Five Funding Tips

Competition for grant funding is fierce. Preparing a grant application takes a lot of time and rejections are disheartening, so how can you improve your chances of success? Here are five tips:

Engage the reader from the start

Avoid beginning with an origin story (‘our organisation was set up in 1985 with the purchase of our first minibus…’). Outline the problem you want to address and your solution. This is much more interesting to a funder. ‘80% of the people we support struggle to get to their health appointments, and 6 out of 10 have previously cancelled a hospital appointment because they simply couldn’t get there. Without transport, people miss vital appointments and their health is at risk. Our Transport to Health project will help people access the healthcare services they need.’ 

Make sure the budget matches the proposal

It’s common to read applications where the proposal outlines varied activities but there’s no corresponding budget heading, so the funder is left wondering whether the organisation has covered these costs elsewhere. Ask someone to read your application and budget before you submit it as they may spot inconsistencies. Budget figures also need to be based on accurate calculations and quotations, and show value-for-money. 

Include data

When explaining the problem or need your project will address, include evidence such as survey results, key themes from focus groups or interviews you’ve conducted, information from local Wellbeing Plans, the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, or other data. Funders will expect successful applicants to provide monitoring reports so including hard data in your initial application reassures them that you are comfortable collecting and reporting data.

Show your organisation’s credentials

We don’t like to trumpet our achievements but, when it comes to grant applications, you need to. Funders ask themselves ‘can this organisation feasibly deliver the work?’ Describe the expertise and experience of the person who will be overseeing project delivery and the breadth of skills on your trustee board. Include any awards, testimonials from stakeholders such as the Council or Health Board, and outline your previous experience of successfully delivering similar projects.

Describe your impact

You may have a good proposal, a clear budget, strong evidence of need and a great team, but none of these will matter if you can’t articulate your organisation’s impact. Do you have some headline statistics you can share? This may be the percentage of people using your service who report reduced loneliness, or increased wellbeing, or greater participation in community activities. Support any statistics you use with relevant quotes and case studies showing the difference your organisation makes to people’s lives. 

I always keep in mind one funder’s advice, ‘If your work has an emotional impact, or brings you joy, you can tell us that too. A balance between ‘head’ and ‘heart’ can make a proposal much more compelling.’ 

If there’s one thing the community transport sector has by the bucket-load, it’s ‘heart’, so make sure this comes across strongly in your application. Good luck!