About the Calor Rural Community Fund
Our Rural Hero of the year has now been announced!
It's all about your community and your local project!
From the buzz of a beehive fully equipped for over 80 beekeepers, to the calming hues of a refurbished living room for those living with Alzhemier’s and Dementia, Calor’s Rural Community Fund has already met the needs of hundreds of people across the UK. Over the last 4 years we’ve supported 214 community projects with over £460,000 generated through donations and Calor contributions. This year we want to do even more for your communities, and continue to support projects all across the UK.
Funding schedule
How is the Community Fund working this year?
Communities have utilised the crowdfunding platform to raise awareness of their initiatives, giving them the chance to raise money for their project through the crowd. We encouraged communities to come together and support each other’s ideas – the more ambitious the better!
From the £85,000 funding pot Calor is giving away there will be three levels of funding available, depending on the size of the project. We’ll be dishing out 11 x £5,000 grants, 6 x £2,500 grants, and 5 x £1,000 grants to the winning rural projects. Finalists who aren’t one of this year’s winners will still receive £500 towards their initiative.
This year's winners have now been announced!
The ins and outs of supporting a project
The crucial part is now over. We saw hundreds of communities come together and drum up support, rallying thousands of points and lots of donations from the public.
Those projects who received the most points in each funding category made it through to the finals who were then judged by a panel of impartial judges to choose their winners.
How the scoring works
If you like or a share a project, they’ll receive 1 point for each.
If you’re feeling generous and would like to donate money towards a project, they’ll receive 10 points.
Crowdfunding
Projects have taken fundraising into their own hands and made the most of crowdfunding. When communities set up their community project, they were encouraged to actively raise money through crowdfunding. For every donation they received during the supporting stage, their project was granted 10 Rural Community Fund points. These points helped set them up for the next stage, as the projects with the most points in their funding category are the ones that make it through to the finals.
What type of funding is available from Calor?
Now in the fifth year of running this amazing fund, we’re on a roll and we’re ready to give power to communities like yours with our £85,000 funding pot.
We have three levels of funding available, depending on the size of the project. We’ll be dishing out 11 x £5,000 grants, 6 x £2,500 grants and 5 x £1,000 grants to the winning rural projects. All finalists who don’t win one of the main grants will still receive £500 from Calor to put towards their project initiative.
Here's what to expect, step by step:
Natter, write, send
Communities from across the country had an 8 week window to submit their off-grid community project for funding. We opened for applications on 10th March.
Time’s up
And stop. Fingers off your mouse. Application submissions have now closed. If you meet and pass our eligibility criteria and diligence checks, it’ll soon be time to publicly make some noise about your project.
Form a community huddle
From 9am on 9th June, projects were open for public support. Those projects were actively involving their community to rally support to generate funding and points from the crowd. Getting donations through crowdfunding was a great start for all projects, but to add an extra cherry on the cake, they were also in with a chance of receiving 1 point for every like and share and 10 points when someone donated*. Projects with the highest scores in each category will go through to the finals and will be in with a chance of receiving a slice of Calor’s £85,000 funding pot.*see terms and conditions for more info.
Don’t forget it’s not too late to utilise our Facebook frame to spread the word about your community project, download yours here.
Feet up and wait
And that’s a wrap. At 5pm on 7th July 2021, the supporting stage came to an end. The digital whizzes are hard at work to get everything in line for the next step and further due diligence checks will take place on all shortlisted projects.
A peak at the finalists
On 28th July 2021, we announced our finalists for each of the three funding categories
Judges do their thing
A panel of impartial judges decided which projects received funding from the Rural Community Funds £85,000 pot.
The great reveal
And the winners are... On 11th August 2021, this year's winners were announced.
Splash the cash
Projects who’ve received funding through the crowd will be awarded their donations. And once the winners have been announced, the funds from Calor will be distributed. It's then time for your community to spend, spend, spend! The finalists who aren’t successful will also receive a £500 pledge from Calor to help them along the way.
Take raising money into your own hands and make the most of crowdfunding
When you set up your community project, you can then actively raise money through crowdfunding.
For every donation that you receive during the supporting stage, your project will receive 10 points.
These points will put you in good stead for the next stage, as the projects with the most points in their funding category will make it through to the final. Better still, your community project will receive even more funds!
How are the winners chosen?
Projects with the highest number of points in each funding category went through to the finals. A panel of impartial judges then chose their favourite projects, based on the following:
40% Impact
Judges will consider the potential impact of the project on the local community:
How urgent is the need in the community? How many people will be impacted by this project? Is the idea appealing to a broad cross-section of the community?
35% Project sustainability
Judges will look at how long the project will last and how long it will benefit the community for. They will also consider how sustainable the project will be once it is launched:
How long will the project’s impact last in the community? Does the project only need funding from the Calor Rural Community Fund, or does it also require funding from alternative sources? Does this project have clear volunteer support? How likely is the project to achieve its goals?
15% Submission
Judges will review the entry itself and how well it explained the project:
How much effort has gone into preparing the entry and supporting information? How well considered and clearly explained is the entry?
10% Originality
Judges will consider how original the project is:
How original is your Calor Rural Community Fund project compared to the other projects submitted for funding?