Thanks to a significant donation from Michael and Sue Cornish, staff and trustees at Lincolnshire Community Foundation (LCF) are pleased to present the Michael Cornish Core Grants Programme which aims to empower and support the resilience of community organisations with the potential to change lives across Lincolnshire for the better.
Who can apply?
This scheme is open to not-for-profit constituted community groups, registered charities and social enterprises delivering projects in Greater Lincolnshire
How much can you apply for?
Grants of up to £10,000 can be applied for by prospective applicants. Bids can be for revenue costs, including running costs, and small capital costs.
What can be funded?
Projects must align with the aims of the Michael Cornish Core Grants Programme, addressing at least one of the following priority themes:
- Young People
- Care Leavers
- Families
- Homeless/Ex-Offenders
- Victims of Domestic Abuse or Sexual Violence
- Alleviating Poverty
- Core Strength
- Isolation/Mental Health
More information about these priorities is noted in the Fund Guidelines which are available through the following link: https://lincolnshirecf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MCCGP-Guidelines-FV1-Aug-2025.pdf
What cannot be funded?
The following aspects cannot or are unlikely to be funded through this Scheme.
- Projects promoting religious or political beliefs.
- Large capital projects
- Individuals
- Grant making bodies applying for funding to redistribute to others
- Retrospective expenditure or unsustainable deficits or loans
- Projects where the applicant has a limited track record in local delivery
- A project that requires substantial capacity building (e.g. specialist recruitment)
- Activity that duplicates pre-existing private or public sector funding or activity that the applicant has a statutory duty to undertake.
- National or regional organisations
How do I apply?
Please complete the application form and all supporting documentation (listed in the application form) accessible through the orange ‘Download Application’ button. Please note that by clicking this button, you will be diverted to our external grants platform, operated securely and confidentially through Plinth which we use to take in and assess applications. You will need to create an account by setting up a username and password—this only needs to be done once. Your account will store details of any previous applications submitted, which may be helpful if you are applying to multiple funds.
Where you are unable to create an account, a copy of the application form may be provided upon request from the Grants Manager which can then be completed and then emailed or posted back to the relevant Grant Manager.
If I’m successful, what will happen next?
We will generally notify you within six weeks of a closing date with the outcome of your application. If you are awarded a grant, it will be paid directly to the bank account listed in your application. Payments are usually made in advance.
You MUST spend your grant either within 1 year or within the timeline set by LCF and provide feedback halfway through your project (if longer than 6 months) and upon conclusion of project spend and completion of work. We’ll tell you more about this if you are successful.
What do you do with my application?
We’ll email you to confirm we have received your application once you have submitted your form. If we have any further questions or need additional information during our in-house assessment period, the Grantmaker for this Scheme, Cavan Collins, will be in touch to discuss this with you.
Lincolnshire Community Foundation will then arrange a meeting with Michael Cornish Core Grants Programme Panel members to discuss your application further, so they can determine what awards should be made, taking into consideration, amongst other aspects:
- whether or not your organisation meets the criteria for the Fund
- what impact your project will have on Greater Lincolnshire residents
- how well your project fits with the objectives of the Fund
We would ask that you please familiarise yourself with the Grant Guidelines and Application Form prior to making an application. If you would like to have a conversation regarding the Michael Cornish Core Grants Programme or a potential project for this, please contact Cavan Collins at 01529 305825 or email cavan@lincolnshirecf.co.uk