OUTSIDE CHANCE

THIS IS NORMALLY A HALF-DAY PROGRAMME. I HAVE CUT THE

CONTENT TO THE MOST ESSENTIAL POINTS I COULD

REASONABLY COVER IN 15 MINUTES.

A COPY OF THE PRESENTATIONWILL BE AVAILABLE LATER

TODAY VIA TREVOR FOR ANYONEWHO WISHES TO RECEIVE ONE.

SOME OF THE IDEAS AND TIPSWITHIN THIS WORKSHOP HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE POLICY

TEAM AT THE BIG LOTTERY FUND FROM A SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY

TO WHICH OUTSIDE CHANCE CONTRIBUTED EARLIER THIS

YEAR SO YOU MAY SEE THEM IN PRINT AGAIN IN MARCH 2011.

FUNDRAISINGQUICK STARTWORKSHOP

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – PLAN!

FUNDERS, IN GENERAL, PREFER TO FUND ‘PROJECTS’ RATHER THAN CORE COSTS

IF YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHICH YOU DELIVER UNDER YOUR OVERALL BUDGET, IDENTIFY THE NUMBER OF ‘PERSON DAYS’ DEVOTED TO EACH PROJECT AS A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR OVERHEADS – A HALF DAY = 10%

FOR EXAMPLE, OUTSIDE CHANCE’S OVERALL ANNUAL BUDGET IS £150,000 – WE DELIVER TWO MAIN PROGRAMMES – 90% IN EARLY INTERVENTION WORKSHOPS IN GREATER LONDON SCHOOLS AND 10% IN ANTI REOFFENDING WORKSHOPS IN YOUNG OFFENDER UNITS – SO OUR SPLIT OF BUDGETARY NEEDS IS :

OUR WORK IN SCHOOLS = 90% ….. ….. ….. ….. £135,000

OUR WORK IN YOUNG OFFENDER UNITS = 10% ….. ….. £ 15,000

TOTAL ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. £150,000

SPLIT YOUR OVERHEADS ACCORDINGLY, REJIG THEM AS ‘NEW’ PROJECTS COME ON BOARD, BUILD YOUR CORE COSTS INTO YOUR ‘PROJECT BUDGETS’ ON A PRO RATA BASIS AND YOU WILL FIND THAT YOUR POOL OF POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS WILL INCREASE, MAKING THE SECURING OF FUNDS CONSIDERABLY EASIER.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – IDENTIFY!

THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF POTENTIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE. WE HAVE LISTED JUST A FEW WHICH HAVE PRODUCED RESULTS FOR US OVER THE YEARS :

GrantNet : http://www.grantnet.org.uk/grantnet3/index.aspx?pid=D51DEA3C-936F-4B89-8C1E-F9AC9C16E122&__utma=15147616.53469261171266550.1235131362.1239538188.1239538866.7&__utmz=15147616.1239538188.6.6.utmcsr=lbhf.gov.uk|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/directory/community_and_living/community_advice/funding/106544_grantnet_free_funding_search_portal.asp&__utmc=15147616&ASP_NET_SessionId=kteqcf55arndm4f3a5f23qmu Password = officers

Open 4 Funding : http://www.open4funding.info/Default.aspx

Directory of Social Change : http://www.dsc.org.uk/Home

London Tenders Portal :

https://www.londontenders.org/procontract/supplier.nsf/frm_supplier_registration_wiz

ard_introduction?openform

Fit 4 Funding : http://www.fit4funding.org.uk

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – IDENTIFY!

YOUR LOCAL BOROUGH’S WEBSITE CAN BE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF POTENTIAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, EITHER DIRECTLY FROM THEM OR VIA A NEWSLETTER AS IN THE CASE OF HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM, OUR ‘HOME’ BOROUGH. THEY PRODUCE ‘FUNDING NEWS’ EVERY TWO MONTHS WHICH GATHERS TOGETHER THE VARIOUS ‘LIVE’ FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, MANY WITH APPROACHING DEADLINES. THESE NEWSLETTERS ARE FREE – SIMPLY EMAIL YOUR DETAILS TO THE BOROUGH IN QUESTION AND AN EMAIL COPY WILL ARRIVE REGULARLY.

A REALLY USEFUL SOURCE OF POTENTIAL FUNDING CAN COME FROM FUNDERS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED YOU IN THE PAST. AFTER ALL, THEY ALREADY KNOW YOU! BY PRODUCING A ONE PAGE, TWO SIDED QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ONWHAT WE ARE DOING, OUTSIDE CHANCE HAS SECURED CONTINUANCE GRANTSFROM SEVERAL FUNDERS. IN EACH CASE, THEY ADVISED US, AFTER READING OUR NEWSLETTERS, THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO CONSIDER A FURTHER BID. IT WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY SADISTIC GRANTS OFFICER WHO WOULD INVITEYOU TO REAPPLY, KNOWING HOW MUCH EFFORT WOULD GO INTO YOUR BID ONLY TO THEN REJECT YOU! DOING SO MIGHT ACTUALLY REFLECT ON THEM RATHER THAN YOU!

OUTSIDE CHANCE

KEEP AN EMPTY FOLDER HANDY AND JUST DROP ANY NOTES OR NEWS

ITEMS INTO IT WHENEVER THEY

HAPPEN.

PUBLISH THE NEWSLETTER – IN PDF FORMAT! - QUARTERLY TO KEEP FUNDERS, PAST AND PRESENT, UP TO

DATE WITH PROGRESS.

COPY THE LAST 2-3 NEWSLETTERS INTO ANY NEW BIDS. THIS WILL

REASSURE ANY POTENTIAL NEW

FUNDERS THAT YOUARE VERY LIKELY TO

KEEP IN TOUCH!

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – IDENTIFY!

ANOTHER EXCELLENT SOURCE OF POTENTIAL FUNDERS IS TO ACQUIRE A COPY OF YOUR ‘SISTER’ AGENCIES ANNUAL REPORTS, IE THOSE PERHAPS LARGER BODIES WHO DELIVER SERVICES SIMILAR TO YOURS.

CONSIDER JOINT, PARTNERSHIP OR CONSORTIUM BIDS WITH CAUTION!

FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY YEAR, WE GET COPIES OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE PRISON REFORM TRUST, THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM, NACRO, ETC. IN THE NOTES TO THEIR ACCOUNTS, THEY USUALLY LIST ALL OF THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO HAVE GIVEN GRANTS IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS.

WE WORK ON THE BASIS THAT IF THEY FUNDED A SIMILAR ORGANISATION TO OUTSIDE CHANCE FOR A SIMILAR PROJECT, THEY MIGHT FUND US TOO. THIS ALSO GIVES YOU SOME SORT OF GUIDELINES AS TO HOW MUCH THEY ARE LIKELY TO GIVE.

READ THE FUNDING GUIDELINES! IF THERE ARE ANY AREAS OF AMBIGUITY, CALL THE FUNDER FOR CLARIFICATION. WRITE YOUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE CALL. THIS ALSO GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE PERSON WHO, WHILST THEY CAN’T SAY ‘YES’ TO YOUR BID, CAN OFTEN MAKE SURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS PRESENTED IN THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – COSTING

FUNDERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VALUE FOR MONEY WHEN JUDGING A GRANT APPLICATION, PARTICULARLY IN THESE AUSTERE TIMES.

A PROJECT COSTING £100,000 WHICH WILL DELIVER OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES TO 100 SERVICE USERS MIGHT LOSE OUT WHEN MATCHED TO A SIMILAR PROJECT FOR A SIMILAR SERVICE WHICH WILL DELIVER 150 OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES FOR THE SAME MONEY.

WE ALWAYS PROVIDE A ‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ RATIO OF SUPPORT REQUESTED TO IMPACT SAVINGS ON PUBLIC FUNDS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ARE ASKING FOR £10,000 IN PARTIAL PROJECT SUPPORT FROM A FUNDER, WE SHOW THAT THIS WILL ENABLE US TO DELIVER OUR SCHOOLS WORKSHOPS TO 1,500 STUDENTS = £6.67 PER HEAD. WE ALSO SHOW THAT £10,000 EQUATES TO THE COST OF DETAINING JUST ONE INMATE AT HM YOI FELTHAM FOR A PERIOD OF 10 WEEKS.

