OUTSIDE CHANCE presentation given at the London PWNE meeting on 22/11/10. More infromation here: http://www.participationworks.org.uk/networks/regional-networks/london/previous-events-in-the-london-region

1. THIS IS NORMALLY A HALF-DAY
PROGRAMME. I HAVE CUT THE
CONTENT TO THE MOST
ESSENTIAL POINTS I COULD
REASONABLY COVER
IN 15 MINUTES.
A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION
WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER
TODAY VIA TREVOR FOR ANYONE
WHO WISHES TO RECEIVE ONE.
SOME OF THE IDEAS AND TIPS
FUNDRAISING WITHIN THIS WORKSHOP HAVE
BEEN ADOPTED BY THE POLICY
TEAM AT THE BIG LOTTERY FUND
QUICK START FROM A SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY
TO WHICH OUTSIDE CHANCE
WORKSHOP CONTRIBUTED EARLIER THIS
YEAR SO YOU MAY SEE THEM IN
PRINT AGAIN IN MARCH 2011.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

2. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – PLAN!
FUNDERS, IN GENERAL, PREFER TO FUND ‘PROJECTS’ RATHER THAN CORE COSTS
IF YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHICH YOU DELIVER UNDER YOUR
OVERALL BUDGET, IDENTIFY THE NUMBER OF ‘PERSON DAYS’ DEVOTED TO EACH
PROJECT AS A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR OVERHEADS – A HALF DAY = 10%
FOR EXAMPLE, OUTSIDE CHANCE’S OVERALL ANNUAL BUDGET IS £150,000 – WE
DELIVER TWO MAIN PROGRAMMES – 90% IN EARLY INTERVENTION WORKSHOPS
IN GREATER LONDON SCHOOLS AND 10% IN ANTI REOFFENDING WORKSHOPS IN
YOUNG OFFENDER UNITS – SO OUR SPLIT OF BUDGETARY NEEDS IS :
OUR WORK IN SCHOOLS = 90% ….. ….. ….. ….. £135,000
OUR WORK IN YOUNG OFFENDER UNITS = 10% ….. ….. £ 15,000
TOTAL ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. £150,000
SPLIT YOUR OVERHEADS ACCORDINGLY, REJIG THEM AS ‘NEW’ PROJECTS COME
ON BOARD, BUILD YOUR CORE COSTS INTO YOUR ‘PROJECT BUDGETS’ ON A PRO
RATA BASIS AND YOU WILL FIND THAT YOUR POOL OF POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS
WILL INCREASE, MAKING THE SECURING OF FUNDS CONSIDERABLY EASIER.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

3. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – IDENTIFY!
THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF POTENTIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE. WE HAVE LISTED
JUST A FEW WHICH HAVE PRODUCED RESULTS FOR US OVER THE YEARS :
GrantNet : http://www.grantnet.org.uk/grantnet3/index.aspx?pid=D51DEA3C-936F-
4B89-8C1E-
F9AC9C16E122&__utma=15147616.53469261171266550.1235131362.1239538188.1
239538866.7&__utmz=15147616.1239538188.6.6.utmcsr=lbhf.gov.uk|utmccn=(refe
rral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/directory/community_and_living/community_advice/f
unding/106544_grantnet_free_funding_search_portal.asp&__utmc=15147616&ASP_
NET_SessionId=kteqcf55arndm4f3a5f23qmu Password = officers
Open 4 Funding : http://www.open4funding.info/Default.aspx
Directory of Social Change : http://www.dsc.org.uk/Home
London Tenders Portal :
https://www.londontenders.org/procontract/supplier.nsf/frm_supplier_registration_wiz
ard_introduction?openform
Fit 4 Funding : http://www.fit4funding.org.uk
OUTSIDE CHANCE

4. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – IDENTIFY!
YOUR LOCAL BOROUGH’S WEBSITE CAN BE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF POTENTIAL
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, EITHER DIRECTLY FROM THEM OR VIA A NEWSLETTER
AS IN THE CASE OF HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM, OUR ‘HOME’ BOROUGH. THEY
PRODUCE ‘FUNDING NEWS’ EVERY TWO MONTHS WHICH GATHERS TOGETHER THE
VARIOUS ‘LIVE’ FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, MANY WITH APPROACHING
DEADLINES. THESE NEWSLETTERS ARE FREE – SIMPLY EMAIL YOUR DETAILS TO
THE BOROUGH IN QUESTION AND AN EMAIL COPY WILL ARRIVE REGULARLY.
A REALLY USEFUL SOURCE OF POTENTIAL FUNDING CAN COME FROM FUNDERS
WHO HAVE SUPPORTED YOU IN THE PAST. AFTER ALL, THEY ALREADY KNOW
YOU! BY PRODUCING A ONE PAGE, TWO SIDED QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ON
WHAT WE ARE DOING, OUTSIDE CHANCE HAS SECURED CONTINUANCE GRANTS
FROM SEVERAL FUNDERS. IN EACH CASE, THEY ADVISED US, AFTER READING
OUR NEWSLETTERS, THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO CONSIDER A FURTHER BID.
IT WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY SADISTIC GRANTS OFFICER WHO WOULD INVITE
YOU TO REAPPLY, KNOWING HOW MUCH EFFORT WOULD GO INTO YOUR BID
ONLY TO THEN REJECT YOU! DOING SO MIGHT ACTUALLY REFLECT ON THEM
RATHER THAN YOU!
OUTSIDE CHANCE

5. KEEP AN EMPTY FOLDER
HANDY AND JUST DROP
ANY NOTES OR NEWS
ITEMS INTO IT
WHENEVER THEY
HAPPEN.
PUBLISH THE
NEWSLETTER – IN PDF
FORMAT! - QUARTERLY
TO KEEP FUNDERS, PAST
AND PRESENT, UP TO
DATE WITH PROGRESS.
COPY THE LAST 2-3
NEWSLETTERS INTO ANY
NEW BIDS. THIS WILL
REASSURE ANY
POTENTIAL NEW
FUNDERS THAT YOU
ARE VERY LIKELY TO
KEEP IN TOUCH!
OUTSIDE CHANCE

6. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – IDENTIFY!
ANOTHER EXCELLENT SOURCE OF POTENTIAL FUNDERS IS TO ACQUIRE A COPY OF
YOUR ‘SISTER’ AGENCIES ANNUAL REPORTS, IE THOSE PERHAPS LARGER BODIES
WHO DELIVER SERVICES SIMILAR TO YOURS.
CONSIDER JOINT, PARTNERSHIP OR CONSORTIUM BIDS WITH CAUTION!
FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY YEAR, WE GET COPIES OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE
PRISON REFORM TRUST, THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM, NACRO, ETC.
IN THE NOTES TO THEIR ACCOUNTS, THEY USUALLY LIST ALL OF THEIR
SUPPORTERS WHO HAVE GIVEN GRANTS IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS.
WE WORK ON THE BASIS THAT IF THEY FUNDED A SIMILAR ORGANISATION TO
OUTSIDE CHANCE FOR A SIMILAR PROJECT, THEY MIGHT FUND US TOO. THIS
ALSO GIVES YOU SOME SORT OF GUIDELINES AS TO HOW MUCH THEY ARE LIKELY
TO GIVE.
READ THE FUNDING GUIDELINES! IF THERE ARE ANY AREAS OF AMBIGUITY, CALL
THE FUNDER FOR CLARIFICATION. WRITE YOUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE
CALL. THIS ALSO GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE
PERSON WHO, WHILST THEY CAN’T SAY ‘YES’ TO YOUR BID, CAN OFTEN MAKE
SURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS PRESENTED IN THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

7. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – COSTING
FUNDERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VALUE FOR MONEY WHEN JUDGING A
GRANT APPLICATION, PARTICULARLY IN THESE AUSTERE TIMES.
A PROJECT COSTING £100,000 WHICH WILL DELIVER OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES
TO 100 SERVICE USERS MIGHT LOSE OUT WHEN MATCHED TO A SIMILAR PROJECT
FOR A SIMILAR SERVICE WHICH WILL DELIVER 150 OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES FOR
THE SAME MONEY.
WE ALWAYS PROVIDE A ‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ RATIO OF SUPPORT REQUESTED TO
IMPACT SAVINGS ON PUBLIC FUNDS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ARE ASKING FOR
£10,000 IN PARTIAL PROJECT SUPPORT FROM A FUNDER, WE SHOW THAT THIS
WILL ENABLE US TO DELIVER OUR SCHOOLS WORKSHOPS TO 1,500 STUDENTS =
£6.67 PER HEAD. WE ALSO SHOW THAT £10,000 EQUATES TO THE COST OF
DETAINING JUST ONE INMATE AT HM YOI FELTHAM FOR A PERIOD OF 10 WEEKS.
AN INVALUABLE SOURCE OF PUBLIC SECTOR DATA AND COSTS TO SUPPORT YOUR
GRANT APPLICATIONS CAN BE FOUND AT THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS :
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html
TRUST FOR LONDON’S WEBSITE ALSO HAS EXCELLENT LONDON RESEARCH DATA :
http://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/
OUTSIDE CHANCE

8. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – COSTING
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE! ALWAYS OVERESTIMATE YOUR BUDGET NEEDS! WE
TEND TO BUILD IN 5-10% EXTRA INTO OUR PROJECT COSTINGS. FUNDERS WILL
NOT PROVIDE ‘CONTINGENCY’ COSTS, IE TO COVER ANYTHING YOU DIDN’T THINK
OF AT THE INITIAL BID STAGE – FOR EXAMPLE, THE FORTHCOMING INCREASE IN
VAT TO 20%, PARTICULARLY ON RENTS, CAPITAL EQUIPMENT COSTS, LEASES,
ETC.
HOWEVER, IF YOU BUILD A LITTLE EXTRA INTO YOUR PROJECTED COSTS AT THE
OUTSET, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITIES
AND THE BIG LOTTERY FUND WHICH PROVIDE PUBLIC MONEY, FUNDERS WILL,
INVARIABLY, ALLOW YOU TO RETAIN ANY SURPLUS YOU MAY HAVE LEFT OVER AT
THE END OF A PROJECT SINCE IT IS USUALLY MORE HASSLE FOR THEM TO TAKE
THE FUNDS BACK INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS.
HOWEVER, YOU MUST ADVISE YOUR FUNDER OF ANY SURPLUS AND ASK THEM IF
YOU CAN RETAIN THE FUNDS ‘IN THE FURTHERANCE OF YOUR WORK’. THIS
ENABLES YOU TO STEADILY BUILD YOUR ‘UNRESTRICTED RESERVES’. WE HAVE
YET TO ENCOUNTER A FUNDER WHO HAS REFUSED SUCH A REQUEST. EVEN THE
BIG LOTTERY FUND ALLOWED US TO USE A SURPLUS OF THEIR GRANT FUNDS TO
PROVIDE ‘PLATFORM COSTS’ FOR A NEW PROJECT IN HM YOI FELTHAM.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

9. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE BID!
READ THE GUIDELINES AND KEEP THEM BESIDE YOU. WE QUOTE ACTUAL
PHRASES FROM A FUNDER’S GUIDELINES IN OUR BIDS. THIS SHOWS FUNDERS
THAT YOU HAVE NOT ONLY READ THE GUIDELINES BUT ALSO THAT YOU HAVE
FLAGGED UP HOW THEY EQUATE TO THE SERVICE YOU WISH TO PROVIDE.
IF YOU ARE DELIVERING SERVICES, GET AND INCLUDE THIRD PARTY FEEDBACK
VIA EMAILS, LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM SERVICE USERS, OTHER FUNDERS AND
EVALUATION FORMS. GRANT MAKING TRUSTS TAKE CONSIDERABLE NOTE OF
THIRD PARTY FEEDBACK IN THEIR FUNDING DECISIONS.
ALWAYS QUOTE THE SOURCES OF YOUR RESEARCH OTHERWISE FUNDERS MIGHT
ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE CONCOCTED YOUR FINDINGS. IF NECESSARY, INCLUDE
A HIGHLIGHTED PAPER COPY OF THE RESEARCH REPