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thisischurch.com
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Simply click on the links below to navigate to the required pages
| Introduction |
| 1. Getting a project off the ground |
| 2. Sorting out the management |
| 3. Making an application pack - policy documents |
| 4. Writing a letter of application |
| 5. Who to apply to for funding |
5. Who to apply to for funding
Introduction
Most charities have many more applications than they have money to go around. This means that you have got to be able to get your application noticed and beat the competition. It is very sad that whilst there are a few winners, there are very many more losers. Lottery applications can take exhaustive efforts to complete and often all we receive is 'I regret to advise you that your application was unsuccessful.' After weeks of blood sweat and tears completing the information this is desperately disappointing. For this reason we need to always remember the rules of the game.
Only ever expect to receive a few winners for every hundred applications, then you will not be disappointed.
Make loads of applications, if you don't make 100 applications you might not get two results. These things operate like a shotgun cartridge, loads of pellets are fired off, only one or two will likely bring results. Occasionally you might think you have a surefire success with a charity but it is foolish to limit your chances. If you have done all the background work that a grant application requires then it makes sense to apply as widely as possible. I remember on one occasion spending a day in the office with volunteers stuffing envelopes and writing letters of application to grant making bodies. It was near the end of the day and we just picked another charity out of the blue which we thought might just fit our criteria. We had never heard of them, they had never heard of us, but they sent us a cheque for £15,000. Filling in all those application forms, photocopying masses of literature might seems like a huge waste of time and money, until you suddenly start to get results, then it is all worthwhile.
Try and shorten the odds of success by targeting your application
Inevitably most of your application packs on recycled paper will end up in bins across the country. There is no way around this, however you can give yourself a better chance of success.
Read carefully all of the information which you can about a charity, research who they have given money to previously and investigate what it is that they like.
There are thousands of charities and grant making bodies. Fortunately most of the funding books and computer funder finding programmes will help you narrow your search. You can eliminate charities which only give outside your geographical area. If you clearly do not meet the funding critieria because they only give to charities which help provide homes for abandoned dogs, then don't apply. Some charities will say that they do not want applications, but if you think your project is right up their street then why not have a go, all that you stand to loose is your application pack and the postage. However do be careful, notice that some charities have the same correspondent, or the same address. They may not take kindly to your application if they think that you are applying to all and sundry.
In our congregations there are often employees of companies which give money to good causes. It might be worth putting an appeal in your church magazine to see if anybody works for an organisation which gives money to community groups. They might not have realised, or they might have thought that the church does not qualify because it is a religious organisation. Whilst the church is a religious body, you may want help with a community need which they are prepared to fund. For example, if you want to make your church premises available for open open youth work, (not a Bible study!) providing a resource and meeting place, then it is entirely reasonable to try and get funding for money to cover the cost of rent, equipment, volunteers expenses or some professional support.
Try and develop a relationship. You will often find that once a charity has helped you out, they may consider helping you again in the future. Relationships can be built up over the phone, thank you letters and copies of annual reports showing how well the project is doing, all of these are important.
If you can get a visit from the charity this can be excellent. I once applied for money to build a flat to accommodate a youth worker in the church. I wrote out the applications and a charity said they would like to come and visit. I was a bit shocked because it had taken time for them to respond and in the intervening period we had started building. I had agreed with the builder that he should start the work and we would worry about the money afterwards. This might sound irresponsible but he was already working on site and we had a gentleman's agreement that he would wait for payment until I had raised the money. He obviously he had more faith than me. Two representatives came from the charity and I showed them around what had become the bare bones of a loft conversion. We issued them with hard hats and I introduced them to the builder who told them what he was doing and the curious financial arrangement which we had entered into. By the end of the visit they were impressed and almost immediately wrote out a cheque for £7,000.
Targeting Applications
Bearing in mind all that I have said, who should you now apply to? There are literally thousands of charities who make grants to churches and community organisations. If you are able to apply for secular grants, then there are many more that you can try. The problem is knowing where to start and how to indentify your first hundred ! In Bedford they recently held a fundraising conference to which they invited many leading local funders. It was attended by all of the big local charities and they arranged seminars to help everybody understand what would make a successful application. I saw no other clergy present, but it was a brilliant opportunity.
I have made a table below with some suggestions of books, computer resources and links to charities which I have found helpful. If you have any further suggestions I would be pleased to include them. I have included a brief description but you can easily click on the pictures and links to be diverted to the appropriate website.
Organisations All over the country there are groups and charities who exist to help other charities get money. It is worth trying to find out who operates in your area. It is a small world and most people will all know each other, so poke around and you will soon find out what is going on. There also some excellent national resources which can point you in the right direction
Books There are books which contains a breakdown of literally thousands of sources of income and there are other books which give just the biggest ones. These books can be expensive, but remember that this is an investment, not gambling, you expect to get all of your money back. If you are really hard up then a visit to the local library will usually turn up the volumes which you need.
Computer programmes There are computer programmes which will narrow the search by asking you to enter details of what you are seeking funding for. Again these are expensive, but you can usually find people who will allow you to use their copy. A phone call to the local council of voluntary service or other community bodies will be productive.
Resources
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The Directory of Social Change, set up in 1975, aims to be
an internationally recognised independent source of information
and support to voluntary and community sectors worldwide. We
enable the community and voluntary sectors to achieve their aims
through being an independent voice, providing training and
information. Debra Allcock Tyler Chief Executive Why? Because we believe the activities in which voluntary and community organisations engage are crucial, both to the causes they serve and the social environment in which they operate. We believe we are able to contribute towards positive social change by supporting these organisations to succeed. We are a resource for these organisations. |
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The Directory of Grant Making Trusts 2005/06 ISBN 1
903991 58 7 Published in association with CAF This comprehensive reference work covers 2,500 grant-making trusts, each with the potential to give collectively £3 billion a year. With fully updated information supplied by the trusts themselves, the entries include concise contact details, what is and what is not funded, type and range of grants made, and examples of recent grants. The extensive indexes - by geographical area, field of interest and type of beneficiary, and type of grant - allow users to target the trusts that are most relevant to their needs. 243x152mm, 1016 pages 19th edition, 2005 hardback Price: £95.00 (Excluding: VAT at 0%) |
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A Guide to the Major Trusts 2005/06 - Volume 1
ISBN 1 903991 55 2 Tom Traynor & Alan French Regarded as the fundraiser’s bible, these essential reference works provide the only source of independent critical analysis of what trusts do in practice. Each volume contains recent grant information, contact details, deadlines, exclusions and appli-cations advice for each trust. 'Every fundraising organisation will want a copy of these publications on their shelves.' Charity Talk Volume 1 has been expanded to cover the top 400 UK trusts giving individually in the region of £300,000 to £650 million each year and making total annual awards between them of around £2.1 billion. A4, 444 pages 10th edition, 2005/06 Price: £34.95 (Excluding: VAT at 0%) |
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A Guide to the Major Trusts 2005/06 - Volume 2 ISBN 1
903991 56 0 Dave Griffiths, Chris McGuire & Rebecca Ryland Volume 2 is the companion to Volume 1 and covers the next 1,200 trusts giving individually in the region of £30,000 to £300,000 each year and making total annual awards between them of around £159 million. Volume 2 now combines the previous volumes 2 and 3 and includes 430 trusts that are new to the series. 'I've only used it once and it brought in 8 years of funding from the Big Lottery Fund. It has been worth its outlay many times over.' Early Development Trust A4, 446 pages 7th edition, 2005/06 Price: £34.95 (Excluding: VAT at 0%) |
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NEW EDITION The Grant-making Trusts CD-ROM 2006
ISBN 1 903991 71 4 Single CD-ROM 6th edition, May 2006 Software development by FunderFinder Published in association with CAF Combining the databases of DSC and CAF, which together produce Major Trusts 1 & 2 and DGMT, this resource contains more than 4,000 UK grant-making trusts who between them give over £3.1 billion a year. Powerful combined search by geographical area, type of activity and type of beneficiary. Search by name of trust, location, type of grant, trustee or key word. PC format only. Runs on Windows 95 and above Network capability. 'Getting started' tutorial. Hyperlinks to trusted websites or e-mail. Facility to bookmark selected trusts, add your own notes, print individual entries, and tag contact details and addresses for export. Price: £150.00 (Excluding: VAT at 17.5%) |
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Welcome to the Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust)
This is a local charity involved in and making grants within the
Borough of Bedford to support: The Harpur Trust are one of the finest grant giving organisations having clear forms and a process in which they tell whether or not they are likely to be able to offer help. |
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Welcome to Biffaward! Recognised as one of the most respected Landfill Communities Fund (formerly Landfill Tax Credit Scheme) distributors, Biffaward has, to date, allocated more than £80 million to some 1,000 projects throughout the UK. From here you can access information about the Landfill Communities Fund, how to make an application for funding, find out about the projects we have supported and the latest news from Biffaward. New Biffaward Small Grants application form with integrated guidance notes now available to download from the downloads section of the website |
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Welcome
to governmentfunding.org.uk This site is your online portal to grants for the voluntary and community sector from the following funders: Cabinet Office Department for Communities and Local Government Department for Education and Skills Department of Health Home Office Ministry of Defence Government Offices for the Regions |
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Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN)) Community projects in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire are being urged to come forward and prove that where there’s muck there’s brass! Up to £1 million is still available from the landfill tax money of Waste Recycling Group Ltd, administered and distributed by Environmental Body WREN (formerly Shanks). GrantScape Services Ltd, the trading arm of the locally based environmental grant-making charity GrantScape, will be helping WREN to manage the grants in this area. The grants made under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (www.ltcs.org.uk) look to improve community life by enhancing existing facilities as well as providing new facilities, including play areas & village halls. In addition historic and religious buildings can also receive funding for restoration work. For more information about WREN and the availability of LTCS funding visit www.wren.org.uk or call 01953 717165. Alternatively you can visit www.grantscape.org.uk for information and links.
There are landfill sites at Arlesey Landfill Site, Brogborough
Landfill Site |
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GrantScape is an environmental grant-making charity,
which has over nine years' experience and heritage. Our aim is to improve life of communities and the environment by the channelling and management of charitable funding towards deserving and good quality projects. |
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Bedfordshire Funding Advice Bureau provides quality
funding advice and information to local voluntary and community
organisations. |
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Mid Beds CVS is an independent charity (no. 1033111)
set up and run by local groups to support, promote and develop
local voluntary action, within the district served by Mid Beds
District Council. We can help your voluntary or community group, with: Seeking Funding Sources (via our FunderFinder Software) Developing your Organisation (e.g. advice on constitutions, charitable status, policies etc.) Low Cost Training for your Volunteers or Staff to develop their skills & your organisation Assisting you in finding Volunteers for your organisation (via our volunteering opportunities leaflet or by posting your opportunities on the national volunteering database website). Much, much more........ Our website, can additionally help you, if you are an individual looking for an opportunity to put something back into your community, by doing some form of voluntary work. |
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Voluntary Action Luton (VAL) is the Council for
Voluntary Service for Luton, an umbrella organisation that
supports the growing number of voluntary and community groups in
the Luton area: now in the excess of 650. Voluntary Action Luton
has been providing advice and support on setting up and running
voluntary and community groups for over 30 years. We exist to
encourage effectiveness, innovation, co-operation and
information dissemination in Luton's voluntary and community
sector and to ensure the overall that the voice of the sector is
heard. We can also support by advising on constitution and legal issues, provide funding and grant aid and helps groups to set-up. Voluntary Action Luton provides a directory of voluntary and community groups and produces a monthly newsletter, with up to date news of training, events and information. If you would like to know more about our work or become a member please contact us by Email at info@valuton.org.uk or by telephone 01582 733418. |
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Welcome to Your Gateway to the Voluntary & Community
Sector in Mid & North Bedfordshire Community & Voluntary Service - Mid & North Bedfordshire (CVS - Mid & North Beds) is a umbrella organisation that supports and represents the interests of voluntary organisations, community groups and charities in Mid & North Bedfordshire. The Towns of Bedford, Kempston & the villages of North Beds, together with the Market Towns (Ampthill, Biggleswade, Flitwick, Potton, Sandy, Shefford & Stotfold) & villages of Mid Beds, have a thriving range of independent groups working to make our community and surroundings a better place for all who live and work here. A truly vibrant voluntary sector of over 2000 groups! The Aim of CVS - Mid & North Beds is therefore to support, promote, develop and enable Mid & North Bed's voluntary sector in providing effective services to meet the needs of local people. Please explore the pages of our website to find out how we can assist your group in achieving your aims |
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Voluntary and Community Action South Bedfordshire is
committed to strengthening the effectiveness of the voluntary
and community sector in South Bedfordshire by developing,
enabling, promoting and supporting local voluntary and community
action. We seek to achieve this through: advocacy; capacity building activities; enhancing the provision of volunteering opportunities; the exchange of information; the provision of training, advice and consultancy and by working in partnership with others. See Our Services for more information. |
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Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (RCC)
These folks are great!! Founded in 1953 as Bedfordshire Rural Community Council, it is
one of 38 RCCs in England. In recent years the RCC has worked more
closely with the five other RCCs in the Eastern Region, and the six
organisations have come together to form a regional charity, Rural
Action East (RAE). This in turn links to a national body, ACRE,
which lobbies on behalf of its members to ensure that the rural
voice is heard. |
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Watford CVS Supporting Voluntary Organisations
This is a central part of our work and ranges from giving
information to the public about the voluntary organisations in
Watford to providing advice on all aspects of running a
voluntary organisation. We publish a regular newsletter and
offer a voluntary sector training programme Information is
available from Watford CVS on many issues such as:Local
Strategic Partnerships, Registering as a charity, Constitutions
Funding / fundraising advice, Working as a management committee, Trainers and consultants Good employment practice, Local and national voluntary organisations, Equal opportunities. |
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Welwyn and Herts CVS Community Support We provide a wide range of support to community groups, and to people looking for a suitable group. Information and Support,
Information exchange, Quarterly newsletter, Funding advice |
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Stevenage CVS is co-ordinated by Director Ann Jansz
with a small staff team delivering its services and projects.
The CVS has a management committee of trustees, who take the
lead on governance, strategy, personnel and organisational and
service development and ensure that the organisation is
responding to the needs of the sector. Stevenage CVS can help with: Funding sources with funder finder software, assisting with funding applications monitoring,writing constitutions, starting a new group, running meetings policy writing (equal opportunities, health & safety etc) Many of our services are FREE. Please contact us to see how we can help your group. |
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Welcome to the new North Herts Council For Voluntary
Service Website Our Mission is "to enhance the quality of life of people of North Herts by giving the best service to the voluntary sector". We do this in 5 ways: Liaison and consultation with statutory and voluntary groups. Representation on and to various committees and initiatives. Research and provision of information. Provision of services to the voluntary sector, e.g. Volunteer Recruitment and Funding Advice. Development of community projects such as the Respite Playschemes and Furniture Showrooms. |
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Barnet Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) is a
voluntary organisation which was set up in 1979 to support,
promote and develop voluntary and community action in the London
Borough of Barnet. BVSC is the main voluntary and community
infrastructure organisation in the area and supports nearly 260
members working in a diverse range of areas. BVSC is managed by
a Board of Trustees. The Board's members are elected at BVSC's
Annual General Meetings from its membership of voluntary and
community groups. The Board also has some co-opted members in
addition to three councillors from Barnet Council. BVSC is
committed to the following statement of values and equal
opportunities: promotes diversity, equal opportunities and social justice for all promotes participation, partnership, accountability, transparency and community involvement works throughout the whole of the London Borough of Barnet treats people with dignity and respect is committed to providing a quality service which strives for continuous improvement is open to change and committed to making a difference. |
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Google If you cannot find a Council for Voluntary Service near you, then just Google it. In fact you will soon find that typing words like grants and funding will soon deliver dividends |
