Fund your idea
If you have an idea to help a community need in York, then we can help you make it happen. Students and staff members can apply to the University Community Fund to kick start an initiative or extend an existing community-focused project.
We can offer funding of up to £500 to students or staff with the creativity, commitment and enthusiasm to make an impact in the local community by developing their own volunteering project.
The University Community Fund, supported by Portakabin, aims to encourage innovation and support volunteers/social entrepreneurs from the University to work with the community to address a community need.
It is hoped that with funding, you can research or road-test your ideas for future development and make a positive impact on the community.
Benefits
- Be a change-maker with your project ideas
- Get support for your initiative
- Enhance your project's community impact
Do you have a fantastic idea for a community initiative, but just need the financial support to make it happen? This funding can help you kickstart your project. To be eligible, the project needs to meet the following criteria and must:
- be innovative, either a project start-up or a new activity for an existing scheme
- have a clear local community impact which reaches beyond the University community
- involve student or staff volunteers
- be sustainable beyond the period of funding
- be led by students or staff at the University of York
- be not-for-profit whether that be a volunteering project or a social enterprise
Enterprise
There are a range of funding opportunities and competitions run annually by Enterprise, based in Careers. If you have an idea for a business, freelancing or social enterprise this is the place to look for support, funding and advice.
YuStart
This is the University’s crowdfunding platform. You can fund your projects, your interests, your ambitions be it events, sports, tech, science, community, theatre, art, fashion and more. Funding has even helped send Astroduck to space!
YuFund
YuFund gives grants and funding opportunities to departments, colleges, and student clubs and societies. Applications should support innovative projects that improve opportunities for students and help the University to contribute to the life of the wider community.
The money is donated by alumni and friends of the University who are keen to invest in enhancing opportunities and supporting current students and is distributed twice a year in November and April.
Community Fund case studies
Before applying:
We recommend you explore your idea with a member of the Community Engaged Learning Team before making an application to the Community Fund.
Just drop us an email at volunteering