Comic Relief has unveiled a new grants strategy to offer “flexible, agile and proactive” support in order to meet “increasingly complex needs” in the UK and overseas.

A spokeswoman for the charity said the strategy comes “in response to an ever changing environment”, to enable it to respond faster to the “complex world we live in” and maximise its impact.

The charity will focus its grantmaking programme on four key areas, including investment in children and young people; empowering women and girls “to be free and lead the lives they choose”; improving health and wellbeing of vulnerable and disadvantaged people; and building stronger communities in areas of disadvantage, deprivation and poverty.

Grants will be easier to apply for, the charity said, with a “streamlined” process to “ensure organisations can apply as easily as possible, whilst ensuring that all grants remain subject to rigorous scrutiny”.

“These new processes will ensure that funding reaches the people who need it most even more rapidly and also that smaller organisations who apply are able to be better supported,” the charity said.

Grants director for Comic Relief, Judith McNeill, said it was an “exciting, challenging and changing time” for the charity.

“Comic Relief is still passionate about helping people make a difference and achieve the changes they want to see, for themselves, their families and communities,” she said. “We want to be more flexible, agile and proactive than ever before with this new strategy.”

The new funding will be directed towards “driving sustainable change across all four nations of the UK and some of the world’s poorest communities”. The charity confirmed it will also build on its 30 years of experience by continuing to support existing partners and projects.

The charity’s two biggest events – Red Nose Day and Sport Relief - has raised over £1bn over the last 30 years, enabling it to become one of the UK’s leading grant-making bodies.

Comic Relief’s spokeswoman said charities have been forced to confront society’s “increasingly complex needs” in the face of declining resources. In response, Comic Relief will put people at the heart of its grantmaking approach, developing stronger partnerships with funded organisations.

The charity will award funding to “a small number of initiatives”, each involving a variety of partners, in order to identify the best interventions.

It will also continue to fund programmes that support ‘Tech for Good’ and ‘Sport for Change’.

“Comic Relief understands how important digital technology is in modern life, and recognises its potential to address some of the biggest solutions and challenges out there. Targeted funding aims to make the best use of digital technology to create social change. Projects that harness the power and passion of sport will continue to be funded, helping to bring about positive change in the lives of individuals and communities in the UK and around the world,” the charity said. 

Charities can apply for funding by visiting Comic Relief's website. Applications for funding opened yesterday. For more information visit comicrelief.com/grants/initiatives.