The Resilience Fund
Supporting vision loss charities to become more sustainable.
Our Resilience Fund provides money to support vision loss organisations in becoming more sustainable. Our funding can make a real difference to small organisations and the people they support.
We know that many blind and vision impaired people in parts of the UK don’t have access to the basic support services they need. And that many of the organisations working to support them struggle to remain sustainable and resilient - especially in a cost of living crisis and an uncertain economic climate.
By investing in charities and other organisations, our funding will help the wider sector, to become more resilient and to be able respond better to the needs of those people with vision loss.
When can I apply?
The dates for the next funding round for our Resilience Fund haven’t been confirmed yet. We’ll update this page when the dates are known. You can also get in touch with us socialchange@fightforsight.org.uk if you have any questions.
How our Resilience Fund has made a difference
We awarded £10,000 to Usher Kids UK, which meant this small charity could take on its first paid staff. The charity was founded by Chloe Joyner after her daughter’s diagnosis made her realise the need for support for families living with usher syndrome. This is a rare genetic condition which causes hearing loss and progressive sight loss. There are up to 2,000 children and young people aged up to 25 living with usher syndrome in the UK. The charity offers information, support, connections and advocacy, and is currently in touch with between 300 and 400 families.
“Being able to secure paid staff means we can make our services available to every family receiving this diagnosis, and be there for the whole journey.”
Who can apply?
Our Resilience Fund supports organisations who directly support blind and partially sighted people, or people at risk of losing sight.
Don’t be put off applying if your organisation is small. We’re especially keen to hear from organisations that are based in the community, people-powered, and working to achieve local change. And where our funding can make all the difference to your charity’s future.
The types of organisations we fund:
- UK registered charities
- Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)
- Charitable companies, limited by guarantee
- Community Interest Companies (CIC), limited by guarantee
- Exempt charities (e.g. educational establishments)
How are funding decisions made?
We look at your grant application and what difference our funding will make to your organisation. We are an evidence-led funder, which means we base our decisions on where our funding will have the greatest impact.
We have an advisory committee to help us make sure that we give our grants in a fair and transparent way. The committee is made up of people with lived experience who bring their different professional backgrounds to our grants assessment process.
Find out more about our Social Impact Grants Assessment Panel (SGAP).
What information can I prepare for my application?
We want to know about your organisation, your mission and what you want to achieve. Tell us why you are applying to the Resilience Fund. We want to know the difference that the funding will make to the stability and long-term future of your organisation as well as to the people it supports.
We will also ask you about your organisation’s funding situation, including its most recent accounts. You can find more information on our Guidance for Applying page. We’re here to support you with your application, so please get in touch with us at socialchange@fightforsight.org.uk if we can answer your questions or give you any other help.
How can I get help with my application?
We’re here to help. Contact our grants team on socialchange@fightforsight.org.uk