Grants and Beyond

Fundraising Training

'Grants and Beyond': A one day training course on alternatives to grant funding available to the Voluntary & Community Sector.

This course is led by our experienced charity fundraising consultants, and complements the Charity Fundraising 'Finding Funding' introductory level fundraising training course. Please register your interest in this course using our contact form.

Purpose

The sector is bombarded with messages about diversifying sources of funds and the need to reduce dependency on grants. Information on the alternatives - who offers them, where they are appropriate and how to access them is harder to find. This course addresses that gap, and may be used as a source of information or combined with a workshop to develop a funding strategy.

Background

Declining charitable & community funds

• Level of giving has fallen
• Reduced public spending
  
• More Lottery funds directed by Government
• EU money less available
  

Increasing competition for funding

• Growth in number of Registered Charities
• Impact of high profile appeals (and 2012!)
• Greater reliance on voluntary sector for many services

Political shift towards 'strategic funding'

• Grant dependence
• Mission drift
• Search for 'innovation'
• Strategic investment approach - Support now for ten year outcome

Funding - types and sources

The different types of funding that are available;

• Gift
• Sponsorship
• Loan
• Equity
• Venture Capital
• Venture Philanthropy
• Income Generation

Consideration of when a particular source of funding would be appropriate;

• matching source of finance to its application

The legal implications

• Powers of Trustees
• Legal structures
  • Registered Charity
  • Limited Company/CIC
  • CIO
    
  • I&PS

How to obtain funding:

• Funding directories
• what makes a good application
• the importance of planning;
• nurturing funders
• Sponsorship: a commercial agreement
• What does the sponsor get in return?

Income generation

• Can your customers (beneficiaries) pay?
• If not, whose costs would rise if your services weren’t available? Can they pay?
• Public sector contracts
• Hidden assets: can you sell your skills & knowledge?

Managing the money:

• the importance of cashflow;
• know your costs (leading to Full Cost Recovery);
• not forgetting insurance
• exit strategy/sustainability: survival after the grants run out
• plan from Day 1
• risk management

We can also offer custom-written workshops for an organisation, delivered at a suitable location.

To reserve a place or for an informal discussion on any aspect of these courses, please call 01394 610581, or use the contact form.