Example questions to apply for the Communities Fund 2021 to 2022

This is a list of information and questions that will help you draft your answers while you prepare for your bid.

To apply to the Communities Fund you'll need to complete the online form. 

If you have any questions, please send an email to communitiesteam@brighton-hove.gov.uk, and we will arrange a phone call.

Brighton & Hove City Council's Communities Fund comprises of three schemes, you'll need to choose one:

• Engagement Fund
• Resilience Fund
• Collaboration Fund

Your organisation needs a bank account to apply for a grant.

You'll need to agree that your organisation has a bank account, or is in the progress of setting one up.

You will need to give us a copy of your bank details if you are awarded a grant. 

You'll need to tell us your:

• first name
• last name
• phone number
• Email address

You'll need to tell us their:

• first name
• last name
• phone number
• Email address

You'll need to tell us if your organisation previously received a grant from us.

You'll also need to state the name and address of your organisation.

Is your organisation a:

• constituted community group or voluntary organisation
• company limited by guarantee
• registered charity
• charitable incorporated organisation
• community interest company
• other

If your company is a company limited by guarantee, registered charity, charitable incorporated organisation, community interest company you may need your organisation’s number. The application form has links to where these can be found.

If you pick 'other', you will need to describe your organisation.

We are particularly interested to know where in the city your organisation works. This helps us understand more about the differing needs of the city.

If you don’t know which wards you work in, you can find your ward with your postcode.

You'll need to tell us if your organisation's work include services to Brighton & Hove City Council tenants or leaseholders, or take place on council estates.

If it does, you'll need to explain approximately what percentage of your organisation's work benefits council tenants or leaseholders, and how you estimated this percentage.

Questions about staff and volunteers include:

• how many people manage your organisation, for example trustees, directors, committee members
• how many volunteers you have in total
• if you have any paid members of staff

If you do have paid members of staff, you'll need to tell us:

• how many paid full time staff
• how many paid part time staff
• how you support your paid staff

We will ask you if you need the grant for:

• core running costs
• a specific activity or project, for example a community festival, clean up day or a performance project

You'll also need to tell us:

• what your organisation does and what you want the funding for, in no more than 2500 characters
• how you link with other organisations in the city - in no more than 2500 characters
• how many people will benefit from this work
• how have you identified the need for your work - in no more than 2500 characters
• how you'll know how successful your organisation and activities have been - in no more than 2500 characters

You'll need to tell us:

• how your organisation ensures equal opportunities in no more than 2500 characters
• if your organisation has an equal opportunities policy

You'll need to tell us if you:

• have a bank account already
• are in the process of setting up a bank account

If you have a bank account, tell us:

• the name of the account
• account number
• sort code
• how do you make sure your organisation’s finances are appropriately managed in no more than 2500 characters

We'll want to know if your organisation was operating in the last financial year (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021).

If it was we'll ask you:

• what your organisation’s income was in the last financial year
• did you receive a grant from the council in the last financial year

We will ask you how much funding are you applying for.

You'll need to tell us if you have any other sources of income.

For example:

• other funding or grants that have been confirmed
• other funding or grants that haven't been confirmed
• sales of goods or services
• subscriptions or membership fees

We'll also ask about your costs.

For example:

• salaries, wages and recruitment
• volunteer costs
• venue costs
• general running costs

We will ask if you have any of the following reserves.

Free reserves

Money that can be used to pay for any activity that furthers your organisation's aims and objectives.

Restricted reserves

Money that must be spent on specific activities, for example a grant given to buy a photocopier.

Designated reserves

Money that you've set aside for a specific purpose, like for children to attend a specific sports event, but could be used for something else if the event is cancelled.

You will be asked to upload documents to support your application. We will accept photographs of documents.

The documents you’re asked for will depend on your answers and could include:

• the last set of accounts for your organisation that have been agreed by your management committee
• budget for this year - 2021 to 2022
• equal opportunities policy
• constitution or rules
• bank statement or paying in slip
• evidence of potential expenditure to support your application