It always amazes me when I hear charity trustees saying they "need to right some begging letters to some funders to get money" or "why don't funders give us money for our great services?".
This is a recipe for disaster, with that terrible feeing of rejection that we have all had at one time another. I hear the cry "Why have they refused our application which we spent hours on, especially when our activities are so worthwhile and valued?"
I can explain, like most charities you are looking at it from the wrong angle. Think about how your charity can help the funders achieve their charitable objectives. It has to be a win-win. As officers and Trustees they have to ensure they are spending their funds as best they can. They want to ensure they can get the most benefit out of the funding they have, and there is a lot of competition today. You should find out as much as you can about any potential funder you want to apply to, who are their beneficiaries? how much do they usually grant? what have they funded in the past? However, first, always check their eligibility criteria and what they want to fund. It may sound simple, but many don't follow this golden rule.
A recent example is The Robertsons Trust now do not accept applications from CICs (Charitable Incorporated Companies). It has recently changed as they look at prioritising their funds due to the high level of applications in the past year. This an example of where I could help increase your chances of success. This is because I have a good relationship with their staff and know what they are looking to prioritise, when their deadlines are and how the evaluate applications. This means I will have a much better opportunity of helping your organisation get the funding your charity needs....... if it's a good fit for them. If not, I can save you a lot of time which could have been focused on another application.
There are many other reasons why you may have had an unsuccessful application to a Trust or Foundation. Watch out for my next blog when I tell you the main reason, and what to do to give your charity a much better chance of getting the money it needs.
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