Hampshire & Isle of Wight non-profits face critical funding shortfall as demand for grants outstrips supply by 88%
More than 140 community groups across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have applied for vital funding through Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation’s (HIWCF) flagship Including Communities Fund, which closed for applications at midnight on Tuesday.
The fund provides £1,000 - £10,000 grants for not-for-profit organisations tackling poverty and inequality across the region, but with just £135,000 available, the fund is oversubscribed by 88% - meaning only 15-18 projects are likely to be supported from the 141 submitted. This equates to a potential success rate of just 12%.
The total value of funding requests received through this single programme is around £1.2 million. To put that in context, HIWCF distributed £1,153,935 in grants to 167 community groups during the whole of last year.
Jacqui Scott, CEO of HIWCF, said: "We have effectively been asked for more than our full year of grant funds available – across all funding programmes – on this one grant programme alone. The sea of demand out there in our communities is overwhelming, and as an organisation and a staff team, we find it heart-breaking to have to reject so many applications for vital community work due to a lack of funds to distribute."
HIWCF is the largest independent charitable grant maker in the region, working with donors, philanthropists, and partners to ensure funding gets where it’s most needed.
HIWCF is now calling on individuals, businesses, and philanthropic partners to step forward and help expand the reach of its funds.
"Donating to HIWCF means you can directly strengthen communities," added Jacqui, "The Including Communities Fund shows both the scale of need and the transformative power of small grants. We’re urging people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to work with us so we can fund more of the groups doing extraordinary work in our communities."