Lloyds Bank Foundation covid recovery fund
Lloyds Bank Foundation has launched a £7.4m covid fund aimed at supporting charities to recover beyond the immediate crisis. The fund will offer around 140 charities a two-year unrestricted grant of £50,000 alongside a development partner to help charities navigate a tumultuous future. It is open to small and medium sized charities with an income of between £25,000 and £1m a year that are helping people overcome complex social issues such as dependency, homelessness and domestic abuse. More details here.
Application deadline for Lottery Fund covid funding
If your charity is supporting people and communities affected by covid-19, there’s still time to apply for the National Lottery Community Fund’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund. Applications need to be submitted by 17 August, after which the government funding allocation will come to an end. After this date charities can still apply for other emergency National Lottery funded grants. More details on the NLCF website.
VAT and digital advertising
HMRC has changed its policy on ‘digital advertising’ which could result in significant VAT savings for some charities. VAT is no longer considered due on the majority of internet search browsing advertisements. However, all advertising sent to a social media address that is a ‘personal account’, or where the recipient has paid a subscription for the site continues to be treated by HMRC as standard rated for VAT purposes. More details can be found on the Charity Tax Group website.
NCVO response to post-pandemic growth inquiry
NCVO has responded to the government’s ‘super inquiry’ on post-pandemic economic growth. Our submission emphasises that in order to create a more equitable society where everyone has an opportunity to benefit from economic growth, ‘inclusive growth’ and investment in social infrastructure should drive the government’s post-covid recovery plan. We also highlight the need for more support for charities if the sector is to play a full role in post-covid recovery efforts. You can view a summary of our response here.
Today @NCVO submitted a response to the BEIS Committee’s post-pandemic growth inquiry.
Being a 'super-inquiry' there was a lot to cover. So here’s a summary of what we've said govt should be thinking about as we enter the recovery phase of Covid-19
[thread]
— Paul Winyard (@PaulWinyard) July 23, 2020
Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage
Heritage organisations can now apply for grants of up to £3m to help them recover from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic. The £92m Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage will be distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England on behalf of government. The new fund is part of the wider £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund announced earlier this month. The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 17 August. More details here.
NCVO’s 2020 Civil Society Almanac is live
NCVO has now published the 2020 edition of the Civil Society Almanac. It provides a comprehensive overview of facts and figures related to the voluntary sector, including its size and scope, finances, staff and volunteering. Although most of the latest data covers the financial years 2017/18, the Almanac time series can improve our understanding of the challenges that charities are facing today, and possibly in the future, as Lisa outlines in her blog.
Dormant assets consultation
NCVO has responded to the government’s consultation on the dormant assets scheme. In our submission we support the Local Trust’s proposal to use the money from the next wave of dormant assets to establish a Community Wealth Fund – which would see funding decisions devolved directly to communities and local organisations – and the part this could play in supporting the government’s post-covid-19 recovery efforts.
Comprehensive Spending Review
The Chancellor has launched the government’s 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). The review – which will be published in the autumn – will set out the government’s spending plans for the next few years. The Treasury is inviting stakeholders to submit representations which can be submitted here. As always, NCVO will be responding to the CSR – follow me on Twitter for updates.
Business Rates Review: Call for evidence
The government is conducting a fundamental review of business rates. They are seeking views on how the system currently works, issues to be addressed, and ideas for change. The Charity Tax Group has produced a useful guide to the review, including things to consider, here. The deadline for submission is 18 September 2020.
Danny Kruger review of civil society’s role in the covid-19 recovery
Danny Kruger MP has been asked by the PM develop proposals to maximise the role of volunteers, community groups and charities in the next phase of the covid-19. NCVO submitted five proposals to the call for evidence on how to create the conditions for a more inclusive economy and fairer society as we emerge from crisis:
- Refresh the Compact agreement
- Invest stranded assets in community revival, by establishing a Community Wealth Fund and releasing the National Fund
- Introduce a UK Shared Prosperity Fund
- Reform public services
- Strengthen local social infrastructure
We've now submitted five proposals to @danny__kruger on how to build on the strengths of civil society and create the conditions for a more inclusive economy and fairer society as we emerge from the #coronavirus crisis: [thread] https://t.co/UfJJnEy8Cd
— NCVO (@NCVO) July 20, 2020
Paul joined NCVO over seven years ago after working for a leading public affairs agency. Since then he’s led our policy work on a variety of issues, including welfare-to-work reforms, volunteering, the Compact, public service commissioning and procurement regulations. He now leads our work on funding and finance with a particular focus on charity tax relief and safeguarding EU funding post-Brexit. 
