Funding

ICA covers its running costs, including the cost of its activities and services through a mix of grant funding, donations, local giving, legacy gifts and fundraising events.

GRANTS – We are hugely grateful to have received grants from the following funders for the period April 2025-March 2026:

  • The National Lottery Community Fund: Reaching Communities – Towards The Portland Project, covering a range of new and expanded workstreams. Funding running 2021-26.
  • Portland Town Council – Match funding contribution under a new five-year Service Level Agreement towards The Portland Project. Covers several extended and new services.
  • Dorset Council – Towards our core costs (Revenue Support grant), Helping Hands (Cost of Living grant for older and vulnerable people), our cultural offers (Community & Culture grant), transport (Transport grant) and youth projects (LAG and Youth Fund grants).
  • Dorset NHS Health & Wellbeing Fund (via Dorset Community Foundation) – Towards our health and wellbeing offer.
  • McCarthy Stone Foundation – Towards our Christmas 2025 activities for older and vulnerable residents.
  • Postcode Community Trust – Towards our core costs (funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by Postcode Community Trust).
  • Wessex Water Community Fund (via Dorset Community Foundation) – Towards our Community Connectors project.

NON-GRANT DONATIONS and FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES for the same period, unless otherwise stated:

  • Portland Court Leet – Towards our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (for 2025 activity).
  • Portland United Service Lodge 3473 – Towards Helping Hands (our older and vulnerable people’s project)
  • The Rotary Club of Island & Royal Manor of Portland – Towards our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (for 2025 activity) and Helping Hands.
  • Portland residents – Legacy and local donations towards our core costs.

OTHER INCOME – ICA generates other income through a range of activities, including:

  • Activities and events – ICA charges for some of its regular club activities. It does so on a cost recovery basis in order to ensure their sustainability. ICA also fundraises through activities like coffee mornings, bingo and special one-off events.
  • The Portland Lottery – A Portland based (ticketed) lottery. £1 a ticket (40p goes to ICA). Quarterly draws. Prize pot varies depending on the number of tickets sold. Tickets available from ICA’s office, Easton.
  • The Giving Lottery – A national online lottery. £1 per entry (40p goes to ICA). Weekly draws and a 1 in 50 chance of winning a prize. Top weekly prize of £25,000. To participate, go to ICA’s GivingLottery page (once there, click on the ‘Buy tickets’ button and and follow the instructions on screen).
  • PayPal Giving Fund – Go to the PayPal Giviing Hub, search for Island Community Action and then follow the instructions. You can add gift aid and select ICA as your favourite charity for future opportunities to give when using PayPal.
  • One-off or regular giving – Made by cash, cheque, standing order or via Local Giving.
  • Legacy gifts – Made via the donor’s will, these contributions range from direct donations instead offlowers at a funeral to specified sums of money, a % of an entire estate or a particular item.
  • Donations of prizes – From unwanted gifts to free experiences, trips and treatments.
  • Merchandise – ICA sells cards, lottery tickets, merchandise and more. We also sell t’shirts and hoodies on Teemill.