The latest edition of the Directory of Social Change's two-part Guide to the Major Trusts is due for publication on 26 March.

read more

The Steven Gerrard Foundation (SGF) is a new foundation that supports disadvantaged children. UK Registered charities can apply for grants of up to £10,000 per year, for a maximum of three years.

The main focus for SGF is for projects that have a long-term impact on disadvantaged children. Projects must support disadvantaged children addressing the following themes:

• Education and health

• Children with disabilities

• Street children (which includes children for whom the street is a central reference point including those at risk of going onto the streets, working on the streets and/or living on the streets)

• Children going through family breakdown.

Grant giving is also guided by the foundations principles, which are:

• Enabling all children to reach their full potential

• Meeting children’s immediate and long term needs – as outlined by children themselves

• Placing children’s safety and well-being at the heart of what we do

• Sharing learning to enable projects to develop and grow and developing our learning as a Foundation so that we can better help disadvantaged children

• Supporting projects that deliver quality over quantity.

SGF define a child as anyone under the age of 18 years old. Occasionally SGF will consider projects that also but not exclusively support young people (up to 25 years old).

SGF is not a sports charity however some grants may be allocated to projects that help disadvantaged children through sport.

Examples of possible projects from the SGF website are as follows:

• A physiotherapy project for children with disabilities to help them become more mobile

• A drama project that helps children with mental health issues to grow in confidence

• A mentoring project for children affected by family breakdown to support them in making key life choices.

Existing and new projects will be considered. Applications must demonstrate how the project will be sustainable once the funding has ended.

SGF will support projects across the UK however occasionally international projects will be supported. Projects in Liverpool are of particular interest.

Applications forms can be download online for the SGF website here.

For more information visit the SGF website here.

Deadline: 5:00pm, 9 March 2012
Contact: Steven Gerrard Foundation
Telephone: 01704 320 045 (Monday to Wednesday 9am - 5pm)
Email: grants@stevengerrardfoundation.org
Website: www.stevengerrardfoundation.org/grants.htm

As part of our commitment to providing specialist funding support across South Yorkshire, SYFAB have set up a programme of free funding surgeries in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield. These are sessions open to any community or voluntary group. You can book a time to talk to a worker face to face about your projects. In the session we can talk generally about how to find funding, or advise on how to plan and present a project, identify suitable funders, or prepare applications.

We are also putting together a programme of free training events across the county, and details for these will be published shortly.

The surgeries are as follows:

Doncaster: 20 February, 19 March, 23 April, 28 May, 25 June
(at Doncaster CVS)
Rotherham: 28 February, 20 March, 17 April, 15 May, 26 June
(at Voluntary Action Rotherham)
Sheffield: 28 March, 25 April, 22 May, 12 June
(at Voluntary Action Sheffield)
Barnsley: 23 April, 21 May, 18 June
(at Voluntary Action  Barnsley)

You need to contact us to book a place.

Contact: SYFAB
Telephone: 0114 249 4343
Email: enquiries@syfab.org.uk
Website: www.syfab.org.uk

Charity Bank and the Charity Technology Trust (CTT) have an anonymous online survey to gather information about how the economic crisis is affecting charities, social enterprises and community organisations.

If you complete the survey you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 M&S voucher.

You can visit the survey here.

Website: http://ctt-news.org/O-AOL-55IOLBJ79-9E0H0-OP03-1/s2.aspx

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) are inviting providers of adult learning disability services to find out about the upcoming tender for supported living services in Doncaster.

Venue: To be confirmed
29 February 2012, 12:00pm - 4:30pm

You must book a place, and place are limited; therefore it is advised to book early.

For further information and/or to book a place at the event please contact Janet Siddons and be prepared to provide the following details:

• Name

• Organisation

• Postal address

• Contact telephone number

• Number of places required.

Deadline for bookings: 10 February 2012
Contact: Janet Siddons, Contracts Officer, Learning Disabilities
Telephone: 01302 735 536
Email: janet.siddons@doncaster.gov.uk

The best charity videos from around the world can win a cash prize and receive promotional coverage on YouTube. Entries are now open to the 6th Annual DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards.

read more

The Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) have announced Small Charity Week 2012 will be happening from 11 - 15 June 2012.

The week aims to raise the profile of small charities. The week will run as it did last year, Monday is I Love Small Charities Day, Tuesday is the Big Advice Day, Wednesday is Policy Day, Thursday is Fundraising Day and Friday is Celebration Day.

There are various ways that charities can get involved, from fundraising, to attending FSI events or auctioning items on ebay to raise money for their charity.

For more information visit the FSI website here.

Contact: FSI
Telephone: 020 7009 3543
Email: info@thefsi.org
Website: www.thefsi.org/2012/01/small-charity-week-major-announcement

Yorkshire Building Society has given £175,000 to Alzheimer's Society, its first ever charity of the year. This is the company's largest charitable donation.

read more

Springwise.com publishes a weekly round-up of new business ideas from around the world, and more and more of them seem to have a charitable or social enterprise element to them.

read more

Dorset Community Foundation is offering grants to individuals and organisations working to help elderly and vulnerable people in the county this winter.

read more