AN INVALUABLE SOURCE OF PUBLIC SECTOR DATA AND COSTS TO SUPPORT YOUR GRANT APPLICATIONS CAN BE FOUND AT THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS :

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html

TRUST FOR LONDON’S WEBSITE ALSO HAS EXCELLENT LONDON RESEARCH DATA :

http://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – COSTING

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE! ALWAYS OVERESTIMATE YOUR BUDGET NEEDS! WE TEND TO BUILD IN 5-10% EXTRA INTO OUR PROJECT COSTINGS. FUNDERS WILL NOT PROVIDE ‘CONTINGENCY’ COSTS, IE TO COVER ANYTHING YOU DIDN’T THINK OF AT THE INITIAL BID STAGE – FOR EXAMPLE, THE FORTHCOMING INCREASE IN VAT TO 20%, PARTICULARLY ON RENTS, CAPITAL EQUIPMENT COSTS, LEASES, ETC.

HOWEVER, IF YOU BUILD A LITTLE EXTRA INTO YOUR PROJECTED COSTS AT THE OUTSET, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE BIG LOTTERY FUND WHICH PROVIDE PUBLIC MONEY, FUNDERS WILL, INVARIABLY, ALLOW YOU TO RETAIN ANY SURPLUS YOU MAY HAVE LEFT OVER AT THE END OF A PROJECT SINCE IT IS USUALLY MORE HASSLE FOR THEM TO TAKE THE FUNDS BACK INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS.

HOWEVER, YOU MUST ADVISE YOUR FUNDER OF ANY SURPLUS AND ASK THEM IF YOU CAN RETAIN THE FUNDS ‘IN THE FURTHERANCE OF YOUR WORK’. THIS ENABLES YOU TO STEADILY BUILD YOUR ‘UNRESTRICTED RESERVES’. WE HAVE YET TO ENCOUNTER A FUNDER WHO HAS REFUSED SUCH A REQUEST. EVEN THE BIG LOTTERY FUND ALLOWED US TO USE A SURPLUS OF THEIR GRANT FUNDS TO PROVIDE ‘PLATFORM COSTS’ FOR A NEW PROJECT IN HM YOI FELTHAM.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE BID!

READ THE GUIDELINES AND KEEP THEM BESIDE YOU. WE QUOTE ACTUAL PHRASES FROM A FUNDER’S GUIDELINES IN OUR BIDS. THIS SHOWS FUNDERS THAT YOU HAVE NOT ONLY READ THE GUIDELINES BUT ALSO THAT YOU HAVE FLAGGED UP HOW THEY EQUATE TO THE SERVICE YOU WISH TO PROVIDE.

IF YOU ARE DELIVERING SERVICES, GET AND INCLUDE THIRD PARTY FEEDBACK VIA EMAILS, LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM SERVICE USERS, OTHER FUNDERS AND EVALUATION FORMS. GRANT MAKING TRUSTS TAKE CONSIDERABLE NOTE OFTHIRD PARTY FEEDBACK IN THEIR FUNDING DECISIONS.

ALWAYS QUOTE THE SOURCES OF YOUR RESEARCH OTHERWISE FUNDERS MIGHT ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE CONCOCTED YOUR FINDINGS. IF NECESSARY, INCLUDE A HIGHLIGHTED PAPER COPY OF THE RESEARCH REPORT IN QUESTION.

BE CAREFUL NEVER TO USE JARGON, ABBREVIATIONS OR ACRONYMS. THEY TRIP OFF OUR TONGUES EVERY DAY BUT MAY BE ABSOLUTELY MEANINGLESS TO AGRANTS OFFICER WHO IS REVIEWING A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS IN BROAD FIELDS OF INTEREST. IF THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN, THE CHANCES ARE THAT YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE OF SMALL GRANT MAKING TRUSTS WITH PERHAPS ONLY ONE OR TWO PART-TIME STAFF.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE BID!

WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR DRAFT GRANT APPLICATION, GET SOMEONE WHO HAS NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER WITH YOUR WORK TO READ THE BID.ASK THEM TO HIGHLIGHT ANY POINTS THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. YOUR LOCAL VOLUNTEER CENTRE CAN BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN THIS RESPECT.

DON’T ARGUE WITH YOUR BID CHECKER! SIMPLY MAKE THE CHANGES THEY SUGGEST.

DEADLINES! GET YOUR BID IN WELL BEFORE THE DEADLINE IF THERE IS ONE. A LAST MINUTE, HAND DELIVERED ‘PANIC’ BID MIGHT GIVE THE FUNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS HOW YOU WILL DELIVER YOUR PROJECT.

