Grant awarding policy
GRANT AWARDING POLICY
Market Rasen Town Council is able to make monetary grants to organisations that work for the benefit of the local community within Market Rasen Parish, if set aside in Council budget.
Any organisation can only make one application for a grant in any one financial year (April to March). The Council regrets that it is not able to make grants to individuals.
Application forms and further details are available from the Town Clerk.
CONDITIONS OF FUNDING
1 Applications will be considered from charitable or non-profit making organisations. Applications will be considered for individual projects only.
2 Applications must include a cost / benefit analysis and demonstrate a benefit to a group of people within the Parish.
3. APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
• From organisations intending to support or oppose any particular political party or to discriminate against any person.
• From private organisations operated as a business to make a profit or surplus
• From “Upward funders”, i.e. local groups whose fund raising is sent to their central HQ for redistribution
• For projects which benefit only a specific named individual
• For day-to-day running costs
• For expenditure which has already occurred
4 Applications will not normally be considered from national organisations or local groups with access to funds from national “umbrella” or “parent” organisations, unless funds are not available from their national bodies, or the funds available are inadequate for a specified project.
5 Applications from religious groups will be considered where a clear benefit to the wider community can be demonstrated irrespective of their religious beliefs. Compliance with this requirement will need to be demonstrated throughout the project. The Council can give grants under s.137 to religious groups and churches – so long as a benefit is demonstrated to some of the community.
6 Applications from education, health or social service establishments will be considered only where the organisation can demonstrate that it is working in partnership with other groups and where there are benefits to the wider community within the Parish.
7 The organisation will normally be expected to have clearly written aims and objectives, a written constitution and membership rules, copies of which should be submitted as part of the application.
8 All applications must demonstrate clearly how a grant or subsidy will be of benefit to the local community within the Parish.
9 An organisation is required to submit audited accounts or accounts that have been independently examined by a suitably qualified person, for the previous two financial years or, in the case of a newly formed organisation, a detailed budget and business plan.
11 Ongoing commitments to award grants or subsidies in future years will not be made. A fresh application will be required each year.
12 Each application will be assessed on its own merits and will be considered along with other applications at a meeting of Full Council . Applicants are expected to attend the meeting of Full Council at which their application is considered, to present their application and answer any further questions Councilors may have. To ensure as fair a distribution as possible, the Committee will take into account the amount and frequency of previous awards.
13 Due account will be taken of the extent to which funding has been sought or secured from other sources or own fund-raising activities. Further details of other organisations that may be supportive may be obtained from the Town Clerk.
14 If approved by the Council, the grant will be paid directly into their bank account. It must be acknowledged promptly by the organisation, stating the amount granted.
15 Any grant must only be used for the purpose for which it was awarded unless the written approval of the Town Council has been obtained for a change in use of the grant monies, and that any unspent portion of the grant must be returned to the Town Council by the end of the financial year following the year in which it was awarded.
16 The Town Council reserves the right to request feedback or receipts to demonstrate how the money has been spent and/or to inspect the outcome of the expenditure. There are certain instances where a Council are required by law to have sight of a report as to how money has been spent – where s.137 is used as the spending power, and where assistance worth £2,000 or more is given to a voluntary body, the body must give a written report to a Council within 12 months stating how the money has been used.
Application forms and further information is available from the Town Clerk.
Council Office, Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT.
01673 842479.
townclerk@marketrasentc.co.uk
Approved by Council: 4th September 2019
Reviewed and ammended 9th November 2022
Signed:
Position:
Policy to be reviewed annually.