South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau Information Sheets Last updated January 2004 All our information is produced in a standard sized typeface, but we can produce it in other formats on request South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau The Workstation 15 Paternoster Row Sheffield S1 2BX Tel: 0114 249 4343 email: enquiries@syfab.org.uk Website: www.syfab.org.uk Funding Advice Line 0114 276 5460 Registered Charity No: 1061118 Reg. Company No: 3030641 Making a good application Fundraising is essentially about selling a good idea to someone who has the means (money, support in kind, time, sponsorship) to make it happen. If you can interest them in your idea they will want to support you. So you need to both argue a good case and present it well. Who you approach and how you ask - by letter, by application form, in person, or over the phone will need research and preparation. Step 1 - Preparing to make your case The ingredients of a good application are: • Your selling points - the importance of the work you do. • Facts and figures to support your proposal. • The track record of your organisation. • A well thought out project plan and budget. • Evidence that you can carry out the proposed work. • Good research into potential funders or donors. • Back up literature. • Good presentation. Funders do not just look at your ideas; they also look at your organisation and its track record. So, begin by asking yourselves, what is so important and special about you and why should anyone want to support you? You might want to write a list of your main selling points. Gathering information The more information you have prepared in advance, the easier it is when it comes to writing your application. Good preparation will mean that writing an application is just a matter of choosing the right information and presenting it in the right format to each funder. (See our information sheet on ‘Organising your fundraising information’) Information about your group or organisation You will need to provide the following information: • A statement about what your group does; its main purpose and aims. This could be your ‘mission’ statement. • Your legal status. Do you have a constitution? Are you a registered charity? Are you a limited company? • The people involved in your group - numbers of paid staff, volunteers and your members. • Your committee structure. • How long have you been going? What work you have done to date. Where are you based? • Evidence of your management and financial skills and experience. • A statement about why your work or cause is important; why funders should want to support you; why your group is best placed to do what it does. • What funding your group receives now and in the past, and where from. • Any recent growth in your organisation or in the demand for your services. • Copies of your last annual report, accounts, and any other relevant material such as press cuttings, photographs, leaflets, survey results, quotes from users. Information about the problems and needs you want to address You may think the answers to this are obvious, but you have to be able to prove need. Funders will want to know what the problem is and what their money can help to do. So, rather than just asking for money to buy a minibus for your group, explain the problems that a minibus would help to overcome. Funders want to know that the problems are real, urgent and solvable, and that their money will make a difference. You need to provide facts and figures or copies of research documents to support your case. Think about your area of work and who you might approach to get statistics to back up your arguments. You may need to conduct your own survey to demonstrate need and lack of provision or to produce a ‘community map’ showing those features which are valued locally but do not appear on ‘official’ maps. Think where you can go for hard evidence of current trends. Think about what facts you need to know about the area you serve to help you make your case. Your local library, college or university might be a good starting point. Where you go for information will depend very much on the type of work you do or want to do. Some sources are as follows: The National Census for information on unemployment rates, numbers of people on benefits, numbers of children, homeless people, disabled people, elderly people, ethnic minorities, single parents and so on. The information is broken down into wards. Some local authorities have produced ‘social inclusion’ or ‘community cohesion’ plans that include lots of useful information on the groups of people and the areas of most acute poverty within their borough. Health Authorities all do research and have information about health care needs and provision within their area. Most council departments will have research findings or evidence about their particular area of service provision (such as Social Services, Housing, Environmental Health) that might be helpful to you. Any national charity or organisation working in your field is likely to have information that you could use. Contact the relevant departments of universities and colleges to find out what information they have or research they are undertaking. They may even be prepared to do some research or you. Chambers of Commerce and the Learning and Skills Councils will have employment statistics and trends for