Charitable Funding Update by Copernicus

Online, February 3, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Grassroots Grants latest

Grants have been spent on a range of community activity from healthy food parcels for deprived communities to social activity for carers - helping communities to thrive and deal with the individual challenges that face each local community.

Small and local community groups with annual incomes below £30,000 can apply for the grants of between £250 and £5,000 by contacting Community Development Foundation www.cdf.org.uk

Government responds to Building Stronger Communities Taskforce

The independent Taskforce was commissioned by the Cabinet Office in February 2009, as part of Office of the Third Sector's 'Real Help for Communities' recession action plan for the third sector.

The response outlines initiatives taken forward from the
Taskforce's recommendations including Government funding for the creation of a National Talent Bank, a commitment from the Cabinet Office and Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Department for Business Innovation and skills (BIS) for a cross-departmental working group on the Building Stronger Communities agenda and the publication of a new handy guide to business giving.

Business Giving

A Guide to Giving for Businesses details the measures in place to promote giving amongst the business community.

From shares and equipment donation, to raising money and partnership working, to employee volunteering and secondments this handy guide sets out how businesses can kick start or further develop community involvement programmes. The guide is also highly recommended for charities seeking to develop stronger relations with the business sector.

Social Enterprise Awards

Hosted by the Social Enterprise Coaltion and attended by Dawn Butler Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, the evening awards ceremony is being held at RIBA on 3rd December.

Winners from the four nations will be pitted against each other in three categories best new social enterprise, best large social enterprise and best small social enterprise.

The social enterprise that receives the most votes of all from all categories will be announced as Social Enterprise of the Year. The twelve nominees are as follows;

Global Ethics, Bryson Charitable Group, ACE Recycling GRoup CIC, Centre for Alternative Technology, Brighter Future Workshop, Colin Geln Trust, Pack-IT Promotions, Social Enterprise Clydebank, Bikeworks, Out and About Enterprises, The Bread Maker and Cycle Training.

Free CEMVO Seminars mark organisations 10th anniversary
CEMVO the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations and one of the Office of the Third sector's strategic partners is currently running a seminar series on a range of topics including multiculturalism versus integration, equalities and social cohesion and social justice and globalisation. With speakers including Yasmin Alibhai- Brown, Dr Krishna Sarda, Gurbux Singh and Pragna Patel.

Please email holly.davey@cemvo.org.uk to reserve your place at one of CEMVO's Anniversary Seminars.

NCVO launches new Giving Campaign

The NCVO has launched a new campaign designed to encourage people to give money to their favourite causes. The campaign called 'What do you believe in?' is backed by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and The Minister for the Third Sector, Angela Smith.
The campaign calls on people to actively support organisations striving to make a difference to their local community and wider society.

In support of the campaign Angela Smith said:
"While it is harder than ever to find money to give to charities, it i more important than ever. Britain has the best charity sector in the world and our charities have made enormous differences to the lives of people in the UK and beyond. They can only do this with the support of Britain's generous public and I urge people to support charities they believe in."