COVID-19 RESPONSE: CECP

COVID-19 RESPONSE: CECP Initial Inisights into the Clothworkers’ Emergency Capital Programme (CECP)

The Clothworkers’ Foundation was among the first major UKfunders to launch a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That response included the Clothworkers’ Emergency Capital Programme (CECP), which was open from April to June 2020, and awarded 327 grants, or £1,120,800.

For organisations supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals, COVID-19 has been particularly difficult. The demand for services and other support has increased, whilst government restrictions have prevented organisations from using traditional delivery methods. The CECP awarded small capital grants to organisations adapting their services during the pandemic. Priority was given to organisations supporting disadvantaged and ‘at risk’ groups within The Foundation’s nine programme areas.

The Foundation, which itself had to adapt to remote working as the UK

went into a national lock down, had to change its normal processes in order to deliver quick decisions on the extraordinary grants programme during the crisis. A new report, which was executed internally and presents initial insights into the CECP, has been published. In summary, it shows that:

the average grant was £3,430; in more than 50% of the cases, the grant covered the total cost of the capital project; 80% of grants were used by organisations to purchase IT equipment (to be used both by staff to deliver, and beneficiaries to access, services); the annual income of grantees ranged from £2,500 to over £2 million, and the average income was £484,000 per annum; two thirds of grants went to organisations supporting people with disabilities, disadvantaged young people, and older people; whilst 12% of grants benefited individuals from BAME communities, only 5% of grantees were ‘BAME’ organisations as defined by the Race Equality Alliance’s data audit tool (the report outlines a response).

The Foundation has not requested monitoring information from grantees as part of the terms and conditions of the CECP. However, the team is developing a simple and optional monitoring process for the programme, to better understand how effectively its grant making has supported charities through the pandemic, and intends to publish these findings in due course.

The Foundation’s full COVID-19 response budget was £2.1 million, which included funds distributed via the CECP as well as a £500,000 contribution to the National Emergencies Trust (recognising the expertise of Community Foundations and the value of place-based funding), c. £300,000 to the London Community Response Fund (working with Londonbased funders to support the capital’s voluntary organisations), £100,000 to existing grantee RedR in support of their international COVID-19 response, and the development of ‘DigiSafe’ – a new step-by-step guide to digital safeguarding.

The next phase of The Foundation’s COVID-19 grant-making will be focused on two proactive initiatives: (1) working with BAME intermediary partners to distribute grants to small- and medium-sized BAME organisations responding to the pandemic and (2) supporting the domestic abuse sector.

Read the full report online at: www.clothworkersfoundation.org.uk.