Happy Peoples Postcode Trust application-eve for those who celebrate, in Scotland for Postcode Trust and in the North of England for Postcode Neighbourhood Trust. Multi-year, core funding, open to CICs - these are one of my favourite funders. Mid-sized form so it is still possible to hit the deadline if you forgot. Closes NOON Weds 1st July. Other regions have other deadlines.

Apply for a grant | Postcode Trust
Learn more about how to apply for a grant from the People’s Postcode Trust.
Postcode Local TrustPostcode Local Trust
Apply for a grant | Postcode Neighbourhood Trust
Learn more about how to apply for a grant from the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust.
Postcode Neighbourhood TrustPostcode Neighbourhood Trust

My subscriber question this week was if I have any advice on whether they should become a charity. Handily I have a free lesson in the Free Lesson Library on this which you can find here: https://www.trufflepig.org.uk/free-lesson-should-we-form-a-charity/

FREE LESSON: Should we form a charity?
0:00 /5:15 1× What to consider when you are thinking “will forming a charity help me get more funding?” Plus the flowchart below of basic parameters I apply when someone asks me what legal structure I would recommend for their organisation. PDF download at the bottom. What Legal
Truffle PigPhyllis Martin

Since writing that advice the landscape has changed a bit for CICs, with more funders stopping funding CICs in an attempt to slow the avalanche of applications. So forming a charity is the better option and isn't as complicated as it may seem. The main difference between a CIC and a charity is that CIC founders can be legally in charge of the organisation and do all the daily running of the things. A charity requires some of the Trustees, the people legally in charge of the organisation, to not do the daily running of things. So you have to have some people who are willing to give up their time to attend Board meetings every 2-4 months, review accounts and be where the buck stops if something goes tits up.

All the advice is to have an accountant, a lawyer and other high heejins on your Board but this isn't essential. We don't all know high heejins, and there's lots of good training and support out there for new Board members who don't have those skills. Lived experience is becoming more important to funders, so ordinary folk on your Board is a strength in that regard. The most important thing is people who will actually show up and support the work.

My recommendation is not to get too scared of charity status. It will open up more funding options for you, and doesn't require that much more paperwork and skills than running a Limited Company or a CIC. Get reliable people who care to be Trustees, hire a book-keeper and accountant to do the number voodoo and get training and support from folk like GCVS: https://gcvs.org.uk/support/support-services/governance/

Governance & Charity Law - GCVS
Good governance is vital to build trust with stakeholders, and give your organisation the best chance of success. Get in touch for advice.
Glasgow Council for the Voluntary SectorGlasgow Council for the Volunteer Sector

Happy truffling,

Phyllis, King Pig