Fundraising and Grant Proposals (Marise Stuart's Conflicted Copy 2013-01-01) (1)

7/27/2019 Fundraising and Grant Proposals (Marise Stuart's Conflicted Copy 2013-01-01) (1)

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Fundraising and grant applicationsKostantinosStellos

9 BASIC TRUTHSABOUTFUNDRAISING

Organizations are not entitled to support; they must earn it

Successful fundraising is not magic; it is simply hard work on the part of people who are

thoroughly prepared

Fundraising is not raising money; it is raising friends.

You do not raise money by begging for it; you raise it by selling people and your

organization

People do not just reach for their cheque books and give money to an organization; they

have to be asked to give

You don't wait for the right moment to ask; you ask now

Successful fund-raising officers do not ask for money; they get others to ask for it

You don't decide today to raise money and then ask for it tomorrow: it takes time,

patience, and planning to raise money

Donors are not cash crops waiting to be harvested; treat themas you would customers ina business

FUNDRAISINGWHAT?

Fundraising involves raising the finance necessary to carry out a project and demands a veryprofessional approach, because the project will face competition. Therefore you must beeffective, convincing and innovative, offering funding organisations something in return.

Fundraising can be:

Exciting, constructive, fruitful

Frustrating, a disappointing experience

BEFOREBEGINNINGFUNDRAISING, CHECK: That you know the project-and the organisation- inside out

That you believe in the project and are prepared to argue its case

To what extent you are prepared/authorised to adapt certain aspects of the project

That you have a list ofeverything needed to carry out the project and the resources made

available by the organisation (IFMSA)

That you have the support and agreement of the other partners in the project and the

members of your organisation

STRATEGICPLANNINGOFPROJECTFUNDRAISING

Strategic planning for project fundraising involves:

Finding sources of finance

Making an application Budget planning

Make contact with the funding organisation

Project report

FINDINGSOURCESOFFINANCE

Sources of funding are:

Grants


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Sponsorship

Individualdonations

- Grants

Steps to take when applying for a grant are:

Make a systematic list of programmes which might provide funding

Select those programmes whose aims and objectives reflect the aims and objectives of

your project

Choose programmes that operate in the same geographical area as your project (eg

there is no point an African project to apply for a grant under a European programme)

Make an information sheet for each potential source of funding:

Information you need to know when applying for a grant is:

Name and address of the organisation

Contact responsible for dealing with funding applications

Kinds of project funded: how are priorities determined, by whom and forhow long?

Procedure for making an application: is there a form and how to find it? Is there a

deadline for applications? When is it best to apply?

What is the selection procedure for applicants? Who decides how much to allocate?What is the max. amount/% of total project cost awarded per project?

Should any further documentation be included with the application?

Do not be afraid to contact the funding organisation concerned to ask this information. Yourpriority should be that your project must meet the grantcriteria and be ofinterest to the potentialdonor

Get the information through:

Approaching local and regionalyouth services and centres

Internet

Personalcontacts: find out how other projects got funding

- Sponsorship

When you approach a firm, remember that you are becoming a player on the market & that yourproduct (the project) must be competitive!! You are selling an image (community action, socialchange, youth work, social progress, etc). For the firm donation is a vehicle forself-publicity and away of putting across a new image of generosity and social care

What do companies expect?

An assurance that the project will be carried out successfully

Sound management offunds and their use as specified in the project description

Good publicity of the projectand the use oftheir name in all public displays

A project that is clearand well structured

Reliable accounting

A professional, reliable and well-informed team

Previous success and prospects of growth

Support from the community in which you will be carrying out the project

No list is available of firms which fund projects. Therefore:

Find out about companies which have already provided funding, why they have done so

and what kind of projects have been chosen


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Be creative and make contact with companies which have never previously been

approached

Work at being persuasive and selling your product

- Individual donations

Money may be raised from personal donations, for example: Collections (of money or equipment)

Raffles (lotto)

Local jumble sales and events (cheap products for charity reasons)

Fundraising campaigns (national or international projects: make sure that the cost of such

a campaign increase to response)

Useful at local projects

Way ofinvolving people and giving publicity

If all your sources of funding refuse to give you money, there are still things you need to do:

Keep the contacts with the sponsor, even if you did not get funding

Ask foradvice if you intend or need to use the money forother activities than those asked

for Say thank you to sponsors

Invite them to be involved in the project (somehow)

Value each contribution (not only big money)

Introduce changes if they make sense and secure the feasibility of the rest

Keep in mind:

Dont be discouraged by a no

Dont do it if you dont have the money

Dont assume you have a natural right to funding!

Dont expect the funders to know the importance of your project if you dont tell them

Dont underestimate the value of a contribution, no matter how small!

Dont do it all by yourself, accountants, treasurers and experts can also be of help

MAKINGANAPPLICATION

Your goal is to prepare a presentationpack in which your project is fully, clearly and conciselydescribed, each project stage is outlined and the project is shown to be realistic and to haveevery chance ofsuccess!!!

