Grants of up to £10,000 are available to help organisations develop new ways to prevent financial hardship and support local people before they reach crisis point.

Herefordshire Community Foundation is launching the Crisis & Resilience Fund Community Innovation Grant Programme on behalf of Herefordshire Council, with funding from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Local organisations are being invited to apply for a share of a new £90,000 fund to develop innovative ways of preventing financial hardship and strengthening financial resilience across Herefordshire. 

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations whose work benefits people living in Herefordshire.

The programme is designed to look beyond immediate financial need and support new approaches that can help people before difficulties become a crisis. It will fund organisations to explore the causes of financial hardship, reach people who may not currently use existing support, and test practical ways to help individuals and communities prepare for and recover from future financial shocks.

Organisations are encouraged to bring new and innovative ideas that could make a lasting difference to financial resilience in local communities, including new ways to reach people who do not use existing support, adding financial resilience support to an existing community activity or using technology or information differently. Ideas are particularly welcome from:

• reach people before financial difficulties escalate;
• address the underlying causes of hardship, rather than only responding to immediate need;
• engage communities that may not use existing services;
• build on trusted local relationships and community strengths;
• create new partnerships or connect services in different ways; and
• have the potential to continue, be replicated elsewhere or grow if successful 

Bridie Sullivan, CEO of Herefordshire Community Foundation, said:

“Some of the most effective solutions to local challenges come from the people and organisations closest to them. We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Herefordshire Council to support bold new ideas that strengthen financial resilience and tackle the underlying causes of hardship.

“We’re particularly keen to hear from groups that recognise gaps in current support, whatever their size. By investing in innovation now, we hope to uncover practical approaches that make a lasting difference for individuals, families and communities across Herefordshire.”

Councillor Carole Gandy, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said:

“We know that financial pressures can affect anyone and, without the right support, can quickly develop into a crisis. This fund will enable trusted local organisations to test new approaches that build financial resilience and help people before problems escalate.

“By working with Herefordshire Community Foundation, we can draw on the knowledge and community connections that already exist across the county. We look forward to supporting ideas that reach people who may not engage with existing services and deliver lasting benefits for Herefordshire residents.”

Applications opened on Tuesday 10^th November 2026. To learn more about the fund, visit Herefordshire Community Foundations website at https://www.herefordshirecf.org/funds/crisis-resilience-fund/