NORTH WEST CONFERENCE

OF

NSALG MEMBERS

FUNDING for ALLOTMENTS

15TH NOVEMBER 2009

FUNDING FOR ALLOTMENTS

We hope that you will find this information useful in helping you and your Allotment Society to successfully bid for and properly manage funding.

  1. Starting a New Society: link:
  2. Drawing up a Constitution: link:
  3. Checklist “Are you Ready for Funding?” link:
  4. Overview of Sources of Funding
  5. Making a Funding Application
  6. Tips for Success ( attached)
  7. Contacts /sources of help (attached)

(due to the demand for copies of this Conference Paper on Funding I have had now had to restrict it to providing links to websites where the information can be freely downloaded. I have only included* information which is not available via a website) The majority of information is available at

(6) Ten Do’s And Don’ts For Making A Good Funding Application
DO ...
1. Confine your application to the information required
2. Show evidence of need for the project
3. Describe the project in a way that it meets the funder’s priorities
4. Make sure your objectives are clear and measurable
5. Describe how the project will be managed and monitored
6. Make a request for a specific sum of money
7. Ensure the figures in the budget add up!!
8. Make sure the budget is realistic
9. Make it clear where any other money is coming from
10. Describe your “exit strategy” (how you intend to carry on after the grant)
DON’T ...
1. Rush to get an application in for an unrealistic deadline
2. Make spelling mistakes or use abbreviations and jargon
3. Make vague statements about what you want to do
4. Present a huge list of things you want to do
5. Forget to include all expenditure items and overheads in the costs
6. Forget about inflation and VAT where applicable
7. Rely on one person to put in the application
8. Send in lots of other information unless it is requested by the funder
9. Forget to send in anything else the funder has asked for
10. Forget to compare supporting information and the application
Twelve Handy Hints for filling in applications
_ Take several photocopies of the form before you start and use these to get practice on first
_ Answer all the questions
_ Remember to get all the necessary signatures: Trustees, referees, contact person etc
_ Get someone else to check your application before you send it. Do all the figures add up? Do other people understand it?
_ Keep the application form clean and tidy. Are there any spelling mistakes and is the writing legible?
_ Include all the requested supporting material. For example, annual report and accounts, relevant job descriptions, budgets, any building permissions, leases, letters of support, information on match funding, constitutions etc
_ Provide the funder with a clear point of contact. Make sure that others within your organisation know about the application and can answer the funder’s questions if necessary.
_ Take a photocopy of any completed application before you send it. Make sure any copy or copies are kept in an easily accessible place so if you are not there others can discuss the application.
_ Leave a checklist of bullet points at the front of the application so others in your organisation can answer questions about it if needed.
_ Deal with any funder’s requests for more information immediately.
_ Keep the funder informed. If your circumstances change during the course of the application or immediately after sending it off – tell the funder immediately; do not wait for them to find out.
_ Meet deadlines! Allow yourself plenty of time and do not leave everything till the last minute! Do not expect funders to be sympathetic to late applications, they have deadlines to meet also.

Additional Tips for a Successful Application

  • Have a clear understanding of your project, particularly the aims and objectives and what you are trying to achieve and how this will improve or have an impact upon sport
  • When looking for funding ensure that the fund encompasses the amount that you require, i.e. the amount you would like falls within the bracket that the fund provides.
  • Ensure that the selection criteria for the funding scheme fits into the aims and objectives of your project.
  • Be aware of the deadlines for the fund and how regularly that applications are reviewed and verdicts are given.
  • Do not start work on your project until funding has been granted. Most funding bodies do not cover retrospective funding.
  • Plan your project carefully and realistically
  • Make sure that you read all of the guidance notes and selection criteria for the fund.
  • Take time to thoroughly plan and prepare your application, and to present as professionally as possible.
  • How are you going to assess if you have achieved the desired outcomes for your project.
  • Supply as much relevant information as possible, and ensure that you attach all required documentation with the application.
  • Budget your project accurately: do not guess figures or inflate your estimated budget. Many funders validate costs through the use of the Internet.
  • Supply a detailed breakdown of all financial figures and estimates.
  • Do not under-estimate the importance of including detailed information on the project outcomes and how you propose to achieve and measure them. For example a desired project outcome may be that allotments are inclusive and no one is put off taking an allotment. A barrier may be the lack of toilet facilities, but obtaining toilet facilities on your site is not the desired outcome for the project, it is a means of helping to promote inclusivity and the removal of a barrier.
  • Emphasise voluntary commitment to your project and the efforts you are making to support the project from sources other than grant assistance, e.g. “labour will be provided free by members of the Society”. Remember if they are looking for matched funding this does not have to be in cash it can be in services provided by the Society e.g. 50 hrs labour at a notional £7.00 ph= £350 contribution
  • If you have received funding before, always make sure you complete the necessary evaluation forms before you apply for further funding support.

(7) Sourcesof Help and Information

1) Fundraising - The Basics

2a) The Funding Maze - Grant Funding

2b) The Funding Maze - Funding from the Public

3) Organising Your Fundraising

4) Other Funding Titles

5) NCVO Fact Sheets

All available via:

Additional Sources of help and information

Your local Council for Voluntary Services or via the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

National Association of Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA):

NSALG:

Allotment Regeneration Initiative - A fundraising guide for allotment associations:

National lottery grants search The search feature allows you to search for Lottery grant information by location eg your Town/City/ parliamentary constituency- recipients name e.g. Allotment Society.

Search Engines for Funding

You can search across the full spectrum of local, regional and national funding opportunities available from Government, Lottery and Charitable Trusts & Foundations and explore which funding is right for your organisation via numerous Funding Search Engines available via your local CVS or Council. Eg. Funder Finder

Many thanks to Liverpool CVS and the other organisations for their help and support.