TFN’s guide to finding funders and persuading them to give you a grant
Community is all about mucking in and making do, creating something special for friends and neighbours on a shoestring. At least that’s the idea. Unfortunately, in the real world, nothing is ever really free.
One of the first big challenges for any community or voluntary group is raising the money it needs to keep going. Whether it’s a local youth group that needs to hire a room, a choir that wants to buy a piano or the community centre that hosts both but has just discovered its roof needs to be repaired – everyone is after a grant.
Fortunately, there are a lot of generous Scots out there willing to part with their cash and there are literally hundreds of trusts and foundations that have money to give out on a local or national level.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations launched Funding Scotland, which pulls loads of funding information together into one handy website.
Organisations can register for free and then search for potential funders according to the type of work they do and/or their geographical location.
Generating a list of potential supporters, however, is just the first step to success, and getting your hands on a grant will require a little more effort.
Firstly, make sure you’re not wasting time filling in applications to the wrong organisations. Give the funder a ring to check whether your work is something they might be interested in. Most funders will be happy to hear from potential grantees in advance as there’s nothing more disheartening than reading through a really good application for funding that just doesn’t apply.
When you sit down to write, remember to sell yourself. Funders don’t want to think their money will get squandered so tell them how important your project is to the community and how it is making people’s lives better.
Be very clear about what you do though, don’t get so caught up in the hyperbole, you forget to explain how the money will be spent.
Here are general top tips:
- make sure you demonstrate why your community needs your project
- outline what you’re going to do
- highlight the other community stakeholders or advocates that are involved, such as councillors, MSPs and local businesses
- have a clear budget
- tell potential funders how you will measure success
- check the application deadline and don’t submit it late
- read the small print and make sure to follow it
Remember that if a project is worthwhile, someone will want to support it, so remain positive and believe in your goals. If you’re getting rejection after rejection, it is worth examining your goals, and if you and your stakeholders still believe in them, keep at it. A big mistake that many groups make is trying to fit their project into the needs of a funder. This could mean you end up doing something that doesn’t suit your community at all, and in the long run this won’t be right for you or your funder.
Finally, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations' guide How to Raise Funds provides detailed support on filling in a funding application, so it’s worth a look.
Now, go grab that grant!