their local area. Information about your group’s credibility and competence Your reputation and track record will be very important to some funders. When deciding whether to make a grant, funders not only need to believe in your ‘idea’, they also want to know that they are giving money to a competent organisation with the ability to manage that money, people and projects. You will need to show some if not all of the following: • Will they have heard of you? If not, do you have well known or expert supporters, patrons or trustees whose names you could have on your letterhead? • Are you a member of, or affiliated to a larger organisation like a national charity who funders may be familiar with? • If you receive support from government sources or charitable trusts or companies this will give new funders an indication that you are worth supporting. • Could you provide statements or quotes from any of these supporters to show that they value your work? Can you provide referees? (Some funders ask for these.) • Can you show evidence of recent successes and achievements? Impartial comments from users or any press or media coverage will show support for your group and your work. Information about your proposed project Most funders want to fund specific pieces of work rather than general costs (sometimes called ‘core costs’). So you need to package your funding needs into discrete projects in order to attract funding. Thinking of your work in project terms and designing attractive projects is the basis of successful fundraising. Information about potential funders You need to gather information about those funders who are most likely to support your proposal. Once you have identified who to approach you need to find out as much as possible about them - who to contact, their policies, their funding timetables and so on. Try to tailor your application to meet the requirements of the funder. For information about different sources of funding contact our information service and see our information sheet on different sources of funding. For each particular funder you need to find out: • What sort of work they normally fund, for instance disability or housing or arts projects. Do they have policies, or guidelines you can get hold of? • Do they only fund groups in a particular geographical area? • What size of grant do they normally make? If the maximum grant they make is £5,000 there is no point asking them for £10,000. • How long will they make grants for? • Do they favour capital rather than revenue grants? • Do they fund new, innovative ideas or do they normally play safe? • What is their procedure for dealing with applications? Is it by letter or application form? When are their deadlines for receiving, and making decisions on, applications? • The correct name and address of the funder and the name and title of the person to write to. • Is there a contact person you can talk to before making your application? Step 2 - Putting together an application Some well-known funders like the National Lottery and BBC Children in Need have application forms. However, the most usual way to apply to charitable trusts is by letter. Writing a letter Think about the purpose of the letter. Firstly you need to interest the funder in your project proposal, and then you need to supply all the information they will need in order to make a decision. What needs to go into a letter? • Project title. Try to think of a snappy title for your proposal. • Introduction to your group. What you do; what your goals and objectives are; how long you have been going; how many members you have; why you are special; any significant achievements; what support you have received from other bodies or well known people. • A summary of the project proposal. In a few clear, concise and specific sentences, spell out what you are applying for and how much it will cost in total. • Why you want the money. Give specific information about the nature and size of the needs or problems you have identified, supported with some key statistics or other factual evidence. Say who will benefit from you tackling these needs. • A description of your proposal. What you intend to do to meet the needs you have identified; how you will go about it (your methods); what it will achieve (your objectives). Outline the timescale - six months/one year/two years; and how you will measure its success - your evaluation methods. For instance if you have identified a high level of housebound, isolated elderly people on your estate, then your objective will be to overcome their isolation and the method you have chosen is the purchase of a wheelchair accessible minibus so that they can be taken to the lunch club on a neighbouring estate. Success will be measured in terms of the numbers of people making use of the service. • A breakdown of the costs involved - your budget. If it is a large project you may need to produce the budget on a separate sheet. If it’s relatively simple you can do it within the letter. It is important that you ask for a specific amount of money. If you are only asking for part of the costs tell them where the rest is coming from. • Why should they fund you? How does your proposal fit within their funding policy? Have they supported you before? You may need to emphasise different aspects of the work for different funders, for instance some may be interested in you because you are working in their geographical area, others because the project falls within their area of interest, such as young people. • A demonstration of your financial stability. Make sure you enclose a copy of your latest accounts showing that you are in control of your finances. • Who your other funders are. Funders like to follow other funders. • Sign off positively. Don’t grovel! Offer more information if needed or invite them to come and visit you. Someone in your group who will be able to answer questions about the application should sign the letter. Make sure your letter is: • Short and to the point. Don’t go into unnecessary detail but do make sure you give enough information to allow the reader to understand your area of work, what you want to do and why it’s worth funding. Try to keep your letter to two sides of A4. You can always attach more information to your letter. • Attractively presented. Type your letter on your headed paper, if you have any. Divide the text into short paragraphs to make it easier to read. Make sure it doesn’t look so ‘flash’ you seem to be throwing money away on fundraising, or like a circular - it may well get filed in the bin along with the junk mail. • Free of jargon and abbreviations. Use straightforward, plain language to avoid misunderstandings. You know your own field of work very well and may know that DIAL gives advice on DLA claims to FIAC members, but don’t assume that the reader will know. Charitable trusts are particularly likely to be put off by local authority jargon and abbreviations. • Factual. Don’t use general phrases such as ‘We are the busiest advice centre in the town’ - everyone will try to claim that. Instead give numbers: ‘470 new clients attended our weekly open advice sessions during the 48 weeks we were open in 2003.’ • Addressed personally to the named correspondent of the funding body. Never write Dear Sir/Madam. Always find a name and check the spelling. Back up information As funders receive hundreds of applications and do not have the time to read lots of information, keep your letter to two sides of A4 and attach relevant supporting evidence, such as: your latest annual report and accounts; facts and figures supporting your case; visual material such as photographs; press cuttings; a detailed budget and plan for the project; a list of financial supporters; a fundraising plan if you have one. On the next page is an example of a short letter of application. It should give you an ideaof how a letter can be writtencontaining all the information you need to give. Rather than trying to put lots of financial detail in your letter, attach a separate sheet with a clear breakdown of all the costs involved as below. Southdown Conservation Volunteers 7 Newtree Road, Southdown SU1 1AT Tel: 01999 830200 Costing for new tools (January 2004) 5 spades at £18.84 each £94.20 5 forks at £20.26 each £101.80 2 rakes at £14.96 each £29.92 1 bill hook at £21.74 1 wheelbarrow at £23.80 1 mallet at £4.95 1 pair loppers at £23.79 2 tarpaulins at £11.45 each £22.90 5 bowsaws at £14.18 each £70.90 20 pairs work gloves at £2.40 a pair £48.00 1 pair waders at £18.00 Total £460.00 Southdown Conservation Volunteers 7 Newtree Road, Southdown SU1 1AT Tel: 01999 830200 Ms B Greene Smith and Jones Charitable Trust Snodgrass Accountants 2 High Street Southdown SU1 3XZ 3rd January 2004 Dear Ms Greene, I am writing on behalf of the Southdown Conservation Volunteers to ask for the support of the Smith and Jones Charitable Trust for our work. The Conservation Volunteers have been operating now for about 5 years. We are run by a voluntary management committee and are a registered charity no. 654789. We aim to involve a wide range of local people in practical conservation projects. We work closely with the youth club and community centre in recruiting volunteers. We have been involved in many local projects, most recently, last summer’s dredging of the canal with the help of young people from the Southdown Youth Club. We have received funding in the past from the local authority for basic equipment and to pay volunteers’ expenses, but these are only one-off grants and we can’t go back to the council. We have now got to the point where we need to replace our stock of tools. It’s important that we provide the tools as many of our volunteers are unemployed and couldn’t afford to provide their own. I am attaching a breakdown of costs involved. The total amount we need is £460.00 I hope you will support the work of the Southdown Conservation Volunteers and look forward to hearing from you. Please let me know if you need any further information. Yours sincerely, Janet Muddey Chair, Southdown Conservation Volunteers Enclosed Costing for Project Filling in an application form Every funder’s application form is different. The first step is to get a copy of the form and any guidelines. Read the guidelines carefully, paying special attention to any information about the criteria the funder uses to make decisions. Check the deadline for returning the form. Then read the form carefully. Make a note of any extra information you need to find or any questions that seem particularly unclear or difficult so that you can tackle them separately or seek clarification. Make a copy of the application form before you fill anything in and fill in the copy in rough first. You can then copy or type your answers onto the original form when