The Golsoncott Foundation provides grants of up to £5,000 for individuals and organisations wishing to promote, maintain, improve and advance the education of the public in the arts. Applications should be received in the month preceding the trustee meetings at the end of April, July, October and January.

The European Youth Foundation aims to encourage co-operation among young people in Europe by providing financial support for activities which promote peace, understanding and co-operation. Support is given to non-governmental organisations and networks working in the fields of

 Educational, social, cultural and humanitarian activities.

• Activities aiming at strengthening peace and co-operation in Europe.
• Activities designed to promote closer co-operation and better understanding among young people in Europe, particularly by developing the exchange of information.
• Activities intended to stimulate mutual aid in Europe and in the developing countries for cultural, educational and social purposes.
• Studies, research and documentation on youth matters.

Breaks 4 Kids is a charitable fund, run by the Youth Hostel Association, to make it possible for underprivileged children, who would otherwise be left behind, to be included in trips and activities by funding up to 50% of the cost of their accommodation and food at a YHA centre.

Full details of how to apply visit the website or call 01629 592700.

Ideas Fund Innovators is a programme for 16 to 25 year olds involved in creative projects. The Fund will consider applications from groups or individuals within for inspiring, original, realistic and innovative arts and creative projects, providing one person takes the lead and has the main responsibility for managing the application and any money awarded. Applications must demonstrate that the Fund will enhance the quality and ambition of the idea and projects in ways that would not be possible without the support of the Fund. 10 prizes of £1,000 are awarded each quarter.

Deadline: Wednesday 21st March 2012.

The Pfizer UK Foundation supports healthcare organisations in the UK working at a local level to address health inequalities resulting from social, economic, cultural and demographic factors. These community-based projects should tackle health inequalities that fall outside core NHS statutory funding. The aim is to support projects providing tailored, innovative, modest and local solutions to needs defined by local healthcare and social care experts, community groups and charities.

Please call the Pfizer UK Foundation on 01737 330713 or 01737 331296 or email us at pfizerukfoundation@pfizer.comto discuss the eligibility of your application or organisation.

The Anchor Foundation provides support to Christian charities concerned with social inclusion, particularly through ministries of healing and the arts. Grants range from £500 to £10,000 for revenue or capital projects (building projects are excluded)

Deadline: Tuesday 31st July 2012

West Sussex County Council has a role in promoting and supporting active communities and business in West Sussex. The new Social Enterprise Fund has been set up to support this role. The Social Enterprise Fund provides funding to enterprises which meet certain criteria. A social enterprise could be defined, for example, as a charity or charitable organisation, a community interest company, a co-operative or similar organisation, or a staff mutual.

Examples of how this fund will be used may include:

• One off start-up or growth funding.
• Working capital for enterprises that support the running of existing council services.
• Grants to maintain buildings taken over by enterprises.
• Substitute for council revenue budget on a one off basis, where delaying a saving may produce a better chance of social enterprise taking over a service.

In order to be considered for Social Enterprise funding, proposals must comply with the following:

• Payments are on a one off basis and do not provide revenue support.
• The enterprise must demonstrate that the payments form part of a coherent and convincing business plan.
• The enterprise must be based in West Sussex.
• The enterprise must show how its work contributes to the Council's aims as set out in its Performance Framework:
• Living within our means - We understand our responsibility to ensure every pound of taxpayers' money is spent wisely.
• Active communities - In West Sussex we are embedding the 'Big Society' in everything we do. This is not new, we have been doing this for some time and now we want to go further and faster.
• Think family - We believe we will make the biggest difference to children, young people and families' lives by working together to meet their needs as early as possible.
• Healthy ambitions - We want all residents in West Sussex to live longer, happier, healthier lives.
• Minding our businesses - We will work closely with businesses in West Sussex to improve economic performance in our coastal towns, rural West Sussex and the Gatwick Diamond. The strength of our approach means we will also look beyond our boundaries.
• Building a sustainable future - We are committed to protecting the environment, in particular the reduction of carbon emissions and tackling the threat of climate change, by providing leadership within our own organisation as well as across the county as a whole.
• On the move - Residents tell us that they want to see potholes filled and the quality of roads in West Sussex improved. So we have committed to achieving this.

Submissions for the March 2012 decision point need to be received by 24 February 2012 which will be the final submission for the current financial year.

Guidance and an application template can be found on the website. All enquiries should be directed to:

The Community Solutions Team
West Sussex County Council
Room 215, County Hall
West Street
Chichester
PO19 1RQ

Phone: 01243 752054
E-mail: community.solutions@westsussex.gov.uk

The Impetus Trust works with charities and social enterprises, providing long-term core funding to transform their impact. Using a venture philanthropy model, the Trust offers hands-on management support and specialist expertise as well as strategic funding.

Organisations interested in applying for a package of support are encouraged to complete the eligibility checker.

The MSE Charity supports groups with grants of up to £5,000 for projects that educate people about money, debt and consumer issues. Individuals resident in the UK over the age of 18 can apply for a grant of up to £500 to help pay towards an approved course that will help improve their ability to budget and manage their finances. The money can be used to pay for financial education course fees and other necessary expenses associated with the course.

Any project which fits the charity's remit and the following criteria will be considered:

• Projects must assist people to improve their quality of life through knowledge and understanding of how to manage and take control of their own financial situation.
• Groups will need to demonstrate that they have researched and assessed the need for the project.
• Groups must demonstrate that the project will make a significant difference to the beneficiaries so the OUTPUTS must be achievable, measurable, deliverable within budget and within a time frame and be sustainable.
• Groups will need to show that the project will provide outcomes that will benefit their wider communities.
• Groups must demonstrate that they have the skills, ability and experience to deliver the project.
• The MSE Charity will consider full project cost recovery, but costs must only relate to the project itself and not the organisations core funding. 
• Projects must provide value for money.
• For existing projects with a proven success record, consideration will only be given to those that can demonstrate that funding will be used to extend the project beyond its existing boundaries in terms of the scope of project, number of beneficiaries and/or time frame.

Applications will only be accepted between the 1st and the 31st May 2012

Two major funders have announced details of their strategic aims for 2012 and beyond. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation places a particular emphasis on maximising the impact of its work through encouraging cross-border exchanges of lessons and experiences across four themes:

To help improve people's perception of each other by providing opportunities for interaction through culture and between cultures.

To assist the most disadvantaged in society to fulfil their potential by building connections and developing opportunities...

To help in the development of a society which benefits from a more sustainable relationship with the natural world and understands the value of its resources.

To contribute to enhanced effectiveness of the organisations we work with, maintaining an interest in sectoral developments and seeking to influence others in maximising social and cultural value.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust plan to invest up to £125m over the next three years on services, research, and new property developments outlined in their new three year strategic plan.

A key priority is to identify the causes of poverty and inequality and produce a UK-wide anti-poverty strategy. They will also track the impact of the deficit on poverty and inequality and develop practical solutions to reducing poverty.

Another major aim is to respond positively to the opportunities and challenges of an ageing society, exploring how risk and regulations affect care and support for older people and running imaginative services. The plan states that the Foundation will invest up to £23m in research, policy and practice development, influencing and communications activities.