Grant funding from government is essential for communities to thrive, putting people at the heart of everything. It empowers charities and voluntary groups to identify and solve problems, and address needs in a way which is centred around people. Over the last decade, however, this vital resource has been rapidly disappearing, replaced by more restrictive and inflexible contracts. Grants from the public sector now make up only 5.5% of charity sector income, a decline of over 60% since 2004 (NCVO, Civil Society Almanac 2015). At the current rate of decline, grants could all but disappear by 2020.

Children England is working with Directory for Social Change, Charity Finance Group, Lloyds Bank Foundation and Clinks to try and reverse this decline in grant funding for charities, and champion good practice in grant making amongst service commissioners.

There are several ways you can help the Grants for Good campaign.

• Download the Principles of Good Grant Making and share them with your local commissioners
• Share the principles (below) on social media wherever you see grant-making practice that could be improved!
• Send us stories showing how a grant, rather than a contract, has been the best funding for your charity
• Sign up to the Grants for Good mailing list to hear about new events and resources supporting grants
• Follow the campaign on Twitter and join our Thunderclap on #LocalCharitiesDay on 16th December...

Visit the main Grants for Good pages, hosted by Directory for Social Change.