Technical Notes 2023, Issue 72 - East Dunbartonshire Council Community Grant Scheme

1. The purpose of the technical note is to provide an update on the review of East Dunbartonshire Community Grant Scheme, and is further to the Council report EPB/023/23/AD: Appendix 5, East Dunbartonshire Forward in Partnership Cost of Living Support Programme 2023/24.
    
2. As part of our ongoing commitment to support community initiatives and organisations then the council is conducting a review of the community grant scheme.  The review is to ensure the scheme aligns with our strategic objectives and provides the most effective support to our local community.
    
3. The community grant scheme will be designed to provide financial support to community groups and organisation for a wide range of projects and initiatives.  It is important that the scheme is managed effectively and efficiently to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our community and achieving the desired outcomes.
    
4. The approved level of grant funding which groups can apply for are:

• Community Grant Category A Up to £5,000
• Community Grant Category B Up to £10,000

The cap will be increased to £15,000 annually

5. The review will focus on the following areas:

   1.  Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of the grant scheme in meeting the needs of our community and achieving our strategic objectives, and a revised vision for the community grant scheme will be developed in collaboration with the Grant Advisory Committee (GAC).

   2. Process: To review the application and assessment process to ensure that is transparent, fair, and efficient.

   3. Outcomes: To evaluate the impact of the grant scheme on the community and the effectiveness of the funded projects

   4. Monitoring and Reporting: To ensure that the grant scheme is being well managed and that there is adequate monitoring and reporting in place to evaluate the effectiveness,

6. The Community Planning Team will be consulting with community groups and organisations to seek their feedback and suggestions on how to improve the grants scheme.  They will also engage with colleagues in legal, finance and procurement to seek input on how best to improve the administration process of the scheme.
    
7. The consultation will include the following methods:

1. Survey: An online survey will be created and made available to community groups and organisation to gather their feedback on the existing grant scheme, and on suggestions for the new grant scheme.  The survey will also be available in paper version and will be distributed to key community facilities.
2. Focus Groups: In collaboration with GAC, five focus groups will be conducted with community groups and organisations to gather more detailed feedback on specific aspects of the new grant scheme.  To ensure that as many voices and perspectives are represented in the focus groups then it is recognised that officers may require to host additional focus groups, or organisation conversations, to support participation of under-represented groups.

3. Social Media: Social media channels will be utilised to promote the consultation process and provide an additional platform for community group and organisations to provide their feedback

8. The consultation process will be conducted over a period of four weeks.  Following completion of the consultation process, officers will analysis the feedback received and use it to inform the development of the new community grant scheme.

9. A further technical note for members will be presented to provide a brief of the findings of the consultation process and the key changes to the grant scheme.  An implementation plan for the new grant scheme will also be available.