Castlereagh community grants october 2012

Community Grants

NICVA

October 2012

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

Agenda

• Introduction• Why applications fail• Planning• Your organisation/background• Need for Funding• Funders available• Checklist

“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

“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 The application enclosures are incomplete, inaccurate, out-of-date, contradict the application form or are simply not enclosed.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

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)

Three Stages to Fundraising

• Planning Your Project

• Researching The Funders

• Bringing Your Project and The Funders Together (The Application)

Planning Process

• Before – planning to ensure no last minute calamities

• During – attention to detail to ensure a confident application

• After – finishing off well

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.

“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.

“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

“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!

Methods of collection

Observing

Activities, events, photographs, meetings, etc.

ReadingProgress reports

Minutes, Diaries

Correspondence Comments

Recording

Numbers, ages, genders, from

geographical source, for which services

QuestioningQuestionnaires,

formal/informal interviews,

Individuals/groups, talks

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

The Funders Viewpoint

The Funder wants to fund:

The Funder doesn’t want to fund:

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

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

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.

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

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

But but but

• We’re too small• We’ve no resources• We don’t have the right expertise• We don’t have time

Grant-making organisations

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

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

Ronseal Effect

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

What funders typically don’t want to fund (1/2)

• Core / ongoing running costs• Current salaries / projects• Retrospective costs• Long-term funding

What funders typically don’t want to fund

• Non-registered charities

• Work outside the UK

• Large capital projects

• Replacing statutory funding / responsibility

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

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

Other Funders

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

National Lottery

• 28p of every £1 spent on the lottery goes to good causes in the UK.

Government

• Central Government/Agencies– UK Government Departments– ROI Government– NI Executive Departments– Northern Ireland Government

Agencies– Semi-Statutory Bodies

• Local Government

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

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

“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.

Funding Advice Service

Tel: 028 9087 7777

james.laverty@nicva.org

neil.irwin@nicva.org

www.twitter.com/neilirwin

www.twitter.com/jameslaverty

www.nicva.org

www.grant-tracker.org