Wcva

WCVA is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 218093).

WCVA is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 218093) and is the national support body for voluntary organisations in Wales, existing to enable them to make a bigger difference together. It provides information, training, advice and support to charities, voluntary and community groups and social enterprises, and promotes volunteering, good governance, sustainability and engagement. It paid £29,254,749 in grants in the annual report, of which £5,220,435 was given in grants the report does not itemise, and it manages several funding schemes, including volunteering development, community-led prevention of gambling-related harm, local environmental and biodiversity action, and Wales–Africa projects.

Priority Areas

WCVA’s grant schemes support voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises and other not-for-profit groups in Wales. Its programmes include volunteering development; community-led prevention of gambling-related harm; local environmental and biodiversity action; and Wales–Africa projects addressing health, lifelong learning, climate change and sustainable livelihoods. Social Investment Cymru also provides grants and loans to social enterprises and voluntary organisations seeking to increase income or expand services, including organisations that have struggled to attract grant funding for new projects. WCVA describes its schemes as benefiting the voluntary sector in Wales. Applications are assessed against set criteria, with recommendations made by specialist project boards and panels.

Themes

• Volunteering
• Gambling harm prevention
• Biodiversity
• Health
• Lifelong learning
• Climate action
• Sustainable livelihoods

Geographic Focus

Wales.

For schemes using MAP, organisations register with WCVA’s Multipurpose Application Portal and then submit their applications through it.

Application windows:

• Gambling Harms – Voluntary Sector Grant: Opens on 31 August, closes at 5 pm on 19 October
• Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme: Opens on 14 September, closes at 5 pm on 30 November
• Wales and Africa Grant Scheme: Opens on 27 October, closes at 5 pm on 21 December

Who can apply:

• All grants are awarded to third sector organisations in Wales.
• Gambling Harms – Voluntary Sector Grant: All funded projects must be delivered in Wales, take a prevention-focused approach and be independent of gambling industry funding or influence.
• Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme: Funding is available for not-for-profit organisations proposing projects up to one year, maximum request of £30,000.
• Wales and Africa Grant Scheme: The lead applicant must be based within Wales.

What the charity says:

• Applications are assessed against set criteria, with recommendations made by the Project Boards and Loan Panel.
• Gambling-harm projects are encouraged to be prevention-focused, community-led and rooted in the Welsh context.
• Applicants for the nationally significant Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme grant must contact WCVA ahead of applying to discuss their idea.
• Wales and Africa applications are assessed with safeguarding considerations, and WCVA encourages applicants to undertake relevant training before applying.
• Social Investment Cymru invites prospective applicants to discuss project ideas and eligibility with its team before applying.