you and the rest of your group are satisfied with your rough copy. It is important not to repeat yourself or to put information in the wrong place. Remember • Answer every question on the form. If you can’t then explain why not. It is better than leaving a question blank. • Use black ink or type your answers, as the form may have to be photocopied when it is received. • Don’t answer by saying ‘see attached’ and appending lots of extra documents - they might not get read. • The application form is all that will be considered. Don’t send a letter when there is an application form, and be careful too about sending a covering letter, which contains information that should be in the form. • If you get really stuck with a question try and think about why the funder is asking it, or ring them up to seek clarification. • Take a photocopy of your completed form before you send it off. • Keep to the funder’s deadlines for returning the form. Late applications will be ignored. Step 3 - Assessing your application. Have you written a good application? Get someone, preferably from outside your group, to read it through and check it is clear and that you haven’t missed out any obvious points. Use the checklist at the end of this sheet. Useful books The Complete Fundraising Handbook by Nina Botting & Michael Norton, Directory of Social Change, 2001 Avoiding the Wastepaper Basket by Tim Cook, London Voluntary Service Council, 1998 Writing Better Fundraising Applications by Michael Norton and Mike Eastwood, Directory of Social Change, 2002 Raising Money for Good Causes: A Starter Guide by Jane Sutherland & Mike Eastwood, Directory of Social Change, 1998 Directory of Social Change, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP Tel: 020 7209 5151 Fax: 020 7391 4804 email: books@dsc.org.uk online: www.dsc.org.uk/charitybooks Apply Yourselves - free software from FunderFinder Tel: 0113 243 3008 Website: www.funderfinder.org.uk A ‘fundable’ project should be • Specific - an identifiable piece of work or equipment. • Meeting a need - explain how. • Important - to you, to users, to funders. • Of benefit - can you identify likely outcomes? • Realistic - must be achievable. • Cost effective - must show ‘value for money’. • Topical - reflecting current issues and concerns. • Relevant - to the funders you approach. • Bite-sized - neither too large nor too small. A large project could be broken down into sub-projects. Checklist The Funder • Are you applying to an appropriate funder? • Does what you are applying for fit into their funding policies and criteria? • Is the amount of money you are seeking in line with the size of that funder’s income and normal range of grants? • Is the timing right? What is the funder’s deadline and when do you need the money by? The Application Funders’ details: • Is it addressed to the right person? Have you spelt their name correctly? • Make sure it is personalised - ‘Dear Mr Potts’, not ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. • Have you got the most recent address and name for the funder and their correspondent? Style and presentation: • Have you got a catchy, appropriate title for the project? • Is it easy to read ? Is the language neither too formal nor too informal? • Have you taken out any jargon or abbreviations? • Is it nicely laid out - not too glossy or too scruffy? • If it is a letter, is it typed on your letterhead and signed? • Is the tone positive rather than grovelling or apologetic? • Is it the right length or can you make it shorter? Remember, keep letters to two sides of A4 paper maximum. Content: • Does it say clearly who you are and what you do - the nature of your group and how long you have been going? • Have you included your group’s name, address, phone number and status of the contact person? • Have you described your legal and/or charitable status? • Have you clearly spelt out your project proposal - what you need the money for and why? • Have you backed up your request with facts and figures to prove the need you are identifying? • Have you described how you will use the money and who will benefit? • Have you stated exactly how much you need and when you need it by? • Have you shown how you will evaluate the grant (if appropriate)? • Have you said where else you are trying to raise money from? • Have you established that your group has the ability, skills and resources to carry out the work? • Have you shown that you have thought about how the proposal will be funded once this particular grant has expired (if appropriate)? Budget: • Do your figures add up? • Have you included all the costs, and are they realistic? • Have you costed in a contribution to overheads where appropriate? • Does it represent ‘value for money’? Supporting material: • Have you included accounts, annual reports, leaflets, press cuttings, etc? Records: • Have you taken a photocopy for your file? © SYFAB 2003 All rights reserved. Our information is produced for local community and voluntary groups. No permission is needed for limited reproduction if the Bureau is acknowledged. Large scale reproduction or inclusion in publications for sale must have written permission from the Bureau. The South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau welcomes your comments and criticism. You can talk to any member of staff, or contact us by post, phone, fax or email - see the front page for details.