What do you mean by organisation?
We consider an organisation to be any group, movement, charity, benefit society, collective, or other entity (i.e., not an individual).
What do you mean by Black liberation?
For us, liberation means a world without systemic violence and exploitation, where Black people can live full and free lives. We believe liberation can be achieved by defunding the police and investing in communities, ending the hostile environment and border controls, funding safe and sustainable futures, and staying committed to international solidarity and global resistance.
How many grants are available?
We have £350,000 to distribute in total, which we plan to allocate as follows:
£100,000 available for the Developmeny Fund from which we will make 10 or more grants.
£250,000 available for the Impact Fund from which we will make 5 or more grants.
We will distribute a further £50,000 under our International Solidarity theme in 2023. BLMUK grantees and partners will be asked to nominate any international organisations working on our priority areas that are making an impact but are under-resourced.
Is there a deadline to spend the funding by?
No. If funded, you can choose to receive the funding as one lump sum straight away, or in two instalments (one half straight away and one half in a year). If you need a specific payment plan that is different from this, we can discuss this with you. We ask you to apply for an amount that covers the work you want to do over one or two years, but when you spend it is flexible if plans change.
We are in the process of starting a brand new organisation. Can we apply?
Yes, you can apply to the Development Fund. You will need to be able to tell us about your aims and plans, the impact you hope to make, and how your organisation is being or will be led. Please see the guidance document for how to tell us about your plans.
Who is involved in deciding whether an organisation gets funding?
The BLMUK Fund was developed by a small coalition of people, including members of BLMUK’s coordinating group, individuals with experience of funding Black-led organisations, and an advisory group of 10 people with extensive working experience in relation to our priority themes. Everyone involved in creating the BLMUK Fund, assessing applications, and distributing funding is Black and contributes to the Black Lives Matter and Black Liberation movements in a variety of ways.
Will you fund organisations outside of London?
Yes, any UK organisation can apply. You do not have to be based in or working in London. We hope to fund organisations across the country.
How will grantees receive the money?
By bank transfer. If successful, you will receive an initial email from us confirming that your work will be funded. We will ask you to send us a copy of your organisation’s bank statement, dated within the last three months, along with a signed copy of our Grant Terms & Conditions. If your organisation does not have its own bank account, you can nominate an organisation known to you to receive the money. They must agree in writing to receive the money and make it freely available for your organisation’s use, as needed.
Our organisation or the work we are applying for does not have Black leadership, can we still apply?
No. This fund is specifically for campaigns, projects, work, and organisations with Black leadership, which uplift the Black community and support the development of a Black liberation movement. This is because the fund aims to address the ongoing under-resourcing of Black-led organisations and work which is led by and for the people and communities facing the issues they aim to address.
We are not based in the UK, can we still apply?
No, the fund is only open to UK-based organisations. We will be distributing c.£50,000 to international organisations under our International Solidarity priority area in 2023. However, this will be to organisations nominated by BLMUK grantees and partners who are working to address similar issues, linked to our priority themes.
How much can we apply for?
If you meet the criteria for the Development Fund, you can apply for up to £10,000. If you meet the criteria for the Impact Fund, you can apply for up to £50,000. In either case, we urge organisations to apply for what they need to cover work that matches our themes, over one or two years. You should think about all costs of the organisation and work when deciding how much to apply for. For example, if you are applying for a specific project, you should consider applying for a proportion of your core running costs if this is within the funding limit and is not already covered by other funding.
We also ask organisations to apply for an amount those who will be managing the funds feel they can comfortably manage, though we hope to be able to provide support if organisations tell us they need it.
We want to fund a number of organisations in genuine need of funding to make an impact on Black lives, so please only apply for what you need.
Would receiving funding put undocumented people we work with at risk?
No. You will not need to provide personal information about anybody you work with at any stage of the application process, or during or after receiving funding.
If funded, we will ask you to update us at the end of the period, so we can understand and share any learning within the movement, where appropriate. Anything asked of you or shared would be completely anonymous, and we will work with grantees to provide support and confidence around this.
What can we use the funding for?
Anything that supports your plans to uplift the Black community and support the development of a Black liberation movement, as long as it is not in our list of What we do not fund. Check page four of the Application Information & Guidance document.
