Introduction

We know that sustainable change starts in communities. When locally led, innovative ideas are given the resources and support they need, they can create lasting impact for people and places.

The West Oxfordshire Crowdfund is a match funding programme from West Oxfordshire District Council, delivered through Crowdfunder UK, that helps community groups and organisations bring their ideas to life.

By combining support from local residents, organisations and the Council, the programme helps unlock funding for projects that make a real difference across West Oxfordshire.

We are looking to support ambitious, community-led initiatives that improve residents wellbeing, protect and enhance the local environment, and strengthen community resilience. In 2026–27, £120,000 is available to help communities develop innovative solutions to local challenges and create lasting positive change.

What We're Looking to Support

Through the West Oxfordshire Crowdfund, we want to support projects that deliver lasting benefits for communities across the district. We are particularly interested in innovative, community-led ideas that contribute to one or more of the following outcomes:

Community Wellbeing – reducing health inequalities and creating more connected communities to enable people to enjoy a better quality of life

Climate Resilience – achieving a reduction in carbon emissions and creating sustainable communities that are resilient to climate impacts, primarily flooding, extreme heat, and drought

Nature Recovery – enhancing the natural environment to increase biodiversity, alongside providing wider opportunities for people to access it and understand its value

Examples of Projects

We welcome a wide range of community-led projects, including:

Community Wellbeing – Helping people stay healthy, happy and connected.

Sports and leisure activities

Food equity initiatives

Community food growing

Community art and cultural programmes - Arts, music and theatre projects

Activities to enhance mental wellbeing

Activities for young people outside of school

Projects that bring people together

Climate Resilience – Helping communities respond to climate change and reduce pollution.

Energy efficiency initiatives

Reducing carbon emissions

Community energy generation

Improving rural transport options

Natural flood management or extreme heat management

Making communities greener and more sustainable

Nature Recovery – Protecting and improving local wildlife and green spaces.

Habitat restoration and creation (e.g. meadows, planting trees)

Species conservation

Community gardens and allotments

Improving access to green spaces

Helping people enjoy and learn about nature

Encouraging biodiversity and wildlife

These examples are intended as a guide and are not exhaustive. We welcome innovative proposals that demonstrate clear community benefit and align with the aims of the funding programme.

Funding Availability

There will be a total of £120,000 to support eligible projects in 2026-27 and funding is allocated through two application windows during the year.

Once the available funding has been fully committed, no further applications will be accepted. West Oxfordshire District Council reserves the right to close the fund at any time.

Eligible Organisations

To be eligible to apply, organisations must be one of the following:

Charities - registered and excepted

Charitable Incorporated Organisations

Community Interest Companies (CICs)

Constituted Voluntary Groups

Community Benefit Societies

Eligible organisations must:

Deliver activities that benefit people living in West Oxfordshire

Have a recognised governing body, such as a board of trustees or directors, consisting of at least three unrelated individuals

Demonstrate a commitment to being inclusive and accessible in their recruitment, governance and service delivery

Be able to provide evidence of eligibility, including:

Governing documents (such as a Constitution, Trust Deed, or Memorandum and Articles of Association)

A bank account in the name of the organisation with two unrelated authorised signatories

A copy of the organisation's most recent accounts, annual financial statement, or other financial records showing it has been operating for at least 12 months

Safeguarding and/or child protection policies where relevant to the project

What Can Be Funded?

The West Oxfordshire Crowdfund programme can support both revenue and capital expenditure that is directly linked to the delivery of your project.

Revenue Costs

We can fund one-off costs associated with delivering your project, including:

Project materials and resources

Venue hire

Event and activity costs

Staff costs that are directly attributable to the project

Capital Costs

We can also support one-off capital investments, including:

Building refurbishment or improvement works

Equipment purchases

Infrastructure that enables the delivery of community benefit

We encourage organisations to develop projects that create a lasting positive impact for local people, communities and the environment across West Oxfordshire.

Ineligible Organisations

The following organisations are not eligible:

Town and parish councils

Exempt charities

Social Enterprises

Private companies

Statutory service providers

Groups proposing for-profit projects

Groups proposing projects with a political affiliation

Schools will generally not be supported unless it can be demonstrated that the proposed project will have a demonstrable benefit to the wider community

Faith-based organisations will only be supported where it can be demonstrated that the activity will have no religious or missioning component, and so long as the activity is inclusive

Ineligible Activities

We are also not able to support the following:

Contributions to general appeals or circulars

Activities where the primary benefit is the advancement of religion

Activities where the primary benefit is to enable a public body to conduct its statutory obligations

Activities where the primary benefit is the advancement of animal welfare

Activities which have already taken place or costs that have already been incurred

Grant-making or equivalent gifts in kind by other organisations (although we can fund provision of necessary goods for a service e.g. food parcels or activity packs)

Changes to land/buildings that do not belong to the applicant where the consent of the owner is not given or a suitable tenure is not in place

Large-scale construction projects (including fixed structures e.g. playgrounds) with a total value over £100,000. This is due to the fact that these projects take a significant amount of time to reach their target and this can be difficult to manage in year

Feasibility studies

Costs which can more appropriately be met through the precept

How to Apply

Applicants should create a project on Crowdfunder and if the information matches with the fund the applicant will be invited to apply through the Crowdfunder platform.

Applications will be reviewed alongside project pages. Please consult our guide to learn how to create a strong project page.

How Much Can You Apply For?

If your application is approved, you'll be offered match funding of maximum 50% or £12,000, whichever is the lesser amount, towards your initial crowdfunding target.

Selection Process

All eligible projects will be assessed and scored against the criteria outlined above. In addition, the Council will prioritise campaigns that demonstrate the following:

Clear links to the Council's priorities

An evidenced local need and explain how the campaign will address it

Provides clear community benefit explaining how the activity will deliver a positive and sustainable impact for beneficiaries

Partnership working arrangements

Good value for money

Final funding decisions will be made at a formal decision making meeting involving elected members and the Director of Place at West Oxfordshire District Council.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application following the assessment process.

Successful projects will receive a funding pledge, which will remain valid for 12 weeks from the date of the Award Agreement. During this period, applicants must reach their crowdfunding target in line with the terms of their campaign.

If a project has not reached its funding target within the 12-week pledge period, the funding offer may be withdrawn. However, applicants may request an extension to their campaign deadline. Extension requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, recognising that some projects may require additional time to secure the support needed to achieve their target.

To secure a pledge from the Fund, you will need to do the following:

Apply to, and be approved for, the Fund

The fund award is confirmed once you reach 100% of your fundraising target with at least 25 unique supporters*

*To verify whether Supporters are unique we will take account of information including, but not limited to: name, address, email addresses and payment card used.

If the project fails to reach 100% of the target the provisional pledge will be cancelled.

The West Oxfordshire District Council reserves the right to vary these match funding criteria; projects will be notified if their match funding criteria will vary from the stated terms above.

Additional Requirements

Applicants or the campaigning organisation pledging to their own campaign is allowed, however this should not be a significant amount unless discussed before the pledge is added. Small offline donations that have been collected may also be added, however you may be required to evidence the origin of these pledges (receipts, letters of support, copies of cheques or bank statements etc.)

Projects will be required to agree to the Terms and Conditions.