Writing funding applications
Applying for a grant is often the only way to get larger sums of money. It may seem like heaps more work, but do it right and the rewards could be huge.
You could ask for funding for newsletters, organisational costs, event or action, office and staff expenses, action and communications equipment. Funding proposals for outrageous things are always worth a go - a hot air balloon or the use of a helicopter perhaps...
Which funder?
There are many different organisations that give grants to small campaigns and projects. Your first step is to make a shortlist of those most likely to support your project or campaign.
Nearly all funders have guidelines for giving out their money. These cover the kind of groups and activities they will fund, how much they will give and how to apply. There are a number of directories that provide information about funders such as the Directory for Social Change. Have a look in your library and ask your nearest Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) for advice.
Your best bet however is to talk to other groups similar to your own to find out where they got their funding from. For example for local environmental projects you can often get money from the council's environmental grants programme.
Gathering information about the funders
Once you've got your shortlist, find out as much as you can about these funders. What kind of activities do they fund? What are their criteria forgiving out money, deadlines and forms? How much do they give. Is this the right funder to approach? They vary greatly in the information they require and how much money they give. If they've got a website or printed publicity materials, read them very carefully.
Talk to people who have been able to get money from that funder but also to those that were turned down. Find out what works and avoid other people's mistakes. Most funding applications are rejected because they did not follow the guidelines or forgot to send something, not because the funder didn't like the idea.
You also need to find out about deadlines for applying. Some funders only allocate funds once or twice each year, so find out when the next deadline is and how long it takes for them to decide.
If you are looking for money to print leaflets next month then a funder who takes six months to make a decision is no good. If there are deadlines make sure you keep to them or your applications may be disallowed.
Thanks to Seeds for Change for providing this article.
Article produced by the Choose Action Alliance.
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