The GCVS team has collated some key resources to support organisations in their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We will be updating and developing these as the situation changes. Organisations can contact the GCVS team for more advice and support for their organisation on 0141 332 2444 or email CLD@gcvs.org.uk
- Funding and fundraising
- Furlough – Supports and Resources
- Digital
- HR
- Governance and legal
- Opening Spaces
- COVID-19 Current Funding
1. FUNDING and FUNDRAISING
Funding Tuesday
GCVS delivers monthly training sessions on how to maximise your income from grant-making trusts and foundations. Delivered face to face or by Zoom, this session will get you started.
GCVS Funding Surgeries
If you have already attended a Funding Tuesday session, but need a more -tailored discussion, GCVS offers regular funding surgeries subject to demand (45 min online/telephone appointments). Is your organisation stretched? Explore funding and fundraising options and get support to develop your future funding applications / review a draft application before submission. To book contact the GCVS Capacity Building team on 0141 332 2444 or email CLD@gcvs.org.uk
SCVO Funding Information
Funding and Fundraising: information, advice and resources
Information on dedicated funding specifically in response to the coronavirus pandemic
COVID-19 Current Funding
We have compiled information on some COVID-19 specific funds currently available, and those yet to open for application. Please see section 6. COVID-19 Current Funding below.
2. Furlough – GCVS Supports and Resources
GCVS is providing supports to voluntary sector organisations as they furlough staff through the Job Retention Scheme. Find out more here
3. Digital
Overcoming Digital Exclusion
Summary Overcoming Digital Exclusion 10 Jul 2020
Report from a recent event set up in response to the difficulties organisations have found with engaging service users in an online environment during and post Covid
Third Sector Lab
COVID-19: Digital service delivery for charities
Resources on best-practice, policies, guidance and more, to support the rapid deployment of essential charity services to online channels. Includes free weekly open Zoom calls in partnership with SCVO to help charities connect and learn during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
SCVO COVID Information Hub
Practical guidance and answers to common questions about how organisations can manage during the coronavirus crisis.
Includes information on: remote working and New service delivery models. How to adapt your services to digital and remote channels.
Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC)
Advice for community organisations to work digitally
Guidance to community organisations to help them keep their communities connected using digital tools during the Covid-19 crisis.
4. HR
GCVS
GCVS Employers Advice Service
Tailored support on HR and related issues as charities, community groups and social enterprises come to terms with COVID-19. Contact: Natasha Gordon, EAS Service Manager, Tel 0141 354 6515, email natasha.gordon@gcvs.org.uk
Furlough – GCVS Supports and Resources
SCVO
Supporting Employees during Covid 19
Information for employers, employees and volunteers on employment law, the furlough – job retention scheme, and remote working, and on more flexible ways of working, and delivering services in new ways.
Health & Safety Executive
Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest information and advice from HSE
Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice –
Citizens Advice Scotland
what to do if coronavirus affects your work, benefits or travel.
Information on benefits, your rights as an employee or as self employed
Volunteer Glasgow
Information for current and prospective volunteers, and for organisations working with volunteers.
COVID-19 – what volunteers and organisations should know
COVID-19: Keeping volunteers & individuals safe
5. Governance / Legal
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
COVID-19 Guidance for Charities from OSCR
This specific guidance brings together information charities need to know during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights other organisations who may be able to offer support.
1. Contacting OSCR
2. Funding and finance
3. Charity meetings and governance
4. Reporting to OSCR and making changes
5. Registering a charity
6. Information for cross-border charities
7. Fraud
8. Safer giving and fundraising
9. Volunteering
10. Sources of help and advice
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
SCVO COVID Information Hub
Practical guidance and answers to common questions about how organisations can manage during the coronavirus crisis. Topics covered include: HR; Governance; Volunteers; Funding and fundraising; service delivery.
Sustainability – new Lasting Difference Toolkit
A free downloadable resource supporting organisational sustainability (from Wren and Greyhound). The first edition launched during austerity. This revised edition arrives during a global crisis. There’s no doubt Covid-19 has intensified the challenges, but the fundamental principles and practices remain. Includes Covid specific learning resources for organisations. new edition
Charities Helping Communities During Covid19 Crisis – what the law says: Reasonable Excuse
The Scottish Government has passed emergency legislation which restricts our freedom of movement (The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020). You are only allowed to leave your house if you have a reasonable excuse for doing so.
As well as the commonly known ‘reasonable excuses’ (obtaining basic necessities, exercise), reasonable excuses for leaving your home include: (Section 8, paragraph 5)
(d) to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person, including to provide emergency assistance,
(f) to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living,
(i)to access critical public services, – this specifically includes “Services provided to victims (such as victims of crime)”
Our best advice currently is that charities providing support to people in the community have a ‘reasonable excuse’ to do so. We are liaising with Police Scotland to see if they would expect third sector staff and volunteers to have some kind of letter or identity confirming that they are engaging in these activities and will update the sector in due course.