ALWAYS SEND YOUR BID BY ‘RECORDED SIGNED FOR’ ROYAL MAIL DELIVERY, REGARDLESS OF VALUE. THIS ENABLES YOU TO TRACK ONLINE ITS SAFE ARRIVAL AT THE FUNDER’S OFFICES. OTHERWISE, YOU MIGHT WAIT FOR WEEKS FOR NEWS OF A BID THAT YOUR POTENTIAL FUNDER NEVER RECEIVED.

KEEP YOUR COPY BID AND ANY SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION IMMEDIATELY TO HAND. IF YOUR POTENTIAL GRANTS OFFICER CALLS TO DISCUSS YOUR BID, IT DOES NOT GIVE THE BEST IMPRESSION IF THEY ARE KEPT WAITING WHILST YOU RIFLE THROUGH THE PAPERWORK ON YOUR DESK TO FIND IT. KEEP A ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ FOLDER WITH YOUR VARIOUS ‘LIVE’ BIDS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER ON A SHELF NEXT TO YOUR DESK FOR QUICK ACCESS.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE GRANT!

SUCCESS! YOU’VE GOT THE FUNDING. ACKNOWLEDGE THE GRANT AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THE GRANT LETTER, THANK THE FUNDER FOR THEIR SUPPORT BUT DON’T ACCEPT THE GRANT! THAT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR TRUSTEES – NOT OF THE DIRECTOR, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OR ANY EMPLOYEE.

EXPLAIN IN YOUR LETTER THAT A COPY OF THE FUNDER’S GRANT LETTER HAS BEEN EMAILED/POSTED TO YOUR TRUSTEES FOR THEIR ACCEPTANCE AND THAT YOU WILL WRITE FURTHER IN DUE COURSE. THIS SHOWS SOUND GOVERNANCE, AN ADHERENCE TO YOUR CONSTITUTION AND YOUR INTERNAL PROCEDURES AND WILL INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN THE FUNDER.

WHEN YOU HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED YOUR TRUSTEES’ EMAILED/WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF GRANT ACCEPTANCE, WRITE TO THE FUNDER TO ADVISE THEM ACCORDINGLY, REQUESTING THAT THEY RELEASE THE GRANT PAYMENT.

IMMEDIATELY DIARISE THAT YOU WILL REPORT TO THE FUNDER IN 12 MONTHS. PUT A DATE 11 MONTHS AHEAD INTO YOUR ORGANISER AND THEN AGAIN AT 12 MONTHS. AT 11 MONTHS, EMAIL/WRITE TO YOUR FUNDER TO REMIND THEM THAT YOU WILL BE REPORTING TO THEM IN A MONTH’S TIME – GOOD PRACTICE! DON’T WAIT TO BE PROMPTED ….. OR SUMMONED! FUNDERS TALK!

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FUNDERS ADVISED OF YOUR PROGRESS.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE FUTURE!

AS MUCH AS WE IN THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR GET TOGETHER TO HAVE MEETINGS, SO DO THE GRANT MAKING TRUSTS. THE ‘LONDON FUNDERS’ GROUP AND THE ‘ASSOCIATION OF CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS’ MEET REGULARLY TO DISCUSS THEIR FUTURE …. AND OURS!

THEY DISCUSS FUNDING TRENDS, AREAS OF INTEREST, POTENTIAL MERGERS SUCH AS THE CITY PAROCHIAL FOUNDATION WITH THE TRUST FOR LONDON,THEIR ASSETS, POOLING OF RESOURCES, ETC. WE TALK ABOUT THEM SO I SUPPOSE IT’S ONLY TO BE EXPECTED THAT THEY WILL TALK ABOUT US. SOME OF THE MAJOR TALKING POINTS AT THEIR MEETINGS ARE POOR PERFORMANCE,ERRATIC SERVICE DELIVERY, VALUE FOR MONEY, WHO IS DOING WHAT, ETC.

PARTICULARLY IN THESE AUSTERE TIMES, FUNDING WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO SECURE. ONLY BY STEPPING UP OUR OWN GAME TO MEET THE CHALLENGES THAT WILL FACE US, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE OUR PROCEDURES AND SYSTEMS IN FIRST CLASS ORDER, TO KEEP OUR FUNDERS INFORMED OF OUR PROBLEMS AS WELL AS OUR SUCCESSES, ARE WE, AS A SECTOR, LIKELY TO SURVIVE. COMPETITION FOR WHAT FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE WILL BEFIERCE. GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS.