The Beinneun Community Fund

About this fund

The Beinneun Community Fund supports projects that benefit residents of the two community council areas of Glengarry and Fort Augustus (including Glenmoriston). The fund is provided by Beinneun Wind Farm Ltd, the company which owns and operates the Beinneun wind farm.

An annual payment of approximately £500,000 is available for the operational life of the wind farm which is expected to be up to 25 years from when it started operating in 2017. 

Purpose of this fund

The Beinneun Community Fund is strategically divided to maximise impact:

The Flexible Fund
       a.    Single year
       b.    Multi year 

The Flexible Fund provides grants to support charitable activities that benefit the residents. Applicants must be able to explain how their projects enhance the economic, social or environmental sustainability of these communities. Most of all, the Fund aims to ensure that successful applications are translated into real projects that make a material difference and deliver a lasting legacy. 

The Community Panel has set wide Fund parameters to encourage as many applicants to come forward as possible. This level of flexibility also enables the Fund to respond to emerging community needs as and when they arise. It is split into Single Year and Multi Year elements.

Single Year: This is for short term funding for activities and projects. The Community Panel will consider many funding requests under this application. 

Multi Year: The Community Panel recognise the importance of multi year funding for community groups. They can help provide financial stability and encourage long-term strategic planning, leading to better community outcomes. These substantial community investments must demonstrate a broad spectrum of community benefits, show collaboration with other local organisations, present a comprehensive project plan with clear deliverables, outline measurable outcomes, and provide evidence that the recipient group upholds excellent governance standards.

Governance Fund: Within the Flexible Fund, £10,000 has been allocated exclusively for governance training. Good governance is essential for organisations as it provides the structure, processes, and accountability needed to operate effectively. Proper governance helps groups to achieve their goals, meet legal and financial obligations, and maintain trust. Community groups often play a pivotal role in addressing local needs and good governance is the foundation for enabling groups to make the most of available resources and opportunities, contributing to their communities' social and economic wellbeing. The Community Panel is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of governance. As part of the enduring legacy of their work, they have established The Governance Fund to empower and support both current and future community leaders. Organisations are invited to apply on behalf of their boards/volunteers/employees to cover the costs of governance training. In particular, applications for course fees from the Institute of Directors and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) are welcome, but all governance training fees will be considered by the Community Panel.

If your organisation supports the community council areas of Glengarry and Fort Augustus (including Glenmoriston) and you are interested in governance training, please contact Foundation Scotland for more information, through the contact details below.

Additional criteria

The fund is keen to encourage environmentally responsible and sustainable practice amongst applicant groups and within communities, and would welcome (in application forms) information about any measures groups have been able to take or plan to take to achieve this.  Projects which aim to tackle the climate challenge at a local level would also be welcome.  

Match funding is not necessarily required, however, evidence of external funding contributions, fundraising or monies from the applicant’s own resources will strengthen an application.

If the application is for asset or land development, then the organisation must usually own the asset/land or show evidence of a long-term lease agreement or other legal right to develop the asset or land.  

Who can apply?

Community groups and organisations working to benefit people in the area of benefit and which meet Foundation Scotland’s standard eligibility criteria can apply. Applicants must have a constitution and be set up on a not-for-profit basis. They do not need to be a registered charity but the activity or project they are requesting funding for must be charitable/for community benefit.

Applications from groups/organisations located outside of the area of benefit will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Such groups must demonstrate a clear benefit from the proposed project for residents within one or both communities, and demonstrate demand for the project from within those communities.  

What can’t be funded?

Foundation Scotland maintains a standard list of exclusions which cannot be funded.  

Additionally, the fund cannot support:

• Anti-wind farm or anti-renewable energy activities, including activities contrary to the interests of Beinneun Wind Farm Ltd.
• Activities that bring Beinneun Wind Famr Ltd or Foundation Scotland into disrepute
• Projects that are detrimental to the environment or those that encourage further climate change. In particular, the Fund is unlikely to support applications which include the use of fossil fuel 

How are decisions made?

A Community Panel made up of people aged over 16 who live, work or volunteer in the local area makes recommendations on grant awards from the Fund.  Decisions are final and there is no appeals process. Applications that do not receive funding awards will receive feedback and where possible, signposted to other sources of funding or advice.