Foreword
The Tilehurst People’s Local Charity does not have a history of making significant awards to other local organisations for the relief of poverty. The principal reason for this is because our resources have (to date) been very limited. We have usually received sufficient (or more than enough) grant applications from individuals/families to consume our disposable resources entirely. This has meant that little, if any, funding has been available for distribution to organisations. Although we have received requests from organisations from time to time, we have seldom been in a position to make awards to them.
The situation did change somewhat during the COVID-19 pandemic with its lock-down periods. The number of grant applications from individuals/families was found to decrease markedly. In order to maintain a proper level of charitable activity, we made unsolicited donations to several local organisations over the space of a few years. The types of organisations that have received awards for the relief of poverty in our Area Of Benefit have included:
- a provider of quality, used furniture, soft furnishings, bedding and other housewares
- food banks
- a refuge from domestic violence
- providers of support for the homeless and for their resettlement.
As the pandemic recedes, we find that grant applications from individuals/families are on the rise again, reverting towards pre-COVID levels.
We look forward to the time when, with greater disposable resources, we can take a more proactive approach to collaborative working with local partner organisations in relieving poverty. In the meantime …
- Wherever an organisation identifies an individual/family in need within our Area Of Benefit, we would encourage its staff to consider acting as a referring agency and helping the beneficiary to submit a grant application with a referral letter of support.
- Wherever an organisation identifies a particular type of need, affecting a number of individuals/families in our Area Of Benefit, that is not being met by State Benefits or other sources, we would encourage its staff to write to us so that we may be aware of the gap in support and may consider whether we, or another local charity, are in a position to help.
The information given below describes the governance arrangements relating to making awards to local organisations.
What we are permitted to do
Under our Governing Document, we are allowed to award donations to local organisations for the purpose of providing goods or services to eligible persons, subject to certain conditions. Each such award may be applied to the benefit of a particular, named individual/family, or may be for the benefit of multiple eligible recipients to be identified and assessed by the organisation.
Conditions attached to awards
Any donation awarded to a local organisation does not bind us to any continued/repeated donations in the future.
We reserve the right to ask local organisations to account for the expenditure of donations made to beneficiaries (without disclosing personal information).
A local organisation receiving an award from us is required to adhere strictly to the rules of Tilehurst People’s Local Charity regarding grant-making and the eligibility of beneficiaries, that is:
- The award must be wholly spent on the relief of poverty (not on the organisation’s overheads, staffing costs etc).
- The beneficiaries must be person(s) in need, hardship or distress.
- The beneficiaries must be resident in our defined Area Of Benefit.
- The beneficiaries must be in receipt of all available State Benefits.
- Payments to beneficiaries must be related to the need in each case, must be reasonable in the circumstances, and must take into account any relief available from other sources.
- Payments to beneficiaries must not be used pay off fines (including Court fines) or taxes (including Council Tax).
