1.      Charitable purpose and objective

The trustees apply the funds of The Black Fund at their discretion and in accordance with the its charitable purposes as per its registration with the Charity Commission:

The object of the charity is:

 The prevention or relief of poverty of the African and Caribbean diaspora in the UK by making grants to charities and community groups.

2. Priorities for support

2.1 The number and value of grants that can be supported by the trustees is necessarily limited to the amount of funds that are available for distribution each year. The trustees have determined that the current priorities for funding are the two programmes defined within this policy.

2.2 The priorities for support will be reviewed by the trustees every year and may be adapted depending upon circumstances and the perceived effectiveness of the application of funds. Any change to these priorities will still fulfil the charitable purpose and objectives of the charity.

3. The GIVE BACK programme

GIVE BACK is a funding scheme providing grants of up to £5,000 for charities and community groups that have a proven record of supporting black communities.

To be eligible the charity must:

-       Be registered with the Charity Commission

-       Operate at least one active social media account

-       Have an up-to-date Safeguarding policy

-       Have its previous year accounts available for scrutiny

To be eligible the grant must be for work that:

-       Can either be fully delivered within the £5,000 grant, or:

-       The charity must be able to demonstrate that it has the balance of funding already in hand

-       Specifically tackles issues or challenges facing members of the black community

-       Has objectives agreed that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound)

Principles applied in determining GIVE BACK support

In awarding grants, the trustees will apply the following principles:

3.1 GIVE BACK grants are only available to charities and community groups that are either led by, or exist to reduce poverty for the benefit and/or empowerment of members of the Black Caribbean and African diaspora in the U.K. Each applicant charity must demonstrate with clear evidence how they satisfy these criteria.

3.2 The trustees will consider any eligible requests to fund work that will be delivered anywhere within the United Kingdom. They will not fund work that is to be delivered outside of the United Kingdom.

3.3 The trustees seek primarily to support smaller organisations, so will not accept applications from any charity whose previous year income was greater than £200,000.

3.4 Each application must describe:

o   The amount being sought from The Black Fund and details of the source of the balance of funding if the overall project cost is greater than £5,000

o   the SMART objectives of the work that the grant will fund

o   a plan and budget for how it will be delivered within 12 months of receipt

o   Details of how impact will be measured and reported back and how the charity will seek to learn from it

o   Plans for promoting the work facilitated by the grant and its impact

3.5 Each application must be submitted via The Black Fund’s form, accompanied by:

o   The charity’s most recent accounts

o   The charity’s Safeguarding Policy

o   Details of a bank account in the name of the charity into which any grant should be paid if the application is successful

3.6 The maximum award is £5,000 per application. Not all grants will be for this amount and the trustees reserve the right to award sums smaller than that being sought.

3.7 GIVE BACK grants are only for registered charities, they cannot be used for individual benefits, other than those benefiting from the charity’s activities or programmes.

3.8 The Black Fund welcomes applications from faith charities. However, its grants must not be used for any activity that involves proselytising.

4. The Following applies to all grants programmes operated by The Black Fund

4.1 Each request or situation will be considered on its own merits. Where situations have been previously considered (whether successful or not) any due diligence undertaken to reach an earlier decision will be made available to the trustees.

4.2 The trustees will carry out sufficient due diligence to ensure that the request or situation meets both the charitable purposes, and the priorities for support set out in this policy.

Applicant and partner due diligence

4.2.1 The trustees will carry out sufficient due diligence on any potential beneficiary to ensure:

The identity of the beneficiary organisation;

That GIVE BACK funds are applied in accordance with the recipient’s charitable purpose;

That funds are not knowingly used for:

Money laundering in accordance with the operative Money Laundering regulations;

Terrorist financing in accordance with the Terrorist Act 2000;

Bribery in accordance with the 2010 Bribery Act.

4.2.2 The trustees will adopt a risk rated approach to due diligence. Risk factors will include; the size of the grant, the nature of the relationship between the charity and the applicant.

4.2.3 Grant size will be an important risk factor and the larger the grant the greater will be the likely level of due diligence undertaken.

4.2.4 The results of any due diligence will not last indefinitely. In cases where unsuccessful GIVE BACK applicants re-apply additional due diligence will be undertaken enabling the charity to demonstrate any change of circumstances that might impact on the decision.

5. Administration

5.1. For all grants trustees should be confident:

Of the purpose of the proposed grant including an understanding of the work and the way in which the grant will be managed and applied.

Of the person(s) responsible for the management of the grant and for overseeing the work.

5.2. All grants will be paid to the recipient organisation’s named bank account. No payments will be made to individuals.

5.3. All grants will be provided by means of an electronic banking transfer. The charity’s normal payment authorisation process will be applied to all payments.

5.4. Where the grant is for a specified project or purpose, and in situations where that purpose does not proceed or where any grant or part thereof remains unused after 12 months, all unused funds must be returned to The Black Fund.

5.5. Where formal written applications have been received, or other records maintained, these will be stored and subsequently disposed of in accordance with the charity’s policy on data protection and prevailing GDPR.

5.6. By accepting a grant from The Black Fund all recipients consent to the charity using their story as a case study to explain and promote the work of the charity. Any such stories will be used in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy of The Black Fund and its Participant Privacy Notice.

6. Decision making

6.1. The decision of the trustees on whether to award a grant is final.

6.2. The trustees are not obliged to provide an explanation to applicants in the event that their application is not successful.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation

7.1 An evaluation form must be submitted to the Board at the completion of each grant-funded activity.

8. Repeat Applications

8.1 Unsuccessful applicants for GIVE BACK grants may submit another application 12 months after being notified of their lack of success.

8.2 Successful GIVE BACK grant recipients may submit another application two years after receipt of their grant.