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Guidance to Applicants for Funding
Each
year Highland Cross receives requests for assistance that total
more than it can support
Therefore after great consideration it is clarifying its grant
giving preferences.
Highland Cross wishes to concentrate its funding on charities
and incorporated organisations, regulated by the Office of the
Scottish Charity Regulator that seek to work for the benefit
of the people of Highland who are disadvantaged
through medical or social causes.
Highland Cross regards “Highland” as being the geographical area
administered by Highland Council.
Highland Cross will only fund capital items.
Highland Cross will not consider applications for
revenue costs such as running costs, expenses or staff
costs.
Highland Cross will not consider applications for
retrospective funding.
Highland Cross prefers not to fund second hand vehicles or
equipment. An applicant would have to have
exceptionally strong reasons for such a purchase.
National charities are welcome to apply to Highland Cross for
funding for capital items for projects that are of direct
benefit to people of Highland. However the panel will wish to
examine why the funding is required where a charity has a major
national fundraising operation. They will also require
assurances that the assets will continue to be applied to the
benefit of people of Highland for the foreseeable future and
that there is a sustainable plan for their use in Highland should the
national charity cease operations in Highland.
Highland Cross will show preference to those charities
who are the end user of the item(s) being funded.
Highland Cross will show less preference for charities
who are raising funds for an item e.g. vehicle or building where
that will be handed over to a third party that is not a charity
especially if the third party is a statutory body.
Highland Cross will not fund minibuses or other vehicles
for local authority schools.
Highland Cross is reluctant to donate to large collector
funds where there is a long time scale to the realisation of a
project. Highland Cross may contribute to such a project
where they are being asked to fund the cost of a specific item
to complete the project such as furnishings or
equipment for a building.
The
Application date
Applications must be with Highland Cross by 30 September
2021. There will be no selection process taking
place in 2020. The charities selected to benefit from the
2020 event will be carried forward to next year.
The
Commitment from Charities nominated as Major Beneficiaries
Major
beneficiaries are expected to contribute to the successful
organisation of the event by: contributing £1,000 towards the
costs AND providing 20 appropriate people to act as
marshals.
Applications for smaller amounts of assistance
Applications for smaller amounts of assistance should also be
made by 30 September 2021, and if surplus funds are available
from the 2021 event, a distribution may be made thereafter. The
smallest grant ever given was for just under £60. Applicants for smaller sums are not required to pledge finance
but Highland Cross will look to beneficiaries that receive
larger sums from the “small” grants to support a future Highland
Cross with “hands on” assistance on the day to help with
marshalling duties.
Application process
Whether charities are looking for a small grant, or to be a
major beneficiary, applications must be made on the funding
application form.
The charity application form can be downloaded here.
The
completed form should be sent ideally by email to
info@highlandcross.co.uk with the required supporting
documents to arrive by 30
September 2021 If sending by post, please
send form and documents to Highland Cross Organisers, Redwood,
19 Culduthel Road, Inverness, IV2 4AA.
Please ensure that you use the current form.
Applications made on previous versions of the form will
have to be rejected.
Charity Selection Process
All
applications undergo an initial screening to ensure that they
meet the basic eligibility criteria. If successful at that
stage, applications go to an Independent Selection Panel. The
Organising Committee do not select the charities as a number of
the Organisers are professionally involved with charity work in
the Highlands.
Major
Beneficiaries
Charities are chosen by an Independent Charity Selection Panel
of three members who are quite separate
from the Organising
Committee. Highland Cross will have four
or five major beneficiaries each year. The
Charity Selection Panel normally selects
up to 6 potential major beneficiaries for interview which will
take place in November or early December 2021 in Inverness. The Panel will then inform the Organisers of
the nominated causes.
The Independent Charity Selection Panel takes a number of
criteria into consideration.
A copy of the Panel Guidance can be
obtained here.
Smaller
Grants
Grants for smaller amounts are assessed on the basis of the
application form. Where they consider it necessary the
Independent Charity Selection Panel may seek additional
information from applicants. |