You need to check whether an application form exists (most programmes provide a form) and if itdoes, use it! Yourapplication must explain in full:

what the projects consists of,

in what context is to be carried out,

the size ofbudget and

how much funding is being requestedThe clearerand more detailed the project, the more realistic it is likely to appear!

- Application Objectives Table of Contents

Project title, location, duration and target group

Needs analysis

Aims and Objectives

Methods


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Necessary resources

Coordinator(s)

Implementation time

Evaluation

- Needs Analysis (Reasons for the project)

Why is the project necessary?

Why is it relevant?

Why should everybody be interested

in it?

What needs does the project meet?

What statistics do you have in

support of the needs analysis?

Why is important to meet these

needs?

Do other members of the community

share your view of the situation?

How do you intend to proceed?

DO:

Ask the opinion of those involved in the project!

Ask several peoples opinions including potential partners, sponsors & supporters

Look for results ofsimilar projects elsewhere (did it work?)

Do it when it needs to be done!

Remember there is no objective analysis

Make use of the IFMSAs resources and experience!

Talk with otherworkers orvolunteers in IFMSA (they may have similar projects, you may

need their help)

Seek extra training if needed

DONT:

Dont do it for young people, do it with them!

Dont start your project against influential people in the community! (You may be

sabotaged)

Dont think that you know everything!

Dont do it only because it is fashionable or formoney! Dont start your project without other people and/or organisation to back you up!

Dont be afraid to introduce changes if they make sense and are within the scope of the

project.

Dont be afraid to: share work and responsibilities with others, ask for help

- Are your objectives SMART?

SustainableMeasurable

AttainableRelevantTime-bound

- Aims and Objectives

What do you hope to achieve through the project?

What are the anticipated results?

How will the project affect those around you?

How will it affect the community?

How do the project goals reflect those of yourorganisation?

Project aims should be sufficiently clearand specific and capable of being assessed.


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DO:

Negotiate/discuss your objectives with those concerned (target group, partners,

colleagues)

Get second opinions about the way they are formulated and defined

Ask yourself if they can ever be evaluated, how and when

Consider that if they are not clearfor you, they will not be to others either Avoid repetition

Connect needs analysis with the goals and objectives

DONT:

Dont confuse the objectives with the activities!

Dont define objectives that you do not plan to achieve

Dont define only ideal, immeasurable objectives

Dont use abbreviations!!!!!!!

- Methods

How do you intend to achieve your

aims? What form will the project take?

Describe its structure and activities.

Why these activities?

Does the activities programme

appearpracticable?

Who is participating in the project

and how? What?

When?

Where?

How?

- Necessary resources

What resources are necessary (finance, materials, other premises)?

Is the budget appropriate for the programme indicated?

Are all costs accounted for (travel, materials, staff costs.etc)?

Is the budget sufficiently detailed?

How will these costs be covered?

With what?

With whom?

How?

- Who will coordinate the project?

Contact details of the coordinator (name, address, telephone number, fax and e-mail)

What is his/herrole in the project?

Can he/she takes decisions?

How strong are his/herlinks with other organisation members and decision making

bodies?

Are participants involved in running and coordinating the project? If so, how?

- When will the project be implemented?

What are the projects start and finish dates?

Give details of project stages and deadlines

Which activities have already begun?

At what stage will people get involved?


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- Evaluation

How and according to what criteria will the project be evaluated?

Is any follow-up planned?

BUDGETPLANNING

- Budget fundamentals

Every project must have a budget! This is a document composed ofexpenses and the income,provides an idea about the realism and dimension of the project. It must be balanced ,ie income expenses = 0. If you dont know how much it costs, you dont know how much you need.

- Budget management

You will need to make a specific budget for each activity of the project because it is rarelypossible to fund the project as a whole. Few sponsors buy that, it is easier to find a sponsor forone activity than for the whole project.

Remember when you are presenting your budget:

Make sure that the commitments of your organisation are real and put those up front tostart the fundraising

Ask foradvice and opinions, funders will be more committed if they are given the

impression that their opinion counts

No matter how painful, the financial report is still part of the project, yes, it is also your

responsibility!

Do not accept no for an answer, try somewhere else, try other activities

Before putting the budget down in the application form:

Check how much the sponsor can sponsor. Asking for more than they can give reveals

bad financial planning

Get information about the funders criteria forselection, priorities, rules of calculation, etc.

FOLLOW THEM!!! Tell yourself that the purpose is not to get the money but to achieve the projects

objectives

Follow the rules about how to fill in the application form, even if they seem silly to you.

Not following them is the shortest way to be rejected

Be aware that funding organisations will treat the budget as the most important part of yourapplication. You must include the following information:

Expenditure

- List all expenses connected with the project- Estimate the cost of all outgoings (in the currency specified in the form). Your

estimate must be realistic (show how you came at the final sum)- Must correspond to the programme of activities as described earlier

- Estimate the rental cost of any material loaned by the private sector and includeit under expenditure (and receipts)

- Calculate yourtotal expenditure

Receipts

- Include all sources of funds necessary for the project, such as:- Your organisations own resources- Participants contributions- Grants- Materials and services donated or loaned


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- Amountsrequested from backers- Estimate the rental cost of material donated or loaned by sponsors- The total amount requested must be clear& NOT exceed the maximum usually

granted- Calculate total receipts, (ie total expenditure)

The budget must: Inspire confidence and show your project to be both realistic and trustworthy

Match your project description

Be as close as possible to final figures

MAKECONTACTWITHTHEFUNDINGORGANISATION

General tips:

Dont be shy of making contact with the funding organisation

Dont hesitate to publicise your organisation

Dont hesitate to enquire by telephone how your application is proceeding, whether all

selection criteria have been met and when a decision will be taken

Finally, invite the funding organisation to inspect your project at first-hand

To be avoided:

Dont systematically send an identical project presentation to a large number of

foundations, institutions or companies

Where there is a personresponsible for dealing with applications, do not write direct to

the programme/foundation director

Dont send a copy of your application

Dont request unreasonable amounts

Dont send your application after the deadline

Dont assume that the funding organisation is familiar with the circumstances in which

your project will be run or the needs which it is designed to meet

Dont request funding foroperational costs or the purchase of material for your

organisation

Dont beg

When you are contacting a company, keep in mind some practical advice:

Target and select institutions

/foundations /companies which arelikely to provide funding for yourproject or organisation because theiraims are similar

Make sure your projects are

believable (unrealistic applicationscould damage your organisationschances in the future)

Do not forget to include your

organisations full address and thename of the contactperson

Believe in your project

Adapt your application to the

priorities of the funding organisation

Use personal contacts

If you give the names of any experts

consulted in connection with theproject, rememberthe peopleconcerned

Keep records of all actions taken.

An activity report will be requested.Keep all invoices

Try to develop a long term

partnership with backers, especiallywith those whose aims are similar tothose of your organisation

Do not forget to thank sponsors for

their support

When you make an application put yourself in the companys shoes:

Why should put money in your project rather than invest on the stock market?


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Why yourproject and not another?

What advantages can they obtain from identification with your project?

Think of your project from the companys point of view

Use all contacts which you have with the company

Think ofdifferent kinds ofsupport which the company could give you (not only money,

but also equipment or even a member of staff)

Even gifts in kind should be given an estimated value and included in the budget Think ofalternative sources

Stress the benefit which funding the project will bring to the company in terms of publicity

PROJECTREPORT

Sponsors will request two reports:

The activity report, a concise day-to-day report

The financial report, a detailed report of your money

These reports are part of the long-term fundraising strategy! You should attach copies ofinvoicesfor all expenditure. Writing and sending reports will maintain good relation with sponsors forfuturefundraising

During the project you need to: Publicise the project and dont forget to mention where the money came from!

Check what expectations sponsors have regarding the publicity and the use of their name

Remember to invite sponsors to certain stages of the project-especially the final stage

Think of and start preparing the report (activity and financial)

Consult the sponsors for any change you want to make to the project implementation and

programme

Material and technical resources

Make sure that contributions in kind and loans of material are properly accounted forin

the budget and the financial report

Dont give the impression that the whole project is about buying the latest computer with

incorporated micro-oven and a 3D video system Considerrenting instead of buying

Ask volunteers/technical experts how much their services are valued

Remember that there are no free lunches. Somebody has to pay for it. That is an

income or an expense if you have to pay the lunch

FUNDRAISINGREQUIRESPATIENCE & PERSISTENCE!!!

A carelessly planned project will take three times longer to complete than expected! A carefullyplanned project will take twice as long (Law of Project Management, CoE and EC partnershiptraining kit)

No major project is ever completed in time, within budget and with the same people that startedit. Yours will NOT be the first!!! (Law of Project Management, CoE and EC Partnership training

kit)

Time cannot be saved

Time cannot be exchanged

Time cannot be bought

Time cannot be sold

Time can only be used!


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8 (3+5) REASONSWHYPROJECTSSUCCEED

The organisational structure is suited to the project team

The target group is involved from the start of the project

The project makes proper use of network planning techniques

The project team:

participates in planning

is committed to establishing schedules

is committed to establishing realistic budgets

- works with bureaucracy, politics and procedures and not against them

agree on specific and realistic project goals

8 REASONSWHYSOMEPROJECTSFAIL

Inadequate authority

Lack of project team participation and planning

Lack of project team participation in problem solving

Inadequate communication skills

Inadequate technical skills

Inadequate administrative skills Unrealistic project schedules

Unclear project goals

Good luck with your fundraising work and grant applications!!!

Documents

Fundraising and Grant Proposals (Marise Stuart's Conflicted Copy 2013-01-01) (1)