2. Objectives
• Objective 1: Describe the funding application
process
• Objective 2: Describe what makes a
successful funding application
• Objective 3: Identify what to include when
completing an application form
3. Agenda
• Introduction
• Why applications fail
• Planning
• Your organisation/background
• Need for Funding
• Funders available
• Checklist
4. “Ten Reasons Why Applications Fail”
1. Applicant is not eligible for reason of its legal form,
lack of charity status, size or geographical remit.
2. Projects are not well planned.
3. Applicants do not present their project clearly and
concisely on the application form.
4. The applicant fails to demonstrate that they meet the
criteria or asks for something the funder will not fund.
5. Applications are made without monitoring and
evaluation processes in place
5. “Ten Reasons Why Applications Fail”
(2)
6. The budget is problematic and/or unconvincing
financial management procedures.
7. The applicant misses the deadline.
8. The form is incomplete or illegible.
9. The application enclosures are incomplete,
inaccurate, out-of-date, contradict the
application form or are simply not enclosed.
10. The applicant is asking for too much
6. Funders comments
• Answer ALL the questions (comic relief)
• Check figures, often don’t add up
• Don’t ask for too much (unltd)
• Not continuation funding
• Read instructions & guidelines (Lloyds)
• Consider average grants
• No unsolicited applications (Atlantic
philanthropies)
7. Three Stages to Fundraising
• Planning Your Project
• Researching The Funders
• Bringing Your Project and The Funders
Together (The Application)
8. Planning Process
• Before – planning to ensure no last minute
calamities
• During – attention to detail to ensure a
confident application
• After – finishing off well
9. Aims and Outcomes
• Aims: your aims are the areas of change you intend
to achieve through your project and which stem
directly from the needs of your clients.
• Outcomes are all the changes and effects that
actually happen as a result of your work, expected or
unexpected, welcome or unwelcome. The outcomes
you hope to see are all the specific changes that will
help you to achieve your aims.
10. “What is The Background of Your
Organisation?”
Background information can include:
• how and why your group was set up
• how it is run
• what geographical area it covers
• what ethos it is based on
• what support it has within the community.
11. “What do you want the grant for?”
• No point applying because there is funding
• Half baked will be seen through and could
damage long term credibility
• The funder is expecting a clear description of
exactly what their money will be spent on.
• Be specific with what you are asking for
• Break down the need and the relevant costs
12. “How do you know the project is
needed?”
Funders look for clear evidence of need for projects
they intend to fund.
• Statistics from a recognised source
• Short quotes from clients
• Surveys, questionnaires or hold public meetings.
• Research carried out by other groups or agencies
e.g. local Health and Social Services Trust.
• Let the funder know you have done your homework!
13. Methods of collection
Reading Recording
Progress reports Numbers, ages,
Minutes, Diaries genders, from
Correspondence geographical source,
Comments for which services
Observing Questioning
Activities, events, Questionnaires,
photographs, formal/informal interviews,
meetings, etc. Individuals/groups, talks
14. Things to Do Before
• Research the funder
• Check and confirm eligibility
• Choose appropriate writing style
• Reference documents / enclosures
• Check guidelines, forms and additional docs
• Recruit helpers, delegate tasks
• Schedule time
• Assess the form
16. Typical Questions to Ask
• Total Grants Budget
• Copy of Annual Report/Accounts
• Application deadlines, meeting dates
• When is the best time to apply
• What do trustees particularly look for
• How are applications assessed
• Who are the trustees
17. Deeper Research
• Speak to the Trust
• Look into past grants, history of the trust
• Speak to organisations who have been
successful
• Speak to funding advisers
• Investigate, speak to Trustees
• Look at accounts/annual report
18. Monitoring
Collect information:
• Before the project - on the situation now
• During and after the project on - what you did (on your
activities (outputs) and the changes you brought about
(outcomes))
You will instinctively be collecting data, but you need to
take time and planning to collect information in an
organised and routine manner.
Good monitoring data provides you with a sound basis
for judgements (evaluation) and information to give to
funders.
19. Evaluation
Evaluation involves judging the successes and failures
of your project or organisation, often based on an
analysis of your monitoring information.
•Analyse the data and make judgements
•During and after the project to judge your success and
the impact you had.
•Identify what you have learnt, particularly what works
and what doesn’t and share findings
•Be open and honest in the evaluation process
20. Completing the Form
• Check Eligibility
• Imagine the Funder’s Perspective
• Matching Your Aims and Objectives with the
Criteria of the Funder
• Have someone read over it
• Be Clear and Concise
• Be Honest and Accurate with Information
21. But but but
• We’re too small
• We’ve no resources
• We don’t have the right expertise
• We don’t have time
23. Grant-making Trusts/Foundations
• Around 9,000 Trusts in the UK
• The largest 2,500 give £3 billion each
year
• 10% of voluntary sector income in
Northern Ireland
24. Trusts/Foundations 2011
• Wellcome Trust £642m
• Comic Relief (2011) £100m
• Leverhulme Trust £53m
• Wolfson Foundation £49m
• Gatsby Charitable Foundation £45m
• Sainsbury Family over £1 billion (18 Trusts)
• Garfield Weston Foundation £40.5m
• Esmee Fairbairn Foundation £40m
• Henry Smith - £28.8m
26. What trusts typically want to fund
• New & innovative methods of tackling problems
• Responses to newly identified needs
• A one-off item of equipment or project
• Activities for which other forms of fundraising is
difficult
• Targeting at most disadvantaged
• Short term projects
27. What funders typically don’t want to fund
(1/2)
• Core / ongoing running costs
• Current salaries / projects
• Retrospective costs
• Long-term funding
28. What funders typically don’t want to fund
• Non-registered charities
• Work outside the UK
• Large capital projects
• Replacing statutory funding / responsibility
29. Henry Smith 2012
• Kids together West Belfast - £6,450
• Lisburn Downtown Centre - £9,000
• Dunnaman Childrens Centre - £2,000
• Link Family and Community Centre - £96,000
• 2012 Total for NI so far – £312,350
30. NI Charitable Trusts
• Small in comparison to UK.
• At least £50m per annum.
– Turkington Fund – Older People
– Ulster Garden Villages – Quality of life
– Enkalon Foundation – Cross community, self help
– Victoria Homes Trust – Homelessness, drugs
– Lloyds TSB Foundation – disadvantaged
communities
32. National Lottery in NI
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland
• Sports Council of Northern Ireland
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• Big Lottery Fund
• Northern Ireland Film & Television
Commission
• Unltd
• NESTA
34. Government
• Central
Government/Agencies
– UK Government Departments
– ROI Government
– NI Executive Departments
– Northern Ireland Government
Agencies
– Semi-Statutory Bodies
• Local Government
35. European Union 2007 - 2013
• Peace III – €324m
– Positive relations are built at the local level
€140m
– The Past is acknowledged €50m
– Creating Shared Public Spaces €82m
– Key Institutional Capacities are developed for a
shared society €40m
– Technical Assistance €12
• Community Initiatives and Budget Lines
• Competitiveness and Employment
36. Recession and other impacts
• Some Trusts income significantly down
• Knock on effect less grants and lower
amounts
• Sustainability of some groups called into
question
• EU Funding has had a detrimental effect on
applications to trusts
• Not all bad – some trusts have bucked the
trend
37. “The process of fundraising is the same
for all groups but the mechanisms and
scale are different”
Tobin Aldrich, Director of Communications and
Fundraising at WWF, UK.