Charitable Purposes
A word of warning for charities from guidelines published by OSCR (on their website). You will require OSCR’s consent if you want to work on helping with the outbreak, but your charitable purposes (as set out in your constitutional documents) don’t currently allow you to.
Volunteer Disclosures
If you have recruited new volunteers to help with your Covid-19 response, Disclosure Scotland have scrapped fees for new applications.
6. Opening Spaces
Links, video, guidance and useful information from our recent event aimed at supporting organisations considering how to open up spaces during various phases of Covid19.
7. COVID-19 Current Funding
Please also see the Funding and Fundraising information above.
Digital Inclusion Programme: The Digital Inclusion Programme is a Scottish Government capital fund that aims to reduce digital poverty. The programme is delivered by YouthLink Scotland in partnership with Lead Scotland and WEA. The aim is to provide community-based young adult learners with the resources they need to engage in online learning. Deadline 25th September. https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/funding-directory/d/the-digital-inclusion-fund/
Third Sector Resilience Fund Phase 2 is open. Scottish Government’s £20M emergency fund is specifically to help charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations working in Scotland to stabilise and manage cash flows over this difficult period. To check your eligibility and to apply: https://scvo.org/support/coronavirus/funding/scottish-government/third-sector-resilience-fund/eligibility-checker
NET’s Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund, distributed through Foundation Scotland, opened the “Recovery” phase on Mon 3 August to offer grants of £1000 – £5000 to support organisations to continue their operations in the ‘new normal’, to re-establish or re-design their activities to comply with new regulations in addition to providing emergency support for those who need it most. Details: www.foundationscotland.org.uk/programmes/community-response,-recovery-resilience-fund
The Aviva Community Fund is investing in community resilience and financial capability and inclusion – the focus is on funding small charities and giving them the opportunity to innovate and test new ideas with grants of up to £50,000.Applications close at 23.59 on 13 October 2020. More information: https://acf.crowdfunder.co.uk/start-crowdfunding
Creative Scotland Open Fund – Sustaining Creative Development. Open to organisations and individuals, to enable them to explore ways of working that will help them to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances. The fund will prioritise ideas and activities that help organisations sustain their creative practice and/or programmes of work. Grants of £1,000-£50,000 available from: www.creativescotland.com/funding/funding-programmes/open-fund-sustaining-creative-development
#ShiftThePower Coronavirus Response Fund helps grassroots organisations in Scotland to support vulnerable individuals, families, and communities, including responding to the impact of Coronavirus. Projects must fit one of the strategic themes: Children Survive & Thrive; Gender Justice; A Safe Place To Be; Mental Health Matters. Grants £1,000-£10,000 from: www.corra.scot/grants/comic-relief-coronavirus
National Lottery Community Fund: Awards for All which offers grants of up to £10,000, and other funding programmes offering larger sums, are still open: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes?location=scotland
Tesco Bags of Help COVID-19 Communities Fund is open for not-for-profit community groups to apply for an emergency £500 grant to support their work with vulnerable groups in the local community. There is a simple online application form, and awards will be made weekly. Details: https://tescobagsofhelp.org.uk/grant-schemes/tesco-cv-fund
Women’s Fund for Scotland: Covid Resilience Grants of up to £5,000 are available under the following 2 areas: Emergency Response and Recovery and Resilience. Deadline: 10 August 2020. Information: www.womensfundscotland.org/funding/response_recovery_resilience
Glasgow Life – Sports Organisation Support Covid-19 Fund offers funding to sports clubs and organisations requiring an injection of cash to help them emerge from short term financial hardship and costs associated with restarting sports activities under social distancing guidelines. Grants of up to £2,000 available immediately: www.glasgowlife.org.uk/sport/funding/sports-organisation-support-covid-19-fund
Next Step Initiative – Comic Relief Grant Programme has opened to provide financial support and improved vital capacity to Black Minority Ethnic community groups across Scotland. Grants of up to £15,000 can be used across a period up to 9 months but must be fully spent by May 2021. Closing date 17 Oct 2020 but apply now!. Details: www.nextstepinitiative.org.uk/comic-relief-grant-programme
Aviva Community Fund reopens with grants of up to £50,000 to support “Community Building through Fresh Thinking”. Successful projects are selected by Aviva employees: www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk
Postcode Neighbourhood Trust has reopened until 19 August to support organisations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic under the following themes: supporting your organisation’s resilience and adapting/expanding services to meet new challenges. Grants of up to £20,000 available. To apply: www.postcodeneighbourhoodtrust.org.uk
The Cattanach Trust is offering grants to groups working with young children (from pre-birth to age three) For a pre-application conversation, contact: www.cattanach.org.uk/submit-a-proposal
Information on funding for organisations affected by Covid-19 available here: https://scvo.org.uk/support/coronavirus/funding
