Funding 101
From BiOrgResources
Contents |
Places to look for funding
- Grantfinder - http://www.grantfinder.co.uk - Not free
- Funding Central - http://www.fundingcentral.org.uk - Free
- Government Funding - http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/default.aspx - Free
- Big Lottery Fund - http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk - Free
- Grants for Individuals - http://www.grantsforindividuals.org.uk - Free
- Local councils and authorities - Free
- Research councils - Free
- European offices (usually one in each region) - Free
- Government offices such as Dept. for Health - Free
- LGBT organisations - Free
- Charities search “Guidestar” - http://www.guidestar.org.uk - Free
- Grantnet - http://www.grantnet.com - Free
Questions to ask
Who…?
- do you need to get involved – funding, beneficiaries
- is going to bid for the funding
- is going to manage the funding
- is going to manage the activities
- is going to collect evidence for the funders
What…?
- do you need the funding for
- plans do you need to make – short-, mid-, long-term
- people do you need to talk to
- will you do if things go wrong
- processes will you put in place to manage your activity
When…?
- do you need the funding for
- is the funding deadline
- will you need to have xyz done by
- will the funding run out<
How…?
- far in advance will you need to plan
- did you arrive at this idea
- will you know your activity has been successful/a failure
- will you let people know about your activity
Where…?
- are your beneficiaries geographically locate
- will your activity take place
- will you get your funding from
Why…?
- are we asking this organisation for money
- do we want to do this activity/campaign/event
Key words and Issues to be aware of
- Sustainability (financial income when money runs out, environmental considerations, on-going impact should activity end)
- Dissemination (who are you going to tell about what you’ve done, how are you going to let people know about the successes/failures)
- Innovation (what are you doing that is new and different compared to others or what’s happened in the past)
- Evaluation (this is on-going!, lessons learned, reflect upon mistakes, what you might do differently, things that were unexpected, areas that need further investigation or development)
- Partnership (who will you be working with to make things happen, what organisations could/should you be working with, how involved will they be)
- Quality (what are the minimum standards you want/have to meet, how will you know you’ve met them, how will you evidence that)
- Risk (how will your activity be affected if they don’t give you all the funding you requested, what is your back-up plan, have you considered the probable things that might go wrong)
Top Ten Tips
- Know what you want to do
- Know why you want to do it
- Give yourself enough time by planning properly
- Be aware of who you are going to work with
- Choose your funder carefully
- Talk to your funder (before, during and after)
- Read the eligibility criteria carefully
- Follow instructions given by the funder
- Get someone else to proof-read your application for funding before you submit it
- Reward yourself for all the hard work!
