The Small Grants for Volunteering is a small grants programme administered by the Volunteer Development Agency but delivered locally by the 15 Volunteer Centres throughout Northern Ireland.

This year there is £330,000 to be administered with a maximum grant level of £1,100. The main criteria are:

• Annual income must be less than £100,000
• The organisation must be a community/voluntary organisation
• The funding is committed to supporting volunteering within the organisation, increasing the number of new volunteers, providing training and subsistence and developing good practice.

The Programme aims to:

• Promote active citizenship and diversity and make volunteering more inclusive by increasing activity within groups under-represented in the volunteering population. (These include people unemployed or not in paid work, 16-25 year olds, people over 50, people with disabilities and members of minority ethnic communities.)
• Increase the number of people volunteering, particularly those new to volunteering activity.
• Support the development of good practice and ensure a wide range of volunteering opportunities that enhance learning for volunteering and other benefits.
• Support projects that benefit individuals and communities experiencing disadvantage, including communities of place and interest and contribute to New Targeting Social Need.

If you would like to apply for a small grant please contact your local Volunteer Centre for further information.

Click here for the contact details of all the Volunteer Centres.

Please note that the Community Volunteering Scheme (Main Grants) completed its last Programme at the end of March 2009.

Grants Team Contact Details: