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An Introduction
to Trust Fundraising For Horden & Easington
Colliery Regeneration Partnership Sources of
Funding for the VCS: From workshop discussion
Understanding
your Project: Understanding your project, who are you going to help and how you are going to help them is an important part of developing a compelling case for support. Fundraising is all about people and the positive effect your project can have on lives. A discussion to identify beneficiaries. Youth & Community Centre The discussion was centered on
identifying the
users of a local youth and community centre, the activities they
participate in
and how they benefit. The table below is not exhaustive and you may
wish to
think about it and develop it further.
Trusts All of the large Trusts and most
of the smaller
Trusts publish detailed criteria for the sort of projects and
organisations
they will fund. Most trusts receive many more
applications than
they can fund. Although Trusts exist to give money away it is important
not to
waste your time and theirs by submitting an application that clearly
does not
meet the criteria for funding. Researching and understanding the Trust
and
describing how your project meets their criteria are vital to
developing successfully
applications. There are usually a number of
additional administrative
requirements such as: The organisation must usually have a bank account in its own name which is the same as that on its governing document. Other Trusts may require you to send additional information such as bank statements and the most recent reports and accounts. Sometimes you need a referee to support your application. Make sure they know your organisation and your project well enough to be a help rather than a hindrance. Filling in the forms Some trusts have a standard application form, others ask you to write a short letter. Trust application forms are not tests of your English grammar and syntax skills; they are about effectively and succinctly getting your message across to someone who knows nothing about your organisation. Don’t take it for granted the reader will know about something just because you do. Remember, answer the question that they ask on the form, not the one you think they should have asked or the one you find easier to answer! If there is not a form some trusts will give you a list of things they want you to include in your letter. If they don’t you could either use another trust’s form as a simple guide or look at the key questions listed below. To successfully apply for grants
from trusts you
need to:
Who needs our help? Why do they need help? What are we going to do to help them? Where are we going to do it? When are we going to do it? How much will it cost? and How will we know if we have succeeded? Remember that the person receiving your letter is extremely busy. In the absence of specific guidance from the Trust to which you wish to apply, your letter must be short (no more than 2 sides of A4, well spaced, minimum 12pt), and the first paragraph is crucial – the “hook” which captures their interest must be right there, at the top of the letter, clear and concise. This could be in the form of a very brief summary. And finally… Good
fundraising is all about relationships. Remember to say “Thank You”, to
send
reports to funders (and potential funders, too!), to send Annual and
Project
Reports at the appropriate time, and to invite them to your AGM – even
if
there’s no chance they’ll come. Photos are always good, and remember, it’s the people that matter, not the plant or the statistics. |
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