Most community groups and small charities in Milton Keynes are eligible. Specifically, we welcome applications from unincorporated associations, registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations, sports clubs, faith groups (where the primary project activity is community-focused and not for the promotion of religion), and Community Interest Companies.

Your annual income must be under £500,000, and you'll need a bank account in your organisation's name, a constitution, and the names and addresses of three unrelated trustees/committee members.

You can apply from 13 July. Applications will be assessed on a week-by-week basis until all 40 grants have been awarded.

1. Go to our Grants Portal and either log in if you applied for a grant recently or “Register as a New User” to start the application process. (if you need help, please contact our team: applications@mkcommunityfoundation.co.uk or call us on 01908 690276). You will be asked to give yours and your organisation’s details, tell us about your project in a couple of sentences and upload your governance documents.
   
   
2. Record a 90-second video explaining how your project can help people in your community. It doesn’t have to be flashy. Just you and your phone is great!
   
   
3. Tell us how your project helps people in your community. Just you and your phone is all you need, no need to make it fancy. You'll find the WhatsApp number in the portal once you've signed up.

We use the word project a lot. But the project could be you procuring a thing that would help your group: sports equipment, instruments, costumes etc.

Or it could be a project in the traditional sense. Setting up a new support group, hosting an event, or organising a day out.

Our set-up prohibits us from granting money for animal welfare projects, retrospective costs (anything that has already been bought), medical research or treatment, deficit funding or repayment of loans, contingencies and miscellaneous expenses, events or activities where the primary purpose is to fundraise, and political activities.

They're looking for projects with a clear explanation of what you'll do and why your community needs it. They want to understand who will benefit and how. And they'd love to hear the human story behind it. Why does this matter to you and your group?

Applications will be assessed on a rolling weekly basis. Funds will be distributed this September, so we're looking for projects that will take place in autumn. We'll let you know either way.