• Small Grants from Communication Matters

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR CONSIDERATION FROM JANUARY – DECEMBER 2024.

EACH YEAR THE BOARD ALLOCATES A SET AMOUNT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER AS SMALL GRANTS.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF COMMUNICATION MATTERS TO BE ELIGIBLE.

YOU CAN APPLY AT ANY TIME OF YEAR WHILE FUNDING LASTS.

THESE GRANTS ARE UP TO £500 TO APPLICANTS WHO LIVE IN THE UK AND WHO ARE MEMBERS OF COMMUNICATION MATTERS.

WE CONSIDER APPLICATIONS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, BUT MAY ONLY AWARD PART OF THE AMOUNT ASKED FOR.

TO APPLY FOR A SMALL GRANT

Please fill out the online application form below answering the following questions:

  • What is the grant for?

    Please provide a brief outline of what the small grant will be used for.

  • When and where will the grant be used?

    Please provide information about when and where the grant will be used including the date and location if relevant.

  • How much are you asking for (up to a maximum of £500).

    In many cases a small grant will not cover all of the costs, so also tell us what you think your total costs will be and how this will be covered. Please give as much detail as possible.

  • How will the grant help?

    Please provide information about the population that will benefit.

IF YOUR APPLICATION FOR A SMALL GRANT IS SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL ASK YOU TO PROVIDE A SHORT REPORT FOR THE CM JOURNAL (PERHAPS INCLUDING A PHOTO) TO DESCRIBE HOW THE GRANT HAS HELPED YOU. We will also request receipts / proof of expenditure. We expect you to provide these within one month of you using the small grant.

Complete online application form

WHAT DO WE CONSIDER?

Trustees look favourably on applications that support the use of all forms of communication for users, families or professionals. Some examples of what we consider:

  • Supporting an AAC user event

  • Helping to fund play equipment for children with communication difficulties

    such as a toy library

  • Supporting a pilot for a mini research project

  • Helping someone who wants to attend a course to support the use of AAC, with a family member or friend

    we might ask that you have tried other sources of funding before approaching CM

  • Part funding costs to support an AAC event or project in a country where AAC is less well developed than in the UK

If you have an unusual or creative idea around AAC that needs support, we would love to hear about it.

EXAMPLES OF APPLICATIONS THAT ARE LESS LIKELY TO SUCCEED

Trustees are less likely to support certain kinds of grant applications. For example:

  • Where other forms of funding are (or should be) available

  • To part fund the cost of a place at the Communication Matters Conference

    as we already offer subsidised places

  • Funding for or associated with a purchase or maintenance of a communication aid

  • Supporting professional course or conference costs

PREVIOUS SUCCESSFUL BIDS

Please note – Grants have just reopened this year following the impact of COVID-19.

  • 2017

    CM small grants enabled 4 people to attend and present at the Eastern European AAC Conference in Bucharest by contributing to registration fees and travel costs. This meant that AAC work carried out in the UK was able to be shared with those in Eastern Europe and increased awareness.

  • 2019

    A CM small grant helped Malvern Special Families purchase symbol software to create summer activity timetables for children and young people with disabilities. You can read more about this here.

  • 2019

    A CM Small Grant helped to develop a small self-help group run by Purple Umbrella, a new community based organisation set up to promote AAC and to support users, support staff and family members at a local level. The grant contributed towards their charity insurance and hall hire.

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