Funding Tips

Funders back projects, not organisations looking for cash. Before you search for funding, be clear on what you want to do, who it is for and what will change because of it. A project with a clear purpose, a realistic timescale and a named group of beneficiaries is far easier to match to a funder than a general appeal for money. If you cannot describe your project in two or three sentences, keep working on it before you apply.

Before you apply, check your organisation is eligible. Many funders only accept applications from formally constituted groups, and a common requirement is a governing document with at least three unrelated directors or trustees, meaning people who are not related to each other by blood or marriage. If your committee is mostly one family, some funders will turn you down no matter how good the project is. Setting up the right structure takes time, so sort it out well before you apply, and always check each funder’s eligibility rules first, because they vary.

If your project involves building or improving a facility, funders will look at how secure your site is. Many capital funders ask for a minimum number of years left on your lease, often rising with the size of the grant, and a break clause can be a problem because it lets the landlord end the lease early and put the funder’s investment at risk. If your lease is short or has a break clause, talk to your landlord about extending or removing it before you apply. Requirements vary between funders, so check what yours needs at the start, not the week of the deadline.

Saying your project is needed is not enough; you have to show it. Use evidence such as participation numbers, waiting lists, membership growth, surveys of your users, local health or deprivation data, and what people told you when you asked them. Specific, local evidence beats general claims every time. Keep your evidence up to date and quote it in the application, because assessors can only score what is in front of them.

Funders want projects that communities actually want and will use, so involve yours early. Ask people what they need through surveys, open sessions or informal conversations, and use what they tell you to shape the project. Then show that support in the application: letters from partners such as schools, clubs or your local authority, and the voices of the people who will benefit. A quote from a parent, a player or a resident brings the numbers to life, so gather a few and get permission first. A project designed with its community reads very differently to one designed for it.

Every funder exists to achieve something, and your application needs to show how your project helps them do it. Read their priorities and criteria carefully, then explain your project in those terms without stretching the truth. If a funder wants to get inactive people moving, lead with how your project does that. Applying for things that sit outside a funder’s priorities wastes your time, so be honest with yourself about fit before you start writing.

Your budget tells the funder you know what you are doing. Cost the whole project, not just the part you want funded, and include everything: equipment, delivery, venue hire, transport, insurance and a sensible contingency. If your organisation cannot reclaim VAT, remember to include it in your figures. Under-asking looks as careless as padding, so check current prices and make sure the numbers in your budget match the numbers in the rest of your application.

Funders want to know what their money will achieve, not just what it will buy. Spell out the difference: how many people will take part, how often, and what will be better for them afterwards. Then explain how you will measure it, whether that is attendance records, surveys or feedback. Being able to report clear results also makes your next application stronger, because you can prove you delivered what you promised.

A good idea still needs a credible team behind it. Use your application to show you can deliver: your track record, the people involved and their roles, and the practical arrangements you have made. If you are a newer organisation, be open about it and show the support you have around you. Funders back organisations they trust to finish the job, so make it easy for them to trust you.

Funders like to see commitment. Contributing your own funds, volunteer time or other resources shows you have invested in the project too, and many funders expect some form of match. Volunteer time can often be valued and counted as a contribution in kind, so keep a record of it. Even a modest contribution can make your application more competitive, and it stretches every grant further.