Top tips for grant fundraising
In week three we looked at grant giving in Lewisham in 2024 and want to give some top tips for grant fundraising . We now know that across the charity sector applying for grants from Trusts and Foundations has become lots more competitive, hence applications for grants have increased and fundraisers face higher rejection rates (so don’t take it to heart!). Thanks to Get Grants and Charity Digital for their ‘How to master grant funding’ webinar, which helped create this post.
Get Grants provide expert fundraising support, advice and information to fundraisers and grant makers
Charity Digital support non profits to access high-quality, cost-effective technology, as well as the skills, knowledge and resources to make the most of those tools
The current picture
- The charity sector is getting bigger, with more charities forming competition for grants has increased
- Grant guidelines are being tightened in response to increased demands
- Many grant making organisations have either paused, closed or are reviewing their grant making programmes.
To help you to navigate a changing landscape in grant giving we recommend:
- Don’t take scattergun approach to grant applications. That means focusing on trusts/foundations that fit your aims rather than you trying to fit into theirs.
- Reconsider making long shot applications, as grant guidelines have tightened it is unlikely that your application will be successful. When you’ve found funders that fit your organisation focus on six; with competition so high it’s better to complete six quality grant applications rather than overstretching yourself and overusing copy and paste on numerous applications!
- If you’re new to fundraising focus on the bigger hitters (well-known grant making organisations with big pots of funding) rather than niche funders, unless of course they really match the aims your organisation.
- Sign up to newsletters from your local infrastructure organisations that provide opportunities and support for fundraising. In Lewisham, the Fundraising Development Managers send out a bi-monthly e-newsletter, you can sign up here http://eepurl.com/ikE-Kj
- Sign up to funding databases, such as Charity Excellence, Get Grants, grin, and My Funding Central . Some are free and some are available via paid subscription.
- Have a look at organisations that are similar to yourselves, then take a look at what grants they received. These funders maybe suitable for your organisation.
- If you or another organisation similar to you has been successful in receiving grants from a particular funder have a look at the trustees from that funding organisation to see if they sit on other fundraising organisation boards. If so, these funding organisations may be open to funding your organisation.
When getting down to applying think about
- Contacting the funder, many funders have a team or person who will be really keen to talk to you about your project and if it fits into their guidelines.
- Working on your credibility, consider points such as can your organisation really deliver this? Do you have the resources to do so? In your application talk about your track record, partners and previous funders. Tell the funder how good you are and what makes you better than other organisations. Sometimes being a smaller organisation means that you can provide better, more focused and targeted work (Don’t be shy, tell them how good you are!)
- How you demonstrate needs and outcomes. This is vitally important as funders are really keen to see this. Make sure you spend more time on this in your application, if you need support contact one of the Fundraising Development Managers, you can get there details here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFX7RdgorY/Zfg_B3_RWwXBKKJhrRHf5A/edit
Our three featured funders of the week are
Fat Beehive Foundation
Awards small grants of up to £2,500 to help charities improve their digital presence, particularly traditionally hard to fund organisations, such as those supporting prisoners, refugees, or disadvantaged youth.
Please visit the website for more information.
The Screwfix Foundation
Awards grants of up to £5000 to charities and non profit organisations to improve, fix and repair buildings, homes and facilities specifically used by people in need in the UK
Please visit the website for more information.
Drapers’ Charitable Fund
Awards grants to UK registered charities that work in the areas of
- Education and young people
- Social welfare
- Textiles and heritage
Please visit the website for more information.
Whilst we make every effort to ensure the information is correct, we advise you to check details on funders websites yourself
We hope you find these tips helpful, if you have any other tips/advice you would like to share that would be great. Also, if you would like to comment of this section please complete the form below.
If you missed last week’s Fundraising News please click here to view