Lloyds Bank Foundation - move to grant rounds

Please see the information below and a link to Lloyds Bank website announcing their pending move to `grant rounds`.

Switch to Grant Rounds

Grant Rounds have been announced on  Lloyds Bank website under the Eligibility Guidance and FAQ’s page. 

http://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/eligibility-guidance

http://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/funding-faqs

Background

For many years the Foundation has operated a rolling approach to receiving funding requests from charities to provide flexibility around the timing of applications and decisions.

We have recently reviewed our approach and agreed to change to a grant rounds approach with fixed deadlines.

Why we think it is an improvement?

We have considered the different implications of this decision and believe it will help improve our service to our customers:

·      .          We will be able to guarantee that all charities get a decision within six months of registering an enquiry
·        For enquiries that lead to full applications we will be able to provide clear deadlines for decisions
·        We will be able to provide a clear indication of the chances that a funding enquiry will be successful, including level of enquiries by region and approval rates.

For the Foundation, we believe that the change will help us to:
    
·        Better understand the nature of the demand and need for our support
·        Help us to better target promoting the support we provide
·        Improve the distribution of our funding across the range of transition points we support.
·        Help us to use our resources better

How will it change the way the Foundation works?

The Foundation recognises the value that it places on people and in visiting charities seeking funding to meet with staff, trustees and beneficiaries to inform its funding decisions. 

The switch to a grant rounds approach will mean that we visit fewer charities in the course of deciding who to fund.  Under our new strategy we are further developing this relationship based approach to grant making and this will mean us developing a much deeper relationship with charities we fund going forward.  The change will free up time to achieve this objective. 

Mike Lewis

Grants Manager Wales

T: 0870 411 1223  / 18001 0870 411 1223 (TypeTalk) M: 07802 540793 
F: 0870 411 1224
E: mlewis@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
W: www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk