Disclaimer: The information provided in this section is intended for guidance only. It is not a substitute for professional advice and we cannot accept any responsibility for loss occasioned as a result of any person acting or refraining from acting upon it.
Many groups function with little or no funds.
Other groups need funds in order to carry out their activities. It is a good idea to think about whether you need funding in order to do what you want to do and how much you will need. Then you can create a fundraising strategy, which may involve:
- Grant applications to charitable trusts
- Approaching organisations and individuals for donations
- Having a ‘Donate’ button on your website
- Holding fundraising events or sponsorship fundraisers
- Using tools such as ‘Easyfundraising’ or ‘Give as you live’ to raise small amounts
Stay in touch with your local CVS or Voluntary Advice Centre as their newsletter may contain local funding opportunities.
Links
Fundraising resources from NCVO
‘Using the internet for fundraising’ by NCVO
Funding Central includes a searchable database of funders
Easyfundraising and Give as you live enable supporters to raise money when they shop online
Applying for grants from charitable trusts is the main way that most groups get larger sums of money for their activities. Applying for grants is time consuming and each trust will have a different application process and reporting requirements so you will need to do some research.
Before you apply for a grant you need to know:
- How will you receive a grant? Do you have a bank account or is there another organisation that is willing to hold the money for you?
- How will you record spending against the grant? Do you have a book-keeping system?
Please see our Finance section for more help with this.
Some tips:
- Read the funder’s guidance on what they will fund carefully
- If you’re not sure if your proposed activity is something the funder would consider, check with them before spending time on the application
- Think carefully about how much you should apply for. Some funders will look more favourably on an application for a smaller amount, particularly if you do not have the governance structure to take on a larger project
- Be aware of any deadlines or guidance about how often they make decisions
- Be specific about what you want the money for
- Talk about the impact of your planned activity and include any data or examples that you have to support this, as well as how you plan to measure the impact if your application is successful
- Make sure your costings are accurate and as far as possible, actual rather than estimated
- Some funders will look more favourably on a partnership application
Links
Funding Central has a searchable database of funders
Charity Excellence Framework – for a quick and simple to use free online toolkit enabling any UK based non-profit to increase its
impact and financial resources.
‘How to write a successful trust letter’ from NCVO
Before you receive donations, you need to know:
- How will you receive donations? Do you have a bank account? Is there another organisation that is willing to hold the money for you? Or will amounts be small enough that you can rely on a cash tin?
- How will you record donations? Do you have a book-keeping system in place?
Please see our Finance section for more help with this.
Please bear in mind that some online platforms for receiving donations will require you to provide proof that you are a charity.
Links
Online platforms if you are registered as a charity
Online platforms if you are not registered as a charity
Visit our section on Information for Sanctuary Seekers for information about funding for asylum seekers and refugees.