Finding funding for your group

1. Start local

Your Local Authority Community Grants Scheme and your county’s Public Participation Network (PPN) are usually the first and most accessible port of call, and often have smaller, less competitive grants suited to volunteer-run groups — worth checking annually, as opening dates vary by county.

2. Check regional and national schemes

Beyond your local authority, several recurring national and regional sources are worth checking regularly:

• LEADER funding, administered locally via your area’s Local Action Group, for rural community projects
• Community Foundation Ireland, which runs a range of grant programmes across different themes
• Dormant-accounts-funded schemes, often targeted at specific groups such as disability, older people, or disadvantaged communities
• Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (Sport Ireland), for sports clubs specifically
• Your relevant national governing body or umbrella organisation, which may run its own affiliate grant schemes

3. Check Community Hub’s Funding page

Current opportunities relevant to your area and category are listed on the Funding page — check it regularly, as deadlines open and close throughout the year rather than following a single annual cycle.

4. Prepare your paperwork before you need it

Most applications ask for a similar core set of documents, so it’s worth having these ready in one folder rather than assembling them under deadline pressure each time:

• Your constitution
• Most recent accounts or financial summary
• Bank account confirmation (a bank statement or letter confirming the account name)
• Tax Reference Number, or CHY number if registered as a charity with Revenue
• A short, standard "about our group" paragraph you can adapt for each application
• Insurance certificate, if the funder requires proof of public liability cover

5. Write a focused application

Be specific about what the money is for and what difference it will make — funders generally favour a clear, modest, well-justified ask over a vague, large one. Answer the question actually asked rather than a generic version of your group’s history.

6. Budget and report honestly

Only apply for what you can genuinely justify and realistically spend within the funding period. Keep receipts from the outset and be ready to report back accurately on how the money was used — this protects your group’s reputation and materially improves your chances with the same funder in future.