Quality Standard for Funding

Local voluntary and community groups are to be given a competitive edge in their increasingly complex hunt for funding thanks to a unique new initiative from local charity and grant maker the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester (CFGM).

The Quality Standard for Funding recognises good practice in grant management and reporting by community groups who have received funding from CFGM, identifying them to other funding organisations as effective grant recipients. Two Rochdale groups will be the first to be awarded the Quality Standard at a special ceremony today (Wednesday 7 May) from 12noon – 2pm in the Conference Hall at Manchester Town Hall. Rochdale Pensioners is a group that provides advice, information and social outings for the elderly and Milnrow Pre-School Play Group is a children’s day care provider for two to five year olds.

The initiative will be marketed locally and nationally to ensure that other funding organisations are aware of the level of standard groups have had to meet in order to receive this recognition.

CFGM currently manages more than 55 funding programmes across the region and last year awarded grants to more than 1,000 local groups. The Quality Standard for Funding has been developed by working closely with some of these groups, and has also received the co-operation and endorsement of two leading infrastructure organisations, Voluntary & Community Action Trafford and CVS Rochdale.

All voluntary and community groups who have received funding through the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester from 01 January 2007 are eligible to apply to receive the Quality Standard. Applications will be assessed against the 8 individual standards that ensure that a community group is competent in its administration and reporting back on the progress and benefit the grant has made to the community. To ensure the integrity of the Quality Standard once awarded it will be valid for a maximum of 24 months after which groups will need to re-apply and be re-assessed.

The initiative is being supported by Lord Lieutenant for Manchester Warren Smith JP DL who comments: “I am pleased to support this new initiative from the Community Foundation. It is important that community groups that have received funding and managed those funds well are recognised for their hard work and, importantly, encouraged to continue their remarkable contribution to local communities. The Quality Standard scheme will help to achieve that and, as the first award of its kind in the country, should be congratulated.”

Kathy Shaw, Chief Officer, CVS Rochdale adds: “At a time when it is becoming increasingly harder for small grassroots community groups to access funding from the private and public sectors and trusts and foundations, we welcome the introduction of a Quality Standard which aims to provide groups with recognition and a valuable additional credential that demonstrates their effectiveness”

Nick Massey, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation comments: “CFGM prides itself on getting money to the places where it really makes a difference – grass roots projects in our local communities. Typically these people are not used to mounds of paperwork and just want to get on with their project. We work with them on an ongoing basis to ensure the necessary reporting is completed. This new initiative aims to help these groups to move forward and access funding from other pots. This standard will give them a head start in proving they are responsible and effective.”

To help groups achieve the Quality Standard CFGM has also produced a Monitoring & Evaluation Toolkit which offers practical examples, tools and guidance on how to monitor and evaluate funded projects.

Date article online: 07/05/2008