The Communities Fund is a program that aims to support local causes and help them build stronger communities across the UK. We believe that by caring more about communities today, we can help them create a better future tomorrow.

At the heart of the Communities Fund is our ambition to build a brighter future. We see two major challenges that need to be addressed in order to achieve this:

Helping people take more control of their financial futures.

Supporting communities to care for the places they love in a changing climate.

The Communities Fund provides funding for organisations looking to raise up to £50,000. Eligible causes can apply at any time through our website.

There is no strict deadline for starting your application, though it is advised to act promptly as match funding operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Before submitting an application, please make sure to check our eligibility criteria. If your cause is eligible, you can apply through our website. If your application is successful, you will then create a unique project page that explains your idea and fundraising target. This page will be open to donations from the public, and Aviva will match fund any donations received.

For every individual donation received, we will match it up to £250 (subject to eligibility criteria). This means that your donations will have an even greater impact on the community.

If your project is approved for live match funding, this means that every donation made to your project page will be matched in real-time by the Communities Fund. This will only come into effect after your application has been approved and your project goes live. Live match funding works on a pledge-by-pledge basis, meaning that each donation will be matched at the time of the transaction.

Please note that the Communities Fund will only match one donation from a unique supporter. This means that if the same person donates twice, only the first donation will be matched. Additionally, there is a cap on how much we will match, so if someone donates £40, it will be matched pound for pound, but if someone donates £400, the match funding will only be £250.

The live match funding will start from the date your project goes live (if your application has already been accepted) or the date that your application is accepted if you apply while your project is live. The maximum time your project will receive match funding for is six weeks from the start of the match funding. This timeline is fixed and cannot be extended beyond the original activation date, so planning your campaign timing strategically is important.

It is recommended to align your campaign planning with this fixed timeline to ensure you can make the most of the funding opportunity.

The Communities Fund offers flexibility in managing your match funding period. If needed, you can pause your match funding, which halts the countdown of your six-week period. When you resume, the remaining duration continues from where it left off. For example, if your campaign was live for 2 weeks before pausing, you'll have 4 weeks remaining upon resumption. Note that this does not extend the overall six-week limit.

If there's a delay between your Aviva match funding approval and its activation date, donations made after the approval but before activation may still qualify for matching. To request retroactive matching, contact Crowdfunder support with details about these donations, including dates and transaction information. If eligible, matching funds may be manually applied to these contributions.

Once your project is live, you can showcase it to the wider community to raise public donations and make your project as successful as possible. All donations will be match funded by Aviva (subject to Terms and Conditions) and will count towards your target. You will receive all of the funds at the end of your project, unless you have selected the "all or nothing" option and your project closes unsuccessfully.
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To make the most of your match funding opportunity: 1) Plan promotional campaigns to align with your six-week match funding period; 2) Clearly communicate the match funding timeline to potential donors to encourage timely contributions; and 3) Monitor your timeline closely, especially if you choose to pause and resume your funding period.

With the funds raised, it's time to put your idea into action and make a difference in your community. If you need more help in the future, you are welcome to apply again (up to two submissions to the fund can be made in a calendar year – Jan to Dec).

Thank you for choosing to be a part of the Communities Fund and helping us build stronger communities across the UK. Together, we can create a better future for all.