What is the maximum number of years you will fund over?
Two, but these are simply payment points. If you need to spread the money over a slightly longer period because plans change, that’s okay.
Do we have to be a registered organisation to apply?
No, you do not need to be registered with any regulator (e.g., Charity Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, OSCR etc.) to apply. If you are registered, there’s a place in the application to tell us your registration number, so we can find out more about you, but it is not required.
Can individuals apply?
No, sorry. We have just £350,000 available to distribute in this round and we’ve decided to focus on organisations.
When and how can I find out who gets funded?
As soon as grants are confirmed and distributed, we’ll announce grantees (with their permission) on our website and social media.
How long does the application process take?
It depends how many applications we receive, but we are aiming for a turnaround time of eight weeks from deadline to outcome notification. We hope it’s quicker than this, but we don’t want to overpromise.
What should I use to create a video or audio file?
It’s up to you, as long as it is fully accessible to us via a URL (website link), with no time limit on when it is viewed. Private videos uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo would work. If you protect it with a password you can give us this when prompted in the application form.
How do I submit a video or audio file?
You need to follow the Apply link on the About the Fund page. Once you’ve answered the Basic Information questions, you’ll be given the option to provide a link to your video or audio recording. You don’t have to send us a video or audio recording; you can apply fully online if you’d prefer.
Is the funding you are distributing restricted?
We ask you to tell us about your plans throughout the application process, but if something changes we are flexible. We would expect the funding to be broadly used towards the same overall themes you applied under.
Do we need to create a budget to apply?
No. We ask you to give us a simple list of what the funding will be used for to support your aims, but there is no requirement to share a budget. However, we do urge you to make one to ensure you are asking for what you need.
What if we receive funding for our work and then our plans change?
We ask you to tell us about your plans throughout the application process, but if something changes we are flexible. We would expect the funding to be broadly used towards the same overall themes you applied under.
How will you keep our information and documents secure?
Information provided to us via our application form will be downloaded and stored in password protected spreadsheets in Google Drive files. Personal information will never be shared with a third party and will only be used to contact you about the status of your application.
What if we don’t have experience writing applications or making videos, can you help?
You don’t need to be a professional fundraiser or have any experience of writing funding applications to apply. We will be using information in applications to understand your organisation, its aims, and plans for the funding. We will not be taking note of how the application is written or spoken, as long as we are able to understand what you are telling us. If you feel you need help, reach out via email at [email protected]. If we receive your application and need more information, we will contact you.
How will you be assessing applications?
First, we will check applicants meet the fund criteria. We will then score applications that meet the criteria using the information provided, to determine how closely they meet our themes and other priorities, outlined in the Application Information and Guidance document. Applications with the highest scores will then be decided on by a decision panel made up of some of BLMUK’s coordinating group, and members of the advisory group that helped us develop the fund.
Can we apply under more than one theme?
You need to select one main theme that most closely matches your work and plans, but if your work covers more than one theme, you can tell us how in the detailed information questions in your application.
Will you provide feedback to organisations not receiving funding?
Yes, we aim to provide feedback to all applicants. However, we expect a high volume of applications and with such a limited amount of funding to distribute, we expect a high number of applications will have to be rejected even though we would love to resource the work. We will provide guidance on how to access other resources, for organisations who would benefit.
What will be done with the remaining funds held by BLMUK?
Of the initial £1.2M donated to us in 2020, we distributed £170,000 to 14 groups in 2021. Will now be distributing £350,000 through the second round of funding, and an additional £50,000 will be made available in 2023 under our International Solidarity theme. We will therefore have donated around 60% of the funds by the end of next year.
Less than 10% of the fund has been needed to cover administration, legal and other operational costs for both the various funding rounds and the organisation more broadly.
The remainder will be kept to develop sustainable BLMUK projects to benefit our communities in the longer term (e.g. the BLMUK Education Project), as well as enable us to support urgent campaigns (e.g. the police killing of Chris Kaba). We look forward to continuing our work with the organisations funded in the first two rounds, to respond collectively during periods of crisis and build sustainable black political infrastructure.
Black Lives Matter