London Councils’ grants: Deadline 5th September
Funding for voluntary organisations across London that offer services with respect to culture and tourism, children and young people, environment, transport, planning and sustainability, health and safety, policy and voice, violent crime and crime reduction. Grants range from £100,000-£300,000 per year.
London Councils >>

International Communities grants: Open
Funding for projects that tackle the causes of poverty and deprivation and bring about a long term difference to the lives of disadvantaged people across the world. Grants range from £50,000-£500,000.
Big Lottery Fund >>

Reaching Communities grants: Open
Funding for projects that respond to needs identified by communities, and that are actively seeking to involve communities themselves. Grants range from £10,000-£500,000.
Big Lottery Fund >>

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation: Open
The Foundation makes grants in four main areas: arts and heritage, education, environmental and social change (enterprise and independence). Grant amount can be up to, and on occasion more than, £100,000.
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation >>

Adventure Capital Fund: Open
The fund provides loan finance for the development of long-term sustainability of community-based enterprises. Loans available up to £450,000.
Adventure Capital Fund >>

The Trusthouse Grant programmes: Open
Small scheme grants for one-off capital items or towards six month running costs. Applications are considered from charities that undertake health education, projects in deprived areas, and projects supporting charitable work in developing countries. Grants range from £5,000-£30,000.
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation >>

Garfield Weston Foundation:  Open
Grants support a wide range of causes including arts, community, education, welfare, youth and environment. Grants range from £10,000- £1,000,000
Garfield Weston Foundation >>

A Beginner’s Guide to Intellectual Property: 29th or 30th August
A one hour workshop providing an introductory overview of the main elements of intellectual property: patents, trade marks, registered designs and copyright.
Intellectual Property >>

Effective Fundraising I: 18-19 September
A two-day introductory course for those new to fundraising or who only have limited experience.
Effective Fundraising >>

Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference: 5-6 September
An annual conference at the University of Warwick bringing together academics and practitioners giving researchers the opportunity to share their ideas and research findings on the sector.
Researching the Voluntary Sector >>

Getting Your Voice Heard: 12th September
This event will examine the voluntary sector's experience with government consultations, providing an opportunity to share expertise and ideas about what the sector needs to be able to respond better.
Getting Your Voice Heard >>

Charity Accountants’ Conference: 13-14 September
A two-day conference for charity finance professionals to be held in Nottingham.
Charity Accountants' Conference >>  

The Campaigning Conference 2007: 26th September
A conference, jointly organised by the Directory of Social Change (DSC) and the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, aiming to help organisations looking to improve and expand their campaigning work.
The Campaigning Conference >>

'Where now for face-to-face fundraising?': 27th September
A new conference on the future of face-to-face fundraising for charities at City University that will look at “how the face-to-face marketplace has changed”.
Face to Face Fundraising >>

Influencing Skills for Fundraisers: 1st October
A one day course intended to help attendees develop the interpersonal and psychological skills to win over donors, volunteers and colleagues.
Influencing Skills >>

New Economics Foundation publishes SRI guide
The NEF has published a guide to using the Social Return on Investment method to prove the wider social value created by companies and organisations with a social purpose. 
New Economics Foundation >>

Government publishes final report on third sector review
The final report of the Government's third sector review sets out measures to build on partnership with the third sector and feed into the upcoming comprehensive spending round.
Society Guardian Online >>

Gordon Brown declares social enterprise vision, promising greater investment in the future
Gordon Brown wants to put the values of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors at the heart of his vision for Britain, and his approach marks a subtle shift away from that of his predecessor.  
Society Guardian Online >>
Politics Guardian Online >>

Cabinet Office minister unveils team of social enterprise “ambassadors”
The first group of “ambassadors” participating in the Social Enterprise Coalition’s programme to promote social enterprises as a business model and career option for young people was unveiled at the end of last month, including Big Issue chief executive John Bird.    
Business Guardian Online >>
Politics Guardian Online >>

Cameron declares need for greater voluntary sector responsibility
David Cameron gave a speech on school discipline to think tank Policy Exchange and outlined his belief that the voluntary sector should be given more formal responsibility in dealing with excluded schoolchildren.
Society Guardian Online >>
ThirdSector.co.uk >>

Release of Conservative Party’s Social Enterprise Policy Group Report
David Cameron’s Social Enterprise Policy Group published its report this month, and the BBC spoke about it with Cherry Read from the Social Enterprise Coalition and the shadow charities minister Greg Clark. 
BBC News Online >>

Eastside is an advisory firm providing fundraising and consultancy services to enable clients build viable enterprises.

Eastside has a passion for working with social and environmental entrepreneurs and organizations that have the potential to change the way we do things. Clients come from the private, voluntary and public sectors.

Access to finance
The access-to-finance programme – sponsored by the London Development Agency – gives susbsidies of up to 80% for organizations to receive professional assistance to raise finance. London-based social enterprises and charities with trading income are eligible to apply. In 2006-7, Eastside assisted 21 organisations raise £2.4m under this programme.

For more information, please contact Natalie at Eastside.

Access to mentors
Eastside is pioneering a programme that places experienced professionals, mostly from the corporate sector, into voluntary organisations in a mentoring capacity. Enterprises will benefit from high quality and cost-effective advice from experts with finance, marketing and general business skills; while mentors will receive support and guidance.

For more information, please contact Andrew at Eastside.

Flying Start
Flying Start offers high growth technology and environmental entrepreneurs seeking early stage equity investment with a subsidised investment-readiness service and access to Eastside’s angel investors. The programme enables organisations to benefit from Eastside’s services without needing to pay a substantial amount until further finance has been secured.

For more information, please contact Matt at Eastside.