SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME 

APPLICATIONS UP TO £25,000 

The Small Grants Programme supports charitable activities and projects across the whole of the third sector

Registered charitable organisations can apply for the Small Grants Programme if they operate within, or for the benefit of, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and if their work aligns with one or more of the following outcomes:

  • Improving the lives of people with specific needs, disadvantages or vulnerabilities
  • Employment, education or training opportunities
  • The protection of our natural environment, culture and heritage
  • Improved health and wellbeing for our community
  • An inclusive community, which challenges the barriers causing disadvantage or discrimination

The Small Grants Programme replaced the Christmas lottery grants which used to be distributed by the Association of Guernsey Charities. SIF now has access to all Guernsey lottery net proceeds, which means there are more funds available for charities which apply to SIF than in the past.

Since 2021, almost £950,000 has been awarded through the Small Grants Programme to a wide range of recipients as shown below.

Guernsey Community Foundation (GCF) assists SIF with the administration of this programme.

Small Grants applications open twice a year.

Applications will next open in 2025.

CRITERIA & GUIDELINES

Application Process

Download and review our application criteria and eligibility PDF before applying.

Contact GCF with any queries

If you would like to discuss your application please contact grants@foundation.gg or 01481 259523

Apply for Grant Online

Small Grants applications are closed and will next open in 2025

Small Grant FAQs

Learn more about programme details, how to apply and eligibility

This programme accepts applications for less than £25,000 only. For larger amounts please see our Major Grants programme

Applications must support the outcomes listed below and can relate to one-off projects, capital expenses, or running costs of up to a year’s duration.

Applications for salary costs within specific projects, usually of up to one year’s duration, will be considered. Any other salary costs may be considered on an exceptional basis for no more than one year.*

  • Improving the lives of people with specific needs, disadvantages or vulnerabilities
  • Employment, education or training opportunities
  • The protection of our natural environment, culture and heritage
  • Improved health and wellbeing for our community
  • An inclusive community, which challenges the barriers causing disadvantage or discrimination

*Applications for multi-year grants can be made via the Major Grants Programme

Applications are open to registered charities or NPOs operating within or to benefit the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Organisations based within Sark should be registered with the Sark Registrar (Alderney comes under Guernsey Registry).

Applications must support the outcomes listed above that are focused on people in our Bailiwick community, on the services and support they need, or are of benefit to our community; and demonstrate measurable impact against those applicable outcomes.

  • Activities outside the Bailiwick of Guernsey or that do not benefit residents of the Bailiwick;
  • Applications from individuals, as opposed to incorporated or registered entities;
  • Applications seeking to promote political or faith groups will not be supported (however applications are welcome from faith groups for community activities which meet the outcomes above);
  • If more than one year’s reserves are held, justification will need to be provided why these existing reserves cannot be used to fund the proposed activity;
  • SIF will not generally fund applications which include repairs or redevelopment of properties not owned by the charity;
  • Activities which duplicate a service already provided;
  • Applicants cannot apply for funding for their own salaries (for example, the salary of a CEO/ Manager should be submitted by a board member);
  • Applications are not likely to be accepted from fundraising or grant giving bodies unless previously agreed with SIF;
  • Most recent accounts, which should be independently reviewed, either through an audit or accountant’s report. 
  • You may be asked to send in extra information relating to your organisation’s finances, governance or safeguarding policies, depending on the nature of your application.

Small Grants applications open in 2 rounds per year.

Applications are currently closed and will open again in 2025.

Applications for small grants are processed by the Guernsey Community Foundation (GCF) on behalf of the Social Investment Fund. GCF receives each application form, ensures it is correctly completed, asks for extra information if required, and passes the application to the board of the Social Investment Fund for a decision.

SIF expects that an applicant charity is taking all necessary steps to ensure that it is fully compliant with the duties of registered organisations under the new Charities etc. (Guernsey and Alderney) Ordinance. SIF may require part or all of a grant to be repaid if the charity is found to be non-compliant with the new Law.

