These are free resources for refugee community organisations (RCOs) and those who work with them. We welcome suggestions for resources to list. Please see our guidelines for further details.
In addition to this list, there are numerous publications for RCOs (free downloads and paid-for) available from the Refugee Action and Refugee Council websites.
See also our Resource Papers on RCO sustainability and survival.
Fundraising
More responsive public services? A guide to commissioning migrant and refugee community organisations
By John Perry and A. Azim El-Hassan (Published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for hact)
Not RCO-specific:
Fit4funding: This site gives you access to the GRANT Net search engine and provides an introduction to commissioning. It also has a lot of training resources that you are likely to find useful.
Funding Central: This is a national funding search engine and also provides a wealth of resources and links to accessing funds from grants, tenders and loans.
Lottery Funding: This is a National Lottery funding website which tells you how you can apply for funding from the lottery. The website allows you to search for information on current funding programmes across all lottery grant makers.
Green Grants Machine: This site provide a good source of information on grants, loans and awards available to help your organisation go green and save on energy bills.
Government Funding: This website provides a one stop shop for funds from local authorities, central government, the European Commission and independent grant funders.
GRANT finder: It is one of the UK’s leading grant and funding information providers giving access to a diverse range of funding , from the European Union, UK government, Lottery and grant making trusts. Registration is free and gives you access to their resources.
Grants online: Provides access to grants from Europe, UK government, trusts and the lottery but you need to be a registered member to access their services.
Institute of Fundraising: : The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body that represents fundraisers in the UK. They provide useful information on raising funds through various ways including the legalities.
How2fundraise: Provides useful ideas on how to raise funds including templates for writing letters that you could amend and adapt as part of your campaign.
Trust funding: Provides a good search engine, latest fundraising news and plenty of resources. You will need to be a registered member to get full access to the site though some parts are free.
www.funderfinder.org.uk - This website provides brilliant support on how to access grants and has free software and downloadable information that could help your organisation.
www.access-funds.co.uk : Provides a comprehensive updated list of current funding information for the voluntary sector (including central government, EU and National Lottery) but you need to be a subscriber to have access to the information.
www.fundraising.co.uk: Provides practical fundraising ideas, news, events, publications, and links to funding sources. The disadvantage is that not all resources on this site are free.
www.governmentfunding.org.uk: Access to government grants for the voluntary and community sector.
www.grantsnet.co.uk: UK grants and funding information.
www.dsc.org.uk: The Directory of Social Change is the largest provider of information and training to the UK voluntary and community sector.
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources.aspx: A user-friendly database with grant search facilities featuring over 3000 funders.
www.open4funding.info: Open4Community is a user-friendly online search tool that empowers charities and community groups to quickly find relevant funding sources through their local council website.
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk : This website provides a few ways of raising money but you have to register free of charge.
Management
Working with refugee community organisations - a guide for local infrastructure organisations
By Ceri Hutton and Sue Lukes (Published by Charities Evaluation Service)
Working with volunteers - A management guide for refugee community organisations (pdf)
By Kate Bowgett and Lynne Gillett (Published by the Evelyn Oldfield Foundation)
How to set up a refugee community organisation (£15, but free to refugee community organisations)
By The Federation for Community Development Learning
Employing staff (pdf)
Refugee Action's guide to recruiting and managing staff
General - not RCO specific
The following free resources are not targeted specifically at RCOs:
