Migrant And Asylum Seeker Solidarity And Action

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £194,909 (2024)
• Success Rate: ~10% (12 grants from 121 applications in 2020)
• Decision Time: Not publicly specified
• Grant Range: Up to £10,000 (one-off grants)
• Geographic Focus: UK, Greece, Northern France (Hauts-de-France)

Contact Details

• Website: https://www.massaction.charity/
• Email: admin@massaction.charity
• Phone: +447474018913
• For funding enquiries: jessie@massaction.charity
• Social Media: Instagram @massactionuk, Facebook MASSActionUK

Overview

MASS Action (Migrant & Asylum Seeker Solidarity & Action) was founded in 2018 by nine volunteers who met while working at Khora Community Centre in Athens, Greece. Registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity number 1177804) with the UK Charities Commission, the organization operates with £194,851 annual income (2024). Founded out of frustration with funding challenges for small grassroots initiatives, MASS Action supports dignified and sustainable projects for migrants and asylum seekers in the UK, Greece, and Northern France. The charity is run entirely by long-term volunteers with ground-level experience; no trustees receive remuneration. MASS Action has a close partnership with Thighs of Steel, a cycling fundraising initiative that has raised over £500,000 since 2016, including £109,298 in 2023 and £114,632 in 2022 specifically for MASS Action's grant allocation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Annual Grant Allocation: One-off grants of up to £10,000 per project
• Application Method: Expression of interest to jessie@massaction.charity, followed by formal application via Google Forms during open allocation periods
• Frequency: Annual allocation (typically announced in summer; 2023 deadline was August 25th)

Priority Areas

MASS Action prioritizes:

• Small grassroots projects centered on people with lived experience of migration
• Projects that break dependency cycles and center community leadership
• Organizations run by refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants themselves
• Initiatives that share values of solidarity, community, and mutual aid
• Projects providing dignified and sustainable support (not one-off aid)
• Organizations with limited access to mainstream funding streams
• Unregistered organizations with demonstrated past activities and clear funding intentions

Geographic Areas:

• United Kingdom
• Greece
• Northern France (specifically Hauts-de-France region)

Example Funded Projects:

• African Rainbow Family (UK) - LGBTIQ safe spaces
• Khora (Greece) - Community spaces for displaced people
• Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group (UK) - Community organization led by asylum seekers
• Play Up! Kids Klub (Greece) - Safe play and learning spaces for children
• Migrant Organizing for Rights and Empowerment (UK) - Grassroots campaigning
• Becky's Bathhouse (Lesvos, Greece) - Women and children's center
• LGBT UNITY Glasgow - Supporting LGBTQ+ refugees
• Swansea Asylum Seekers Support (UK) - Lifeline services
• Infomobile (Greece) - Information provision and human rights documentation

What They Don't Fund

• Large International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs)
• Organizations with substantial access to mainstream funding
• Projects outside their geographic focus (UK, Greece, Northern France)
• One-off humanitarian aid (they prioritize sustainable initiatives)
• Projects that do not center people with lived experience of migration

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees (5 total, all volunteers, no remuneration):

1. Jessica Sullivan - Chair
2. Silvia Mills
3. Abdulsalam Dauda
4. Josie Dibnah
5. Calum Frost

Volunteers: 9 active volunteers

Key Values (from leadership):

• “We want to move away from existing humanitarian tactics that fetishize migrants and asylum seekers.”
• Commitment to equal rights regardless of identity markers
• Honest engagement with communities
• Breaking down hierarchies in humanitarian work
• Financial transparency and efficiency
• Collective action against restrictive migration policies
• Ethical visual representation of migrants and asylum seekers

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Expression of Interest: Contact jessie@massaction.charity to express interest in funding
2. Formal Application: When grant allocation opens (typically annually), complete application via Google Forms
3. Information Sheet: Review detailed requirements document (provided via Google Docs link)
4. Application Portal: Online via Google Forms during open allocation periods

Application Requirements:

• Open to both registered and unregistered organizations
• Unregistered organizations must provide information on past activities and funding intentions
• Must operate in UK, Greece, or Northern France (Hauts-de-France)
• Must align with values of solidarity, community, and mutual aid
• Should center people with lived experience of migration

Decision Timeline

Not publicly specified. Applicants should expect communication via email regarding application outcomes.

Success Rates

• 2020 Allocation: 121 applications received, 12 new grants awarded, 1 ongoing grant renewed = ~10% success rate
• Competition is significant due to limited funding and high demand from grassroots organizations

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified. Contact jessie@massaction.charity for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Based on MASS Action's stated priorities and funded projects:

1. Community Leadership: Projects run by refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants themselves are prioritized. MASS Action explicitly seeks to “break dependency cycles by centering people with lived experience of migration.”

1. Grassroots Scale: Small, non-bureaucratic organizations that can “adapt to changing needs” are preferred over large INGOs. Limited access to mainstream funding is actually an advantage.

1. Dignity and Sustainability: MASS Action moves away from “fetishizing migrants” and seeks sustainable, dignified initiatives rather than one-off aid or emergency response. Projects should empower rather than create dependency.

1. Shared Values: Explicit alignment with solidarity, community, mutual aid, and collective action against restrictive migration policies. Projects should demonstrate honest engagement and hierarchy-breaking approaches.

1. Diverse Support Types: Funded projects range from safe spaces (LGBTIQ+ support, women's centers) to information hubs, housing initiatives, children's programs, and campaigning organizations - demonstrating openness to various approaches.

1. Unregistered Organizations Welcome: Willingness to fund unregistered groups with demonstrated track records shows flexibility and recognition of grassroots realities.

1. Geographic Specificity: Must operate in one of three locations: UK, Greece, or Northern France (Hauts-de-France). This geographic focus reflects founders' connections to these areas.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Small is advantageous: MASS Action explicitly prioritizes small grassroots projects over large organizations; limited access to mainstream funding works in your favor
• Lived experience matters: Projects led by refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants themselves are prioritized - emphasize community leadership
• Start early: Express interest to jessie@massaction.charity before formal allocation opens to understand requirements and timing
• Values alignment is critical: Demonstrate commitment to dignity, solidarity, mutual aid, and breaking down humanitarian hierarchies - not just service provision
• Geographic restrictions apply: Only UK, Greece, and Hauts-de-France (Northern France) projects are eligible
• Sustainability over emergency aid: Show how your project creates lasting change and breaks dependency cycles, not just provides immediate relief
• Unregistered is acceptable: Don't be deterred if unregistered - provide clear information on past activities and funding intentions instead

References

1. MASS Action Official Website - https://www.massaction.charity/ -
2. MASS Action About Page - https://www.massaction.charity/about-1 -
3. UK Charity Commission Register - Charity Number 1177804 - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5114935/full-print -
4. MASS Action Grant Allocation 2023 - https://www.massaction.charity/grantallocation2023 -
5. MASS Action Projects Page - https://www.massaction.charity/projects -
6. MASS Action Funding Pot 2020 - https://www.massaction.charity/funding-pot-2020 -
7. Thighs of Steel Partnership Blog - https://thighs.blog/fundraising-partner-mass-action/ -
8. FundsforNGOs - MASS Action Grant Allocation - https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/applications-open-for-mass-action-grant-allocation/ -