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PM3: Writing the perfect
tender
David Warner, Director,
London Funders
Dan Fletcher, Deputy Director,
Kingston Smith LLP
www.londonfunders.org.uk
The Changing Funding Landscape –a London Perspective
(but with wider resonance –hopefully!)
23rd February 2015
www.londonfunders.org.uk
What is London Funders?London Funders is the membership network for funders and investors in London’s civil society. We provide a safe place for funders to think, share, learn and act together.
Our mission – to strengthen and support funders and promote effective funding practices, to meet the needs of Londoners
We do this by:• Providing a space for learning and collaboration between funders• Being a voice for funders • Identifying and promoting effective funding models
www.londonfunders.org.uk
Our membersWe are unique in bringing all 33 boroughs and London Councils together with independent trusts and foundations (large and small, local and national), social and corporate investors, lottery funders, corporate givers, housing associations and others.
Our members:• Are passionate about London and Londoners• Fund and invest through a number of channels• Fund and invest in every aspect of London’s life
www.londonfunders.org.uk
London 2015 and beyondLondon is a complex city and its funding landscape is changing dramatically.
Some challenges facing our members are:
1) The shrinking and changing State • The relationship with the state• A devolution deal for London • The boundary between independent funding and statutory funding
• Challenges: - navigating a messier, more locally governed world; do locally based organisations have the capacity and scale to respond? What does this mean for “additionality”
www.londonfunders.org.uk
London 2015 and beyond2) Changing demographics
• A rising and aging population nationally• A London population of almost 9 million by 2031• Younger population in London than elsewhere • Continuing diversity
• Challenges for the infrastructure of London, school places, housing and care services, and also the voluntary sector and volunteering.
• This could lead to people working and volunteering in different ways e.g. micro volunteering or part time volunteering as a transition to retirement
www.londonfunders.org.uk
London 2015 and beyond3) The Age of Austerity
• Will radically reshape and redraw our environment• There is less money, but increasing expectations for funders and
commissioners to do more• Changes to the labour market – insecure, greater in-work poverty (combined
with rising property market and increased renting and insecure housing in London)
• How do funders work together? “Managing the Market”?• May mean exploring new forms of finance and investment e.g. social
investment or micro finance initiatives• From a “ financing economy of purchasing, contracts and social investment”
to a “resource raising economy” of finance and non-cash investment”
www.londonfunders.org.uk
London 2015 and beyond4) What works is what matters – not who delivers
• The focus has to be on the ultimate beneficiaries – the citizens of London, and not (necessarily) which organisation is providing the service
• Public sector funders are accountable to the public (and independent funders driven by their own charitable missions) – so keen to see impact and demonstrate outcomes
www.londonfunders.org.uk
What does this mean for London’s Voluntary sector?
Change- This may mean change in what we do, who we work with and the
ways that we work with them- Change is happening so we need to embrace it
Complexity- Complexity of both the operating environment and also of the needs
we are trying to meet.
www.londonfunders.org.uk
What does this mean for London’s Voluntary sector?Challenge- No one organisation or funder has all the answers and resources- We MUST find new ways of working together in partnership
Clarity- For providers this means clarity of your mission, your purpose and
the outcomes you are seeking to achieve- For funders – clarity about who to commission or fund, clarity about
your reporting requirements - For everyone – clarity about the vision for people in London and the
strategy and resources needed to achieve it
www.londonfunders.org.uk
Some reflections to finish… Leadership mattersWe need to develop shared models of leadership, and place the people of London at the centre of our thinking
Realistic expectations are neededWe need to be realistic about managing expectations about what funders can do, about what providers can provide and about what Londoners can expect
Honesty matters!We need an honest and constructive on-going dialogue together about what is and isn’t working
Bid-writing: Getting it
right
Dan Fletcher MInstF(Dip)
Deputy Director,
Kingston Smith
Fundraising and Management
Workshop programme
Checking how ready your charity is to
write bids
Tips and ideas on writing successful bids
Getting your message across
Understanding where Impact fits in
READINESS CHECKER
Why do we need to raise
money?
Survival
Expand existing activities
Develop new activities
Broaden the income base
Improve sustainability
Meet future anticipated needs
Before you can ask for money #1
Know what you need and how much it
costs
Be able to explain why what you need is
important and the difference it will make
Show you understand the need and can
deliver
Explain how the project/need fits with the
overall mission and strategy of the
organisation (local, national, international)
Before you can ask for
money #2
Demonstrate track record through case
studies and testimonials
Have plans for evaluating the impact of
the project or donation
Empathise with the donor
Have the trust of the donor
Be prepared to discuss the project with
the donor before, during and after
Accounts – what’s the story?
Need to understand accounts and
ensure the bid tells the same story
Reserves – Check not in breach of
reserves policy
Deficits – Explain
Designated funds – Explain
Annual report – is it SORP
compliant?
Check if signed essential or draft
OK
Kingston Smith Readiness
Checker for Trusts
fundraising Clear, demonstrable need
Organisational strategy
A positive image
Strong leadership and networks
Potential donors
Internal organisation skills and capacity
Financial viability
WORKSHOP SESSION
Use the full KSFM
Readiness Checker
by yourselves for a
few minutes
reviewing your own
charity, and then to
validate your
thoughts discuss
your conclusions with
the person next to
you.
WRITING A SUCCESSFUL BID
Read the criteria.
Only apply if your project fully
meets the criteria.
Allow yourself (and the trust)
sufficient time.
Features of a successful bid
Paragraphs of no more than 6 sentences
Sentences of no more than 17-25 words
No jargon
No acronyms
Active headlines of 6-12 words, every 2
paras
Pictures with eyes/faces/action and 2-4
sentence caption in lieu of long case
study
Tone of a successful bid
Always positive – no threats, no disasters
Always honest – explain risks, show
learnings
Mention the funder as often as you
mention you and your work
Repetition of how you meet their criteria
Read aloud test – does it sound friendly
and upbeat but not jovial or patronising
Beat the ‘So what?’ test
Features v benefits
Features
Facts
Technical information
Price
Jargon
OUR language
About US
Benefits
What THEY will get
Good that comes out
THEIR language
Solves THEIR problem
Foretells THEIR enjoyment
Features and Benefits
Features describe what you or your organisation makes, provides or does
Benefits are tangible statements showing what the product will do for the donor or beneficiary
FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS
‘What you ACHIEVE (by doing it) can motivate
even the stoniest of hearts’
‘What you DO is of no interest to
anyone…except you!’
Remember, in the non-profit world…
GETTING YOUR MESSAGE
ACROSS
A simple format
Establish Credibility
Identify the problem
Describe your solution
Describe the outcomes
Describe delivery
Establish credibility
Vision and missionDate established
Charity reg no
Key achievements Vital statistics
Who we are and what we do
Identify the problem
How widespread is it and how urgent
Why is it important
What are consequences of doing nothing
Who is it important to
What is the nature of the
problem?
Case studies
Describe your solution
Where and when will your solution take place
Who are our partners
Who benefits, how many, how often, case studies
Who delivers, how many,how often
Why us?
Why now?
Describe the outcomes
Our objectives – bigger picture
How will we measure, short term, long term
What is the distance travelled, over what period
How do we change people’s lives and how to
we know
What difference will we make
Describe delivery
Budget: show all costs, cashflow, FCR if appropriate
Show other sources of income & commitment
Credibility of delivery team, learning past & future
Credibility of longer term impact measurement
methodologies
A safe pair of hands
A rough guide on length
Lower limit should fit into 2 sides A4 without
pictures
Some trusts will say how many pages is required
Section Length in words
Credibility 100-200
Problem 150-300 Plus picture
Solution 200-500 Plus picture
Outcomes 200-500 plus picture
Delivery 100-200 plus budget
Do
Leave plenty of space on
the page
Number all pages
Include your charity’s
name on a header on
each page
Caption all pictures
Send everything together
Send a covering letter
addressed to your
contact
Include accounts
Don’t
Use a smaller typeface
to cram it all in
Repeat yourself
Ask for extra time to
meet a deadline
Present the application
in plastic folder or
similar
Send materials they
haven’t asked for
When you have a response
If Yes….
SAY THANK YOU
If they so No….
Request feedback if possible and
SAY THANK YOU
WORKSHOP SESSION
Review
instructions and
application form for
Esmée Fairbairn’s
Museums
Collections funding
stream. In groups
of 3-4 complete the
main parts of the
form in summary
MEASURING IMPACT
Understanding the differencemakes all the difference
“With philanthropy, seeing is believing;
the more ‘seeing’ we can do, the better.”
Victoria Hornby, Sainsbury Family Trusts
Output – Outcome - Impact
Output
Outcom
e
Impact
Products, services and facilities that result
from an organisation’s or project’s activities
The changes, benefits, learning or other
effects that result from what the project or
organisation makes, offers or provides
Broader or longer-term effects of a project’s
or organisation’s outputs, outcomes or
activities
Demonstrating Impact
.
NPC perspectives, ‘Talking about results, September 2010
Scope of Impact
Economic, social or
political
Individual or collective
Geographic – local to
international
Time specific – short
to long term
Stakeholders
Influencing Impact
Start with a Theory of Change
Organisational capacity to deliver impact
Internal and external stakeholders
Is trusts fundraising at your charity’s
heart?
Seven principles of SROI
Involve stakeholders.
Understand what changes.
Value the things that matter.
Only include what is material.
Do not over-claim.
Be transparent.
Verify the result.
WORKSHOP SESSION
In groups of 3-4, pick
one charity
represented and,
using the seven
principles in
particular, discuss
the barriers to
understanding the
charity’s impact, and
how they may be
overcome.
