Online Event Recap: Funding Application Write-Shops

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As part of our series of online events towards the end of last year, we hosted a series of sessions aimed at sharing some top tips about writing funding applications. Grants from charitable funders can be vital for the operation of community transport services, especially at a time where other forms of income have been so drastically affected.  

Throughout 2020, we know of at least £2.5 million of grants which were awarded to support community transport. This figure is based on data from 360 Giving which publishes grant data from a number of funders to help improve charitable giving. Not all funders publish their data on 360 Giving, which means that the actual figure is likely to be a lot higher.  

Of the grants we have data for, 50% have come from Community Foundations. There is a network of 46 Community Foundations around the UK, each helping to match donors and partners to local causes and to distribute funds. You can find the Community Foundation in your area, here. 

The National Lottery Community Fund was another notable supporter of community transport in 2020, supporting 42 different organisations. If you are looking for funding of up to £10,000, then you should check out their Awards for All programme. The application process is easy to follow and decisions are made quickly. They also have a range of other funding programmes available in each nation of the UK for larger amounts.  

As well as large funders such as the National Lottery, there are thousands of trusts and foundations across the UK which provide support in specific regions. Your local Council for Voluntary Services may be able to help you to find ones which you are eligible for. You can also use funding databases such as Funding Central, GrantTracker (Northern Ireland), Funding Scotland, or Funding Wales. 

Finding funding to apply for, and putting together strong applications, can take a considerable amount of capacity. Given that the demand for your time and the demand for funding across the voluntary sector is so high, we know that it is often a concern that all of your efforts could get nothing in return. However, the support for community transport over the past year shows that funders recognise the importance of the vital work that you do and that there is funding available for you to access.

We have put together a wide range of resources in the members’ area of our websiteto help support you through the process and to make it a less daunting task. You will find guides, presentations and articles covering all aspects of putting together an application. Below you can also check out the presentation from our write-shop sessions and a short video with ten top tips for writing an application. 

If you have any questions or need any support, please get in touch with advice@ctauk.org. We are also keen to hear about other ways which we can support you to access funding.  

Event Recap and Slides