Covid-19 overview

We recognise that the outbreak of COVID-19 is already having an immediate impact on many of the individuals, organisations and schools we fund. Our primary concern is for the health and safety of the public and the communities in which we work, including the Foundation’s own staff and Governors, the staff, Trustees and volunteers of organisations funded by the Foundation, and the ultimate beneficiaries of our funding.

Sir John Cass’s Foundation support

We want to reassure grantees that we are here to support them. We will do whatever we can to help by being flexible and listening to the needs of our grantees. This is why we have signed up to the London Funders funding statement for Covid-19.

If you are concerned about your ability to deliver your programmes or about meeting your reporting requirements, we encourage grantees to contact a member of the Grants Team to discuss your specific case. If you are unsure who to contact, please email contactus@sirjohncass.org and we will direct you to the appropriate member of staff.

London Funders statement on Covid-19, March 2020

Sir John Cass’s Foundation, along with a wider group of funders, recognise that the covid-19 outbreak is an exceptional event that will have an impact on civil society groups, and want to offer reassurance that we stand with the sector during this time. We wish to be as helpful as possible during the coming weeks and months so that civil society groups can focus on the vital work of supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. We understand that there will be times when staff and volunteers will not be available, when beneficiaries may need services to be provided in different ways, or when systems need to be flexible to ensure that needs are met.

If your community, services or organisation are affected by the covid-19 outbreak, and you receive grant funding from us, we are committed to:

• Adapting activities – we recognise that you may experience difficulties achieving some of the outputs or outcomes we agreed for your grant during the outbreak, and would like to be able to maintain our grant payments to you at originally-agreed levels during this period, so please have a conversation with us if you are affected in this way;
• Discussing dates – we don’t want to add pressure, so if you think you will struggle to meet a reporting deadline please get in touch with us so that we can agree a more realistic time for you to get things to us wherever possible;
• Financial flexibility – we know you may need to use your funding to help cover sickness, purchase equipment, or deliver services differently, and we will be reasonable if you need to move money between budget headings to ensure your work can continue; and
• Listening to you – we are here if you want to talk to us about the situation you’re facing, but we’ll wait for you to call us so that these conversations are at the right time for you.

We also recognise that there may be further shocks to the system caused by covid-19 that may impact on your other income streams, or require a more urgent response from funders. London Funders have committed to publishing any news on emergency funding so you can see all available programmes in one place.