The Challenge Fund

The Social Action Fund and other donors have helped create The Cinnamon Network Challenge Fund which is administered by Tearfund.

We have two objectives for the Fund:

1. To accelerate the take up of Community Franchises by Christian Churches in the UK by helping fund the take up of a recognized Community Franchise. (Grants from the Social Action Fund allocation can only be given to Christian Churches in England). No funding applications will be accepted from Churches  who wish to apply such funds to running costs of existing franchises they are running.

2. To increase the range of Community Franchises available to Christian Churches in the UK by supporting the development of new emerging Christian Community Franchisors based in the UK. (Grants from the Social Action Fund allocation can only be given to Christian organisations in England).

We therefore wish to:

1. Provide matched seed start up funding (subject to a maximum level) to local churches (not denominations) who want to start a new community franchise project from a list of recognised best practice community franchises already identified by The Cinnamon Network.

2. Provide multi-year (2) small grants to charities (charities and churches) who are new emerging franchisors and who want to develop and promote a community franchise based upon a local community project with a proven track record. The emerging franchisor must show they have credible support to achieve their goals.

Our Grants Process is as follows:

1. Public invitation to request a grant
2. Submission of applications
3. Due diligence on applications to ensure they fulfil qualifying criteria
4. Grants Panel decisions
5. Reporting and monitoring

The Grants Panel is taken from members of the Cinnamon Network. The funds are held by Tearfund.

Successful applicants in England will need to commit to regular reporting in order to provide outcomes data to the Social Action Fund.

LOCAL CHURCHES WHO WANT TO START A NEW COMMUNITY FRANCHISE PROJECT

Public Invitation:

The Cinnamon Network Challenge Fund invites local Christian Churches in the UK who want to start a new ‘recognised’ community franchise project to apply for matched seed funding. We are able to give grants of up to £2000 as long as the Church matches this with at least £5000.

(Grants from the Social Action Fund allocation can only be given to Christian Churches who are located in England).

Successful applicants will need to be able to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:

  • are a UK based Trinitarian church;
  • are a registered charity;
  • are taking up a recognised best practice franchise;
  • have been formally accepted by the franchisor as a new franchisee;
  • have a minimum of £5,000 funding already in place to put towards the development of the new franchise (NB: this funding may already be allocated to running/office/staff costs);
  • have a project leader ready to develop the franchise;
  • have full support of the church leader;
  • are in good relations with other churches as shown by providing references;
  • can demonstrate how the new franchise will meet local needs, create new volunteer opportunities and motivate people to become regular long term volunteers or provide regular financial support;
  • can provide up to date accounts with their application

The initial application form is here.

POTENTIAL FRANCHISOR

Public Invitation:

The Cinnamon Network Challenge Fund invites Christian charities (ministries and churches) in the UK who are new emerging franchisors and who want to develop and promote a Community Franchise based upon their local community project with a proven track record to apply for 2 year development funding.

Small grant funding (up to £6,000 per year and for a maximum of 2 years) will be made available to successful applicants to develop and implement their franchise strategy. The funds must be matched by the Charity involved.

Successful applicants will need to be able to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:

  • be a registered charity or CIC with up to date audited accounts readily available;
  • be a local community project with a proven track record;
  • be applying to develop a specialised franchisor ministry that currently has no or very few existing franchisors;
  • have already piloted, albeit informally, replication of their model with a church or churches;
  • be in a ‘ready’ position to be able to develop and implement their new franchisor strategy;
  • be in good relations with churches;
  • be prepared for a visit report to consider franchisor readiness;
  • be from an active local community project/organisation, preferably birthed out of a local church.

The initial application form is here.