 

Small Grant Recipients

2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 Small Grants recipients are detailed below:

Small Grants 2024
Organisation Used For Awarded
Association of Guernsey Charities Towards the costs of an upgraded website £2,500
Alderney Rugby Football Union Club Safeguarding, police checks, coaching, travel, insurance and equipment costs £5,000
Guernsey Netball Association Towards one year's salary costs of the Guernsey Netball Development Officer £10,000
Vive La Vallette Towards costs of chair yoga sessions over 12 months £6,000
Headway Guernsey Towards costs of annual rent at the KGV £10,000
Guernsey Sports Commission Operational costs for a Safeguarding and Welfare Task Force £10,000
Alderney Bird Observatory Equipment, storm petrel and Continuous Effort Scheme projects £6,000
Guernsey Football Association - Youth Council Aztech soccer arena hire for fun football sessions £3,120
Youth Commission - Guernsey Skateparks Creation of a wooden skate park within the old swimming pool area of St Andrew's Primary School £14,403
Bowmen of Guernsey Provision of a concrete foundation for the new equipment store £12,500
Elizabeth College Improved drainage at the Memorial Field, as part of the development of the sporting facilities used by hockey, rugby, cricket and football clubs £25,000
Priaulx Library Towards project support/admin for the digitisation programme. £7,250
TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED £111,773
Small Grants 2023
Organisation Used For Awarded
Bright Beginnings Towards the costs of a new building for a private consulting room, small office and staff room. £20,000
Guernsey Basketball Association Beau Sejour hire for inter-insular matches, costs of travel for officials, funding towards under 18’s programme kit and equipment £3,500
Guernsey Community Savings Costs for premises for 1 year £6,960
Guernsey Sailing Trust Sailability Programme - For Monday Sailability club costs, sessions and fuel for 3 years £18,000
Guernsey Volleyball Running a coaching course to enable players to qualify as coaches £1,450
Headway Guernsey Rent for one year £9,730
Health Connections Towards office rent and transport software platform costs for 1 year £9,750
Guernsey Badminton Association Redecorating costs £3,500
Guernsey Friends of Maggie's Towards cancer support specialist time (x250 visits) and property costs £12,500
Grow Ltd Providing an enrichment programme for the Crew during the period prior to relocation back to the Coutanchez site £7,500
Guernsey Beach Wheelchairs New swim chair, new hut, insurance, website hosting, new sign writing on hut, hoist and fitting. £23,910
La Société Sercquaise Fire proof secure storage for significant historic documents - a Phoenix fire ranger security cabinet and delivery £2,148
St Saviours Community Centre Towards repairs, redecoration, maintenance and equipment costs £10,000
Guernsey Counselling Service Towards costs of supervision, office administration and general running costs for 2023 £15,000
Amherst Primary School Parents Teacher Association Towards replacement equipment and essential repairs to the playground equipment £24,660
Alderney Broadcasting Company LBG Replacement software and equipment £10,000
Le Rondin School Parents Staff and Friends Association Contribution towards the Calvert Trust Package Holiday 2024 £10,000
Alderney Tennis Club Contribution towards the costs of a padel tennis court £15,000
Baubigny Schools PTA Trampoline, Schools Reading Programme and Music Lessons £11,200
Guernsey Boxing Club Equipment for ladies’ sessions and 2 exhibition shows - £6,780; roof repairs and replacement - £12,295 £19,075
Offender Deposit Assistance Scheme Towards continuity of service over the next year - providing funding for lending rental deposits £5,000
Guernsey Cheshire Home Contribution to utility costs for 2023 £12,500
Guilles-Alles Library Towards the costs of Book Week for 1 year – author fees, books, prizes, travel and accommodation £12,000
Guernsey Eisteddfod Towards running costs £10,000
Citizens Advice Guernsey Towards the creation of individual user and management committee accounts for CAG’s IT platform and recurring monthly fees £19,434
Sark Art Gallery and Museum Match fund grant - towards general start-up costs £5,000
Alderney Bird Observatory Towards materials; licenses/IT/legal; fuel and transport; rent, rates and insurance £2,500
Les Voies School PTFA Towards the costs of daily lunches for 20 students over the school year £20,196
TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED £320,513
Small Grants 2022
Organisation Used For Awarded
Guernsey Swimming Club Level 1 & 2 and coaching training for teachers so they can become SwimEngland accredited £6,698
Climb LBG Towards the salary costs of a part-time Senior Instructor/Co-Ordinator £10,500
Accidental Zoo Towards the costs of delivering the Wellbeing Matters programme in 2022 £5,000
Relate Guernsey Towards general operating expenses including office staff, rent, services, supervision, IT, telephones, insurance policies, training £25,000
Mill Street Community Cafe LBG Towards renovation work and to improve accessibility £15,000
St Anne's Preschool Playgroup To fund the 2022 summer school, enabling the Playgroup to use any profits to take on more staff and replace dilapidated equipment £6,163
La Société Guernesiaise Astronomy Section A flat screen monitor/TV with speakers, to facilitate lectures/presentation £1,039
Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club A webpage, 2 x iPads, a projector and a screen, to improve publicity and training £5,577
Guernsey Bereavement Service Provision of mandatory counsellor supervision £6,615
Liberate Salary for part-time Administrative Officer £12,500
5th Guernsey Scouts Repairs to the Nissen hut so it can be used as a base for the Scouts group £10,000
Friends of Sark School Towards outdoor play equipment for the school £20,000
Action for Children/Youth Housing Project To fund ‘moving in’ equipment packs for 14 service users who leave AFC training flats to live independently £14,939
Go LBG Equipment and minor alterations to premises in order to develop new skills for trainees £13,000
Les Cotils Ltd To support ex-offender work placement/training £12,500
Guernsey Sylvans Sports Club LBG Replacement line marker for pitches £720
Guernsey Athletics Investment in the promotion and roll out of Long Term Athlete Development and Youth Athlete Development, targeting children in primary school and lower junior school - salary costs, education resources, equipment and facilities costs £14,500
Autism Guernsey Training and equipment for Occupational Therapist role £10,000
Guernsey Dynamics Football Club To support facilities hire and travel costs so that players can have games with similar teams £6,000
Guernsey Counselling Service To support training and counselling costs £16,000
Alderney Bird Observatory To cover the costs of building a base station for the MOTUS migrant bird data project and purchasing recording equipment £4,000
Guernsey Street Festival Towards costs of performers £5,000
The Monnaie Fellowship Trust LBG Towards a wheelchair-friendly pathway in the grounds £2,500
Choices Towards a renewed website, branding and signage £5,921
Guernsey Rugby Association Towards salaries of the Rugby Development Officer and Community Rugby Coach £15,000
Guernsey Sports Commission Salary for new role of Guernsey Netball Association Head Coach, travel costs and accommodation for one year £16,666
La Société Guernesiaise Conservation Herd Winter feed, milk powder and repairs to the Landrover £3,000
Men's Shed Guernsey General manager salary for 1 year and purchase of replacement planer £18,600
Guernsey Walking Football Towards pitch hire fees £9,600
Priaulx Library For the digitisation programme - towards the costs of project management or project administration/communication £12,000
Rosaire Community Association Towards equipment and running costs, and the purchase of an Interactive Audience Response System (Click-A-Pad) £5,279
TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED £309,317
Small Grants 2021
Organisation Used For Awarded
GO Staff uniforms and development of 'GO online' service £10,000
Guernsey Cheshire Home To cover utilities costs £25,000
Headway To cover rent for 2021 £8,500
Guernsey Badminton Association LBG Accessible changing room facility, wheelchair ramp and two toilets £11,000
Guernsey Caring for Ex-Offenders Equipment for activity workshops for ex-offenders to learn new skills £6,000
CLIC Sargent Towards the costs of supporting Bailiwick families to stay at Jean's House, a "Home from Home" CLIC Haven in Southampton £1,924
Relate Guernsey Towards administrative and supervision staff costs £25,000
Alderney Performing Arts Festival Towards festival running and equipment costs £3,000
Guernsey Mencap Towards the rental costs of a respite flat which provides respite to adults with a learning disability, for 3 years £21,000
GROW Limited To purchase plant materials and equipment for the 2021 growing season £10,000
Cystic Fibrosis Guernsey To purchase five bluetooth pulse oximeters £650
Access For All Production of videos, factsheets and training on access requirements and reasonable adjustments for the proposed disability legislation £7,500
The Clean Earth Trust To employ a Manager to run the Repair Café Project for one year £21,343
Men's Shed Guernsey Towards staff costs £15,000
Arts for Impact Two InShape art programmes £10,800
Guernsey Foster and Adoption Association Training courses to support those who care for children and young people who have suffered trauma £5,000
Guernsey Counselling Service Salary costs for Manager for one year £15,000
St Sampsons High School Breakfast club for pupils on the SEND register; to cover one school year’s worth of breakfasts for 40 pupils £3,387
TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED £200,104

Case Studies

Small Grants ProgramME

£6,000 for equipment for activity workshops for ex-offenders to learn new skills

Caring for Ex-Offenders provides support in the form of practical assistance, mentoring, advice, and financial aid to prisoners and their families in preparation for, and more significantly upon, release from prison

Learn more about their work »

Small Grants ProgramME

To cover the costs of two InShape art programmes - £10,800

Arts for Impact creates opportunities for people in the Bailiwick to access, and participate in high quality art. They achieve a variety of outcomes, including increasing health and wellbeing, behaviour change and awareness and discussion around the biggest challenges facing our community

Learn more about their work »

Small Grants ProgramME

Headway Guernsey was awarded a grant to cover their rent for 2021

Headway Guernsey supports islanders and their families who are living with the long-term effects of a brain injury. They provide a range of services that bring people together in a supportive environment helping them on their road to recovery to a life back into the community

Learn more about their work »