Meet The Funder Event Highlights
We recently launched our Magenta 20 Community Fund to support and partner with 20 projects in our twentieth year. And with that we wanted to give anyone interested in the fund a chance to meet with us and pose any questions they have ahead of applying.
Here are the highlights and key talking points from that event:
Jamie Martin, Social Impact Lead at Magenta Living, kicked off the session with an overview of the Magenta 20 Community Fund and its objectives.
Wendy Gooley, Chair of the MCCC, shared the success story of "Inspiring Dreams," an employability and wellbeing course previously funded by Magenta. Wendy highlighted the significant positive impact this course has had on our customers, setting a benchmark for the types of projects we aim to support in the future.
Andy Lomas, COO of Magenta Living, discussed our strategic approach and the importance of social impact for Magenta. He emphasised our commitment to maximising positive impacts for our customers and communities.
A diverse range of applications were encouraged while managing expectations, not everyone who applies will be awarded funding. The application has been created with ease in mind, as we see the importance of minimising administration for applicants.
We have a rich heritage in the area and aim to be the first-choice partner for community projects. We are looking for projects that align with our strategic goals and positively impact Magenta customers.
The session was then opened to questions from the floor
Question: What type of partnership is Magenta is looking for from applicants, would that be strategic or community based?
Answer: We understand that we're looking to partner with independent organisations, so rather than asking projects to be completely aligned with Magenta strategically we are looking for common ground in supporting our customers. It's a time where resources are tight so relationships that achieve more than the sum of our parts are more valuable than ever. Organisations that can demonstrate that they can deliver a project that positively impacts Magenta customers and fits one of themes will be ideal.
Question: Is there guidance for base line costs for management?
Answer: We don't have specific guidance as we don't want to stifle creativity by defining costs. We may choose to award partial funding. And we're looking for project viability and proportionate costs to project outcomes. The purpose of the fund is not to cover core costs, as into keep an organisation operational for a period of time. We're looking to provide additionality which may require covering part of your core costs to deliver a project that achieves clear outcomes for Magenta customers.
Question: Can applications come from consortiums?
Yes, and applications can come from the individual organisations of the consortium as well. However, we advise on aiming for quality of applications rather that quantity. We won't be able to fund every project that applies. We want to spread the impact across sectors and communities. Welcome bids from consortiums as it brings multiple organisations together and potentially offers more for customers.
Question: Is there anything not to include when applying?
We've made the application form very straightforward and are asking people to include anything they feel helps makes the case for their project. We may then get in touch to ask further clarifying questions if there is anything more we need to know. We encourage anyone to get in touch with our team for guidance on their application if they're unsure on what to include and what to leave off. We are looking for projects that create value for our customers and communities, so any funded projects will have to align with our purpose, vision and values as an organisation.
Question: How can applicants know the locations of Magenta customers across Wirral?
Magenta covers most of Wirral but not all of it. Magenta Living has homes and customers across 22 neighbourhoods, these are detailed on our website here. If you're concerned that your project falls outside of one of these neighbourhoods, you can get in touch with our team to clarify that and what that means for your application.
Question: For the health and wellbeing theme would you consider softer outcomes that lend themselves more to mental health as opposed to physical health?
We have been deliberately vague on our themes to encourage creativity from applicants. We understand your projects have been inspired by the needs you've seen in your community. Mental health is a huge area of concern for our customers and can have physical impacts as well. We can help advise on the outcomes we'd expect to see for your project, but we also understand not everything can be tracked and measured so don't be put off from applying if you think your project outcomes are harder to define and measure.
If you're interested in applying for the Magenta 20 Community Fund and have questions that were not answered here, you can get in touch with us by emailing communityregenerationteam@magentaliving.org.uk.