THE MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION REDUCING ISOLATION IN LATER LIFE INCLUSION GRANTS

The Masonic Charitable Foundation’s Reducing Isolation in Later Life Grants programme offers both small and large grants to registered charities that support disadvantaged and vulnerable older people over 50 years of age in England and Wales. Over the next five years, the Foundation will be supporting charities that help people to overcome barriers to actively participate in society in their later years.

To be eligible, applicants must be supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable older people over the age of 50 years and provide:

o Mental and physical health support;
o Gateway and access to service, for example transport and technology;
o Community based approaches, for example volunteering, positive ageing and neighbourhood support; and/or
o Advocacy, social and welfare support.

The funding is designed to help people who face social isolation or loneliness due to reasons such as:

o Financial hardship;
o Care responsibilities;
o A decline in physical or mental health, or
o Life transitions including retirement or bereavement.

The support will help to provide a range of services to support the physical and emotional needs of people as they age, including community-based programmes and access to healthcare, transport and technology.

Funding can be used for such activities as:

o Support for emotional and psychological planning for later life;
o Digital inclusion sessions to enable older people to access services;
o Activities and clubs enabling older people to remain active and make friends;
o Providing companionship and befriending schemes for periods of transition;
o Advice and information on options for those with health conditions; and
o Carers and respite support.

Examples of desired outcomes are:

1. Short Term:
o  Older people adapting to key transitions in their lives;
o  Older people well supported, better informed and receiving essential advice;
o  Existing services better supporting the physical, psychological and emotional needs of people as they age;
o  More therapeutic support available to people at key points in their lives;
o  Greater knowledge of options and rights leading to greater confidence in choices;
o  Increased cultural and social participation choices for people as they age; and/or
o  Greater awareness of the issue within the Masonic community.

2. Long Term:
o  Reduced feelings of loneliness or social isolation for people in later life;
o  Improved health and sense of well-being for people as they age;
o  More active social lives for people in later life;
o  The older population living as they choose in a healthy and safe environment; and/or
o  The Masonic Charitable Foundation's profile raised within the Masonic community, public and third sector.

Registered charities in England and Wales may apply for one of the following two grant strands:

o Large grants starting from £10,000 are available to charities with an annual income exceeding £500,000. The average large grant will range from £20,000 to £80,000. Occasionally, large grants of up to £200,000 are made for outstanding projects. Large grants are for specific projects and can be used for salary costs, activities, materials, etc; 

or

o Small grants of between £500 and £15,000 are available to charities with an income of under £500,000.Small grants are for core funding.

All grants can be for 1, 2 or 3 years. Grant amounts should not exceed 15% of the total income of the applicant charity.

The following are not eligible for funding:

o Arts and heritage projects. (Arts and Heritage charities will be considered if the service the charity provides is for people in the beneficiary group.) 
o Environmental projects;
o Animal welfare;
o Political or lobbying activities;
o Civil liberties and human rights;
o Routine delivery of the National Curriculum in schools;
o Contributions towards new build and/or large scale capital projects, for example building a new hospice wing;
o Capital repairs and/or maintenance of existing buildings;
o Hospital equipment, such as MRI scanners;
o Current active grant holders;         
o Umbrella organisations coordinating fundraising on behalf of others;
o Social Enterprises or Community Interest Companies;
o Community interest groups;
o Organisations that are not registered charities;
o Schools (for routine delivery activities to non-priority groups);
o Nurseries (for routine delivery activities to non-priority groups);         
o Hospitals (for routine delivery activities to non-priority groups);         
o Individuals;
o Those who have had a small grant or second stage large grant application within the last 12 months; and
o Those whose previous grant from the Foundation ended less than two years ago.

The Large and Small Grants schemes have separate deadlines as follows:

1. Large Grants (£10,000-£80,000):  Wednesday 2nd January 2019  for 1st-stage applications;

2. Small Grants (up to £15,000): Friday 25 January 2019

Guidelines, an application checklist and an online eligibility test, which applicants must complete before being able to access an application form,  are available on the Masonic Charitable Foundation website.

Contact details for the Foundation are:

Charity Grants Programmes 
The Masonic Charitable Foundation 
60 Great Queen Street 
London 
WC2 5AZ 
Tel: 020 3146 3337 
Email: charitygrants@mcf.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)