What is crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a form of fundrasing which encourages lots of people to make small donations to a specific campaign, this can be very successful for some sports clubs and there are dedicated websites to help with the organisation of a crowd funding campaign.

The two main forms of crowdfunding for sports clubs are:

• Donation-based crowdfunding. This is where large numbers of people are encouraged to contribute to a project, even if it’s just a small amount, without expecting anything in return. For this approach to work, your contributors will need to really believe in your project and/or your organisation.
• Rewards-based crowdfunding. This is where people are encouraged to contribute in return for a reward. Rewards usually reflect the amount donated, so ‘better’ rewards go to those who contribute more money. For sports organisations, rewards could range from tickets to training sessions, wall plaques, named seats, certificates or free merchandise. Alternatively, you can ask members to contribute skills or services as rewards, or get local businesses or sponsors to donate things like free meals out, experiences or tickets to events and more. This can encourage the wider community to get involved, not just those who might have an interest in your organisation or sport.

How to crowd fund

Crowdfunding can be accomplished through dedicated online platforms and this is likely the easiest way to utilise this form of fundrasing. Some of the websites below offer more guidance and support on crowdfunding campaigns, the platforms are all useful to set up campings for your club.

Just Giving – Crowdfunding
Crowdfunder
GoGetFunding
Spacehive
GoFundMe

See more on the Sport England Club Matters website

Many business large and small, local and national are keen to work with sports clubs as a way of giving back to communities and making a difference in the area that they operate in. Sponsorship is an excellent way for your club to raise revenue while raising the profile of the organisation that is sponsoring you. You must remember when seeking sponsorship that any agreement you come to will be a two-way thing. Your club will be expected to honour obligations in order to maintain the sponsorship.

Sponsorship from a local business can make a huge impact to a club as the funds are typically unrestricted and available to spend however the club see’s fit.

When looking for a potentential sponsor, think about what your club can offer.
Some clubs create sponsorship packages which outline exactly what is on offer in return for a specified amount of sponsorship. e.g a Gold Sponsorship package might cost a sponsor £1000, and in return they can get there logo on the teams kit and a section on the clubs website. Whereas the Silver Sponsorship package might cost a sponsor £700, and they would subsequently receive less benefits in return when compared to the Gold package.

See more on sponsorhip on the Sport England Club Matters website.

UK Funds

Masonic Charitable Foundation – Children and Young People Grants Programme
Grants for charities in England and Wales for projects that support disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people aged up to 18 years (up to 25 years for disabled young people) to overcome the barriers they face in order to achieve the best possible start in life.
Amount: from £1000

AbbVie Uk Grants
Grants are available to healthcare organisations and charitable institutions in the UK for health, science, learning and community-based projects.
Amount: not specified
Deadline: ongoing

Asda Foundation – Cost of Living Grant
Grants of between £500 and £2000 are available for local community groups in the UK who are affected by the increase in the cost of living.
Amount: £500 – £2000
Deadline: ongoing

Clothworkers’ Foundation – Open Grants Scheme
Clubs are encouraged to take the eligibillity quiz to ensure they can be accepted.
Capital grants are available to UK registered charities working in the UK in one of the following areas: alcohol and substance misuse, people with disabilities, disadvantaged minority communities, disadvantaged young people, domestic and sexual abuse, older people, homelessness, prisoners and ex-offenders, and visual impairment.
Amount: up to £10,000
Deadline: ongoing

Hedley Foundation
Grants are available to smaller charities operating across the spectrum of social need in the UK.
Amount: £5000
Deadline: ongoing – trustee’s meet four times per year

Clubs in Crisis Fund
Grants of up to £2000 are available to support grassroots sports clubs and organisations in the UK working in the sport-for-development sector that have been adversely affected by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
Amount: £2000
Deadline: ongoing

Henry Smith Charity – Strengthening Communities
Grants of between £20,000 and £60,000 are available to support the running costs of small community-based organisations working in the most deprived areas of the UK to help people to make positive changes in their lives.
Amount: £20,000 – £60,000
Deadline: ongoing

Matthew Good Foundation – Grants for Good Fund
Grants of between £1000 and £3500 are available for local community groups, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises in the UK for projects that have a positive impact on communities, people, or the environment.
Amount: £1000 – £3500
Deadline: ongoing

Peter Harrison Foundation – Opportunities through Sport Programme
Grants are available to UK charities running sports projects which provide opportunities for people who are disabled or otherwise disadvantaged to fulfil their potential and develop personal and life skills. There is no minimum or maximum level of grant available. Each grant request will be reviewed on its own merits. Open to registered charities and CASC (Community Amateur Sportes Clubs)
Amount: Small grants up to £5000, Major Grants between £5000 – £30,000
Deadline: ongoing

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund aims to use sport and physical activity as a means of bringing a community together and tackling inequalities via awards of between £300 and £10,000 from a pot of £5 million of National Lottery funding.
Amount: between £300 – £10,000
Deadline: ongoing

The 53 Foundation
The 53 Foundation helps fund new equipment, facilities and transport assistance for disabled sporting clubs, groups, community projects and individuals, creating active opportunities for a wide variety of amazing people.
Amount: unspecified
Deadline: ongoing

The Foyle Foundation
The Foyle Foundation Small Grants Scheme supports smaller, grass-roots and local charities across the UK during the Covid-19 crisis. Organisations which are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community either directly or through online support can apply for grants of between £1,000 and £10,000.
Amount: between £1000 – £10,000
Deadline: ongoing

Boost Charitable Trust
Small grants are available to charities and non-profit making organisations with a focus on helping disabled and disadvantaged individuals in the UK to participate in sport.
Amount: up to £750
Deadline: ongoing

Bruce Wake Charitable Trust
The Bruce Wake Grant is administered by the Bruce Wake Charitable Trust and is available for voluntary and community organisations in the UK.
Grants are available for the provision of leisure activities for the disabled in the UK with favour given to applications where one or all of the following criteria are met:

• The potential beneficiaries are physically disabled wheelchair users
• Improved access for wheelchair users is proposed
• A sporting or leisure activity involving disabled wheelchair users is proposed

Amount: not specified, typically around £5000
Deadline: ongoing

Percy Bilton Charity- Grants for Organisations
Funding is provided to UK registered charities whose primary objectives are to assist one or more of the following groups:

• Disadvantaged/underprivileged young people (persons under 25)
• People with disabilities (physical or learning disabilities or mental health problems)
• Older people (aged over 60)

Amount: £3000 on average, rarely over £5000
Deadline: ongoing

Sport England – Small Grants Programme
The Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active and support new projects through providing National Lottery funding.
Amount: £300 – £15,000
Deadline: 30 / 06 / 2023

National Lottery Awards for All – England
Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available for charities, voluntary groups, schools and local authorities in England to carry out projects that will improve their local community.
Amount: £300  – £10,000
Deadline: ongoing

The Morrisons Foundation
The Morrisons Foundation awards grant funding for charity projects which make a positive difference in local communities. In the main grants are available to fully fund projects up to £25,000.
Amount: up to £25,000
Deadline: ongoing

Baillie Gifford Grassroots Sports
Grants of up to £5000 are available to support grassroots sports organisations to widen participation in sport across Scotland.
Amount: up to £5000
Deadline: ongoing

National Lottery Awards for All – Scotland
Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available for voluntary, community and public sector organisations in Scotland to carry out projects that will improve local communities and the lives of people most in need.
Amount: £300  – £10,000
Deadline: ongoing

Russell Trust (email to request application form)
Grants are available to registered charities for a wide range of charitable purposes in the UK, with a preference for Scotland. Most grants are in the range of between £250 and £2,000. One or two larger grants of between £10,000 and £20,000 may be awarded annually. The Trust has a wide criteria for grant making including the advancement of public participation in sport.
Amount: £250  – £2000, one or two larger grants of between £10,000 – £20,000
Deadline: ongoing

Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust
Grants of up to £7500 are available for voluntary organisations in Wales in support of sport, the arts, the community and the environment. The Trust strives to make a difference to sporting organisations and those organisations delivering sports projects throughout Wales and appreciates that sport relies heavily on volunteers. The Trust is keen to support volunteer-based projects, particularly from ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
Amount: up to £7500
Deadline: applications open now until 1 February 2023

North Wales Police and Community Trust Fund (PACT)
Financial assistance is available to those who aim to improve quality of life by attempting to reduce crime and the public’s fear of crime in all communities located in North Wales.
Amount: up to £5000
Deadline: ongoing

Sports Foundation for the Disabled
Grants of up to £500 are available to not-for-profit groups for projects which promote access to sporting opportunities for disabled individuals and groups in South-West England and Wales.
Amount: up to £500
Deadline: ongoing

Fund for Wales
Grants of between £500 and £2,000 per year are available are available to small, volunteer-driven organisations in Wales for projects and activities designed to support and strengthen local communities.
Amount: between £500 and £2000
Deadline: ongoing

The Morrisons Foundation
The Morrisons Foundation awards grant funding for charity projects which make a positive difference in local communities. In the main grants are available to fully fund projects up to £25,000.
Amount: up to £25,000
Deadline: ongoing

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants

Tyne, Wear and Northumberland – Community Foundation Tyne, Wear and Northumberland

County Durham – County Durham Community Foundation

 

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants.

Cumbria – Cumbria Community Foundation

Lancashire – Community Foundation for Lancashire

Merseyside – Community Foundation for Merseyside

Cheshire – Cheshire Community Foundation

Greater Manchester – Forever Manchester

 

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants

North & East Yorkshire – Two Ridings Community Foundation

West Yorkshire

Leeds & Bradford – Leeds Community Foundation

Calderdale – Community Foundation for Calderdale

Kirklees – One Community Foundation

South Yorkshire – South Yorkshrie Community Foundation

 

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants

Derbyshire – Foundation Derbyshire

Leicester – Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation

Coventry, Warwickshire, Solihull, Birmingham & the Black Country – Heart of England Community Foundation

Northamptanshire – Northamptanshire Community Foundation

Norfolk – Norfolk Community Foundation

 

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants.

London (central) – London Community Foundation 

East London – East End Community Foundation

 

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants

Surrey – Community Foundation for Surrey

Buckinghamshire – Heart of Bucks Community Foundation

Berkshire – Berkshire Community Foundation

Kent – Kent Community Foundation

Sussex – Sussex Community Foundation

Hampshire – Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Community Foundation

 

Your local Community Foundation is a great place to check for local grants

Worcestershire – Worcestershire Community Foundation

Gloucestershire – Gloucestershire Community Foundation

Dorset – Dorset Community Foundation

Somerset – Somerset Community Foundation

Devon – Devon Community Foundation

Cornwall – Cornwall Community Foundation