An exciting opportunity has arisen offering funding for projects and individuals looking to tackle disadvantage and inequality across London through a new scheme launched on Crowdfunder.

City Bridge Trust has partnered with Trust for London to fund Improving Life for Londoners, a £100,000 fund for organisations using crowdfunding to raise money and deliver projects which will address inequality and lift people out of poverty in the capital. This will be run by Crowdfunder and follows research by the Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP).

The Improving Life for Londoners fund will provide up to 50% of the target (to a maximum of £10,000), with projects expected to raise at least the first 25% from the crowd.

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, and Trust for London are proposing the unique crowdfunding programme in London with both Trusts having contributed £50k each to this joint fund, which has now officially launched.

The fund is keen to support charitable work that:

· Provides practical solutions to support people on low incomes.

· Addresses local problems in creative ways.

· Is led by communities that will benefit from the work.

Alison Gowman, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust committee, said:

“This new programme will open a wealth of opportunities for projects which tackle disadvantage in London. 

“This scheme aims to bring new innovative ideas for fighting poverty in London and reach new organisations that would not naturally approach us.

“City Bridge Trust is committed to supporting Londoners to make the capital a fairer place to work and live.”

Bharat Mehta, Chief Executive of Trust for London, added:

“Trust for London is excited by the potential impact of crowdfunding, which provides smaller organisations the opportunity to raise funds quickly to deliver innovative projects.

 “We encourage organisations working on social issues in London to consider the benefits of raising money from ‘the crowd’ and are confident this new fund will contribute towards our overall mission of reducing poverty and inequality in the capital.”

Organisations that want to apply should visit http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/tfl-cbt

City Bridge Trust is London’s biggest independent grant giver, distributing £20 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital. The Trust has awarded around 7,500 grants totalling over £360 million since it first began in 1995. It helps achieve the Corporation’s aim of changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners.

Crowdfunder is the UK’s No 1 rewards and donation based crowdfunding platform having launched thousands of projects, which between them have raised over £34m. Crowdfunder turns great ideas into reality by connecting communities.

TSIP helps organisations to do social good. It works as a trusted advisor to some of the UK’s leading social purpose organisations, alongside central government, local government and business, using evidence, innovation and learning to boost impact and support our clients in their work to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.

Trust for London is the largest independent charitable foundation funding work which tackles poverty and inequality in the capital. Annually, it provides about £7 million in grants and at any one point is supporting some 400 organisations.

 Ends

Kristina Drake| Media Officer, Public Services

City of London Corporation

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/newsroom

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

M: 07710860884

D: 020 7332 1125