Fundraising news, views, client stories and more

Cambridge Cyrenians

Posted on 24 January 2018

Founded in 1970 Cambridge Cyrenians now provides a range of accommodation, support and specialist services for homeless people. Cambridge Cyrenians provide accommodation for 68 single homeless men and women.

Set up with the aim of offering a real alternative to traditional homeless hostels, Cambridge Cyrenians offers small shared houses where residents are encouraged to take responsibility for their own lives, so as not to take away their ability to have constructive influence over their surroundings. An important feature of their houses is the input residents have in the decisions affecting their house. Many people need groups to which they belong, to which they can contribute and in which they can develop, so the emphasis is on sharing of chores and responsibilities.

Charity Fundraising Ltd has been providing fundraising support to Cambridge Cyrenians since July 2014 and we have undertaken grant funder research, bid writing and tender writing. Our Fundraising Consultants have helped Cambridge Cyrenians achieve £538,530 in grant and contract funding from a range of Grant Making Trusts and Foundations and Statutory Sources including Lloyds Bank Foundation, Henry Smith Charity, Tudor Trust and Cambridgeshire County Council.

“Charity Fundraising assisted Cambridge Cyrenians in raising significant sums to enable us to maintain or expand some of our existing services, culminating in a recent tender for over £380,000, which we certainly couldn’t have done on our own. We look forward to working with the team at Charity Fundraising in the future and would happily recommend their services to others.”  – Brian Holman, Manager

North Tyneside Girl Guides

Posted on 06 November 2015

Fundraising Consultants at Charity Fundraising Ltd supported North Tyneside Girl Guides in achieving £133,500 in grant funding towards their new residential outdoor centre – ‘Cheviot View’. We provided services including work by a funding bid writer and reviewing bids, as well as grant fundraising research. The new facility will be open to Girl Guides and Scouts, as well as other groups. Many of the children and young people using the facility will be from inner city areas and this site will enable them to engage in outdoor activities in a rural setting.

The chair of Girlguiding North Tyneside Trustees, Vivienne Barke, said: “Cheviot View will provide a fantastic outdoor facility for our guides in a wonderful rural location within the Northumberland National Park.

Lodge Hill Centre

Posted on 06 November 2015

Lodge Hill is an outdoor education centre, nestled in the heart of the South Downs National Park, for schools, youth groups & adults, with overnight accommodation, campsite, outdoor activities, Eco lodges and a range of conference facilities. They specialise in personal development and team-building skills in a challenging and safe environment away from the distractions of everyday life.

Fundraising Consultants at Charity Fundraising Ltd supported Lodge Hill Centre with their revenue (including salaries) and capital fundraising and helped them to secure £145,190 from a range of grant making trusts and foundations including Monument Trust, Blagrave Trust Fund, Charles Hayward Foundation, Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and Garfield Weston Foundation. The grant fundraising has enabled Lodge Hill Centre to carry out refurbishment work, run the Lodge Hill Challenge Project and run Fun Days for those with Autism and other disabilities.

Derbyshire Districts CAB

Posted on 06 November 2015

Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information on a wide range of subjects including debt advice, benefits advice, housing and employment matters, consumer or tax issues, legal matters and immigration issues.

Charity Fundraising consultants supported Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau by undertaking a Fundraising Strategy and also by  providing support in relation to project design, development and bid review of a Big Lottery Fund – Advice Services Transition Fund. We were extremely pleased that the Big Lottery Fund application was successful and  a grant of £342,000 was awarded. The funding is intended to build capacity and improve advice service outcomes throughout the Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash and High Peak Districts and will make a huge difference to the significant numbers of people living in those areas who need advice and information in order to deal with the effects of welfare reforms.

Emma Haggar, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau said: “Having an external view really helps in ensuring you communicate clearly to funders your concept , Steph is able to challenge robustly but in a supportive and constructive manner – we are already looking together at our next project”

Slough YMCA

Posted on 14 May 2015

Slough YMCA provides supported accommodation for homeless young people between the ages of 18 and 30 with the aim of helping them through their toughest times, which will hopefully lead them to independent living.  Through their community hub project, The Hangout, Slough YMCA try to foster a greater sense of community cohesion by bringing members of the local community together in one venue regardless of their race, colour, sex or background.

The YMCA is also the largest voluntary provider of community based sports, fitness and physical activity programmes, which form part of an all-round approach to healthy living and personal and social development that is unique to the YMCA.

Fundraising consulting firm Charity Fundraising Ltd, wrote a successful funding application to the Big Lottery Reaching Communities initiative, resulting in a grant of £248,289. We have also achieved £60,000 from BBC Children in Need and worked on a range of other funding bids. To date, the total raised for Slough YMCA is £379,789.

“Slough YMCA are happy to recommend Charity Fundraising Ltd. We hope to work closely with them in the coming years to look for further funding and assistance with tendering.” Colin Young, Chief Executive

Leeds Jewish Welfare Board

Posted on 05 December 2014

Leeds Jewish Welfare Board has been providing community services to the people of Leeds since 1878.  A thriving community anchor, the organisation provides a range of educational, wellbeing and care services for people of all ages with mental health problems and learning disabilities, alongside dedicate support for older people.

We first started working with Leeds Jewish Welfare Board in 2012, when they came to us looking for help to diversify their income. At that point, they were dependent upon statutory funding and community donations and recognised the risk this placed upon their sustainability.

We worked with Leeds Jewish Welfare Board to develop a fundraising strategy, evaluate their impact and create highly presentable cases for support and funding applications to a range of local, regional and national funders.

In total, we helped Leeds Jewish Welfare Board to secure £137,204 in grant funding and provided the tools and capacity to go on and strengthen their own fundraising campaigns.

Our team provided the following support:

  • Research, consultation and analysis of beneficiary needs
  • Development of a fundraising strategy
  • Grant prospect research
  • Grant Bid Writing
  • Monitoring and evaluation design and mentoring
  • Monitoring and evaluation reports

Leeds Jewish Welfare Board has continued to increase its income year and year and provide a much needed resource to local people in Leeds.

“Charity Fundraising Ltd, has been conducting grant application work for Leeds Jewish Welfare Board since August 2012. Whilst doing so they undertook an evaluation of our mental health project (Neshama) between March and June 2013. The evaluation report was compiled in a highly professional manner and has contributed to our funding applications.

Working with Charity Fundraising was a pleasure and has made us understand the enormous impact a good evaluation can have on an organisation.” Meirav Sassoon, Fundraising Manager

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