There is a wealth of information on the internet when it comes to applying for grants for your charity’s cause. In fact, there is so much out there that sometimes it can be hard to know where to start! This article talks a bit about grants, what they are, how to know who is eligible and how to apply, as well as some links to websites which offer help in this area, as well as grants.
What are grants?
A charity can approach a foundation, which is funded in various ways by businesses and individuals in the local area and request a grant to help them carry out their work or achieve a project goal and help them give back to their local community. This gives vital help and support to those who are in need of it. Most importantly, a grant is deemed as a gift that does not need to be repaid.
How to know if you are eligible
As with most things where you are requesting money, you will need to find out if your charity is eligible and fulfils certain criteria before applying for a grant. Most websites where you are applying for a grant should have some form of Eligibility Questionnaire where you will need to answer questions about your charity, which in turn will determine if you are able to apply. If not a questionnaire, then usually a list of eligibility requirements will be posted there, either as a downloadable document or in an FAQ section. It is important to find out this information beforehand since you will not want to waste time applying for something that might not be relevant to your charity. For example, some grants may not be available to political bodies, local councils or overseas appeals.
How to apply for a grant
The majority of grant applications can be done online, via the foundation’s website, once you have passed the eligibility checker. You might also have the option to download a form and apply by post. This should be made quite clear to you, depending on the foundation’s website that you are applying on. There is usually a lot of information to read through when going through the process of requesting a grant, but don’t be put off by this. If it helps you raise more funds for your cause, it will be worth the time and effort.
How to put together a grant application
Some grant applications can be relatively straightforward and simply need you to fill in an online form to submit when completed. Other applications, especially when asking for larger sums of money, may require a more detailed explanation with regards to the project, annual accounts etc and could ask for a typed-up application to be emailed in when completed. Again, this will be made clear to you in the guidelines document that most foundations will need you to download and look at prior to making your application.
Most importantly, you need to make sure that your requirement is suited to the criteria detailed in the fund you are applying to and when completing the application form try to be as concise as possible as to what your requirements are and how the funds on offer will be suited to you.
Finding grants and help with grant applications
There are many foundations offering grants to charities as well as a multitude of websites with an abundance of tools to help you put together a grant application, a few of which we have listed below:
https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/ – Grants Online is the UK’s most comprehensive and up-to-date UK grant funding information service. Filter by region, category, funding agency or organisation and funding type to find grant funding.
https://www.fundingforall.org.uk/available-funds/ – Funding for All mentors you to apply for funds from other trusts and foundations to increase your chances of success.
https://www.getgrants.org.uk/funding-finder/ – Get Grants Funding Finder is a free resource for grant fundraisers with information on hundreds of grant funders, including what they fund, how much they give, and how to apply. They also have training courses on bid writing and how to improve your fundraising success.
Turning things around a bit, if your charity awards grants to people in financial hardship, check out the website Turn 2 Us to explore how you can promote yourself through their Grants Search tool.
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Working-With-Us/Information-and-resources-for-charities
As a final note and whilst we are on the subject of grants, check out the below link to find out how you can nab up to £7000 per month of free ad credits for your charity, relating to paid search with Google Ads:
