty
  • Focus on carbon emissions reduction
  • Rolling basis applications

Borough of Sanctuary Grants Programme

  • £500,000 total funding allocation
  • Supports integration and connection for refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers
  • Decision-making includes people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary

Communities' Support Fund

  • Up to £250 for council estate-based resident groups
  • For projects and activities benefiting Islington housing tenants

Islington Community Festivals Fund

  • Small grants for borough-wide community festivals and celebrations
  • Limited number of grants available

Priority Areas

  • Community organisations serving Islington residents
  • Organisations with annual turnover under £100,000 (Community Chest)
  • Neighbourhood improvements and locally-run activities
  • Energy efficiency and carbon reduction projects
  • Support for people seeking sanctuary, refugees, and migrants
  • Integration and community connection initiatives
  • Projects addressing inequality and promoting fairness
  • Community festivals and celebrations
  • Estate-based resident activities

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects already funded by the London Borough of Islington
  • Providing grant funding or subcontracting to other organisations (with limited exceptions)
  • Religious activity or activities restricted to people of one religion
  • Campaign or lobbying work
  • Fundraising activities
  • Research projects with no operational aspect
  • Capital costs (most programmes)
  • Retrospective costs (projects that have already happened)
  • Supporting individual students (though schools can apply for group projects)
  • Costs that should be covered by statutory services (housing, social care)
  • Unconstituted groups (they must find a constituted group to hold the grant)
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Governance and Leadership

Executive Member for Homes and Communities: Cllr Una O'Halloran has stated: "We're determined to make Islington a more equal place and the borough's voluntary and community organisations play a huge role in helping us to achieve that ambition.“ She emphasised that funding ”demonstrates the recognition that their vital work contributes to what makes Islington special, by working in partnership to support residents and businesses and to provide opportunities for our community to come together."

Cllr O'Halloran also noted: "Islington's voluntary and community organisations play a huge role in helping to make Islington a fairer place“ and expressed that the council is ”strongly committed to supporting and funding our voluntary and community sector at a time when many councils have greatly reduced or stopped such funding."

Assessment Panels:

  • Community Chest applications are considered by a Panel comprising Islington Councillors, Cripplegate Foundation Governors, members of Islington's voluntary and community sector, and local residents.
  • Energy Fund panels include council staff and councillors.
  • Borough of Sanctuary grants involve people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary in decision-making.

How to Apply to London Borough Of Islington

How to Apply

Community Chest:

  • Online application form via Cripplegate Foundation
  • Applications accepted twice yearly
  • Application deadlines are typically in spring and autumn
  • Support available from Programme Manager Patrick Jones
  • Applications only assessed after deadlines
  • Supporting documents required: annual audited accounts, financial management accounts for last quarter, recent bank statement (within 3 months)

Local Initiatives Fund:

  • Complete editable PDF application form
  • Email all three councillors of the target ward before formal application
  • Contact councillors well in advance of submitting
  • Three deadlines per year: typically May (decisions by early August), September (decisions by early December), January (decisions by early April)

Other Programmes:

  • Specific application processes vary by programme
  • Check individual programme pages on council website

Decision Timeline

Community Chest: Applications assessed at least 8 weeks after deadline. Panel meets to decide funding approximately 8-12 weeks post-deadline.

Local Initiatives Fund: Funding confirmed 2-3 months after application deadlines. Council recommends applying at least 3 months before project start date.

Payment Process: If successful, organisations sign a grant agreement with Islington Council. Payment typically made in two parts - half at project beginning, half after first monitoring period.

Success Rates

Community Chest: Recent round received 79 applications with 59% success rate (47 successful applications). The programme has maintained success rates of approximately 59-61% in recent rounds.

Reapplication Policy

Organisations can apply to Community Chest once per year. Organisations have received Community Chest funding more than once, indicating successful reapplication is possible. No specific waiting period for unsuccessful applicants was identified, though with only two rounds annually, there is a natural gap between opportunities.

Application Success Factors

Direct Funder Guidance

  • Contact councillors first for Local Initiatives Fund: The council strongly advises contacting local councillors before applying and recommends emailing all three ward councillors rather than just one.
  • Read application guidance carefully: Council provides 'Guide to application questions' with all application materials.
  • Apply early: For LIF, apply at least 3 months before project takes place if funding is needed in advance.
  • Demonstrate benefit to Islington residents: All programmes prioritise direct benefit to borough residents.
  • Living Wage requirement: All grant-funded organisations must pay London Living Wage to employees as minimum.

Assessment Process

Application answers are scored zero to five, with different weighting where certain questions hold more importance to the final assessment. Panels include mix of councillors, sector representatives, and in some cases, residents and people with lived experience.

Recently Funded Project Examples

Energy Fund:

  • Local housing cooperative: Large solar PV array installation as part of energy self-sufficiency plan
  • Adventure playground: Solar-powered toy car kits to teach children about solar power

Circular Economy Grants (23 businesses funded):

  • Mer-IT: Community interest company providing digital skills training and computer repair, created database of spare parts
  • The Toy Project: Pre-loved toy charity used grant for outreach campaign educating families about circular economy, resulted in 300 donations of approximately 6,000 toys
  • Overall programme impact: 25 jobs created/safeguarded, 7,724kg waste tackled, 9,140 single-use packaging items addressed, 16,000 customers reached

Language and Terminology

The council emphasises:

  • Partnership working
  • Making Islington “a more equal place” and “a fairer place”
  • Community-led initiatives
  • Integration and connection (particularly for sanctuary programmes)
  • Benefit to residents
  • Voluntary and community sector (VCS) collaboration

Standing Out

  • Demonstrate clear benefit to Islington residents, particularly those facing inequality
  • Show organisational sustainability and strong financial management
  • Evidence of community connection and partnership working
  • For smaller organisations (under £50,000 turnover), emphasise this in Community Chest applications as they receive priority
  • For LIF, build relationships with ward councillors before applying
  • Align with council's equality and fairness priorities
  • Show commitment to London Living Wage
  • Provide concrete examples of project outcomes and community impact

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Multiple funding streams available: Don't just apply to one programme - assess eligibility across Community Chest, Local Initiatives Fund, and specialist programmes like Energy Fund or Sanctuary Grants.
  • Strong success rates: 59% success rate for Community Chest demonstrates realistic chances for well-prepared applications from eligible organisations.
  • Relationship building matters: Particularly for Local Initiatives Fund, early engagement with all three ward councillors is strongly advised by the council.
  • Living Wage is mandatory: All grant-funded organisations must pay London Living Wage - factor this into budgets and demonstrate compliance.
  • Plan ahead for timelines: Allow 2-3 months from application to decision, and apply at least 3 months before project start dates where advance funding is needed.
  • Smaller organisations prioritised: Organisations with turnover under £50,000 receive priority for Community Chest - highlight this if applicable.
  • Alignment with equality agenda: Council's core mission is making Islington “a more equal place” - demonstrate how your project advances this goal.
  • Panel includes community voices: Applications are assessed by diverse panels including sector representatives and residents, not just council officials - write for multiple audiences.

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References

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