Do you need funding
for your organisation or community group?
How I Help Organisations
National Lottery Applications
I help organisations of all sizes and sectors to apply for funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to support their work. The starting fund is Awards For All (£20K).
You need be an organisation with a business/community bank account and at least two Directors. Your project must directly benefit those in the communities you serve.
I have written and advised on many Lottery applications over the last twelve years. I firmly believe that all ideas, big or small, mainstream or niche, can get funded by the Lottery if the application is written in the right way.
Groups can immediately apply for an Awards For All grant to fund a project in a local area. For more established organisations, there are larger grants available through Reaching Communities and partnership working.
Image: New Futures Academy (multi-year Lottery grants - £50,000)
Trusts and Foundations
There are hundreds of charitable trusts and foundations that offer grant funding in the UK. It is important to target those that clearly match your group’s ambitions and that fund in your area. Some require an open letter, others have specific application forms.
Ongoing clients hire me to write proposals to trusts and foundations that are identified as a good match for their work. I have also written successful funding applications to major funding bodies such as Children In Need, Youth Music, Sport England and Arts Council England.
There is a lot of competition for funds so applications will benefit from a strategic approach, a clearly defined case for support and established impact measurement tools.
Image: Oak Circus Centre (Children In Need and Awards For All - £40,000)
Longer Term Development
I regularly meet with organisations to advise on all aspects of fundraising and organisational development, drawing from over 20 years in the sector. Work may include:
Working longer-term with a charity to advise on funding strategy, review their impact measurement procedures and write a range of funding applications
Designing and delivering workshops, away days and consultation events for fundraising staff, Trustee Boards and Senior Leadership Teams
Advising groups that are launching crowdfunding campaigns or appeals, ensuring they reach their maximum potential
Manage a funded programme, where a self-employed professional is preferred
Helping new organisations to set up and giving advice on banking requirements, insurance and policies.
Image: Farmshare CSA (Long-term development work and bid writing)
I raise money for all kinds of Organisations
Unincorporated Association
I helped this new Devon arts organisation to get started; providing a template constitution and advising on banking requirements and public liability insurance. The group formed an 'unincorporated association' which is the simplest form of community organisation and does not need to be formally registered. Their team had little experience of the funding world but with my help has since raised over £50,000 for their activities.
Case Study: Shumba Arts
Registered Charity
Rite To Freedom are a UK-based charity that support people in recovery from addiction. After helping the charity achieve a grant from Awards For All, the Founders were keen to apply for longer-term funding. I worked with them to discuss their impact and evaluation tools and then made a successful application to Reaching Communities (stage 1) and attended meetings with Lottery officers to discuss the bid. Following a long process, £220,000 of funding was achieved for a three-year project of wellbeing interventions for people in recovery.
Case Study: Rite To Freedom
Community Interest Company
The cycling organisation Bicycle Links could apply for grant funding as they are registered as a CIC at Companies House with two Directors. Although their team had managed grants previously, they were not finding time to prepare new funding applications and so commissioned my help. Within three months, a new programme of cycling activities got off the ground. In all, over £30,000 was raised from the National Lottery, Local Enterprise Partnership and several local charitable trusts.
Case Study: Bicycle Links CIC
Client List
Treesisters | Circlewise | Embercombe | Rite To Freedom | Oak Circus Centre | Dying With Grace | Singing Mamas | The Living Projects | Dyslexia Association of London | Jubilation Choirs | Bristol Yoga Roots | Skylarker | Wildwise | Roots and Wings | Stand Easy | Stress Management Society | Music In Devon Intiative | Buckfastleigh Town Council | Drum Nation | Source Point | Ensemble | Shumba Arts | Fiorentini Foundation | Grapes Hill Community Garden | Glastonbury Mothers Collective | Hapstead Farm | New Futures Academy | Indigo Brave | Norwich Farmshare | Kith and Kin | Stories For Change | Lost In Translation Circus | Norwich Men's Shed | Pollen Tribe | Puppet Tree | Roots and Shoots | Shiatsu For Change | Bicycle Links | Blossom Tree Medicine Garden | Clip | Victoria Park Charity | Esteemed Creatives | Indigo Brave | Hockerton Housing Cooperative | Just Sing | Knead | Living Synergy | London Cycling Campaign | Mindfulness Network for People of Colour | The Gathering Gates | Norwich Healthy Living | Okehampton Wellbeing For All | Sustainable Families … and many more.
– Olivia Seck, Founder, Kith and Kin Network CIC
“I think you are quite brilliant James! You have a way of phrasing and a knowledge of what to say that obviously arises out of years of writing funding applications but also out of an innate talent. Really appreciate all your help.”
Organisational Checks
Organisations or new groups seeking funding should check eligibility using this Checklist
Who can apply for grants?
Any kind of not-for-profit organisation, including:
charities, CICs, co-operatives, community benefit societies, not-for-profit limited companies
schools, youth clubs, parish councils, resident associations
unincorporated associations, community groups, volunteer meetings, grassroots initiatives
If you are an individual with a great idea, you could consider starting a new group, with others. Visit your local CVS (Volunteer Centre) for further advice on setting up.
What you need:
A committee of 2 or more people
A simple management document about your group (Constitution or Articles of Association)
A business bank account with two signatories
A safeguarding policy if you are working with children or vulnerable people
You may also require public liability insurance if you are running events
Exact requirements will vary from funder to funder.
Interested in
working with me?
Complete a short enquiry form to tell me about your project. We can then arrange an introductory call to see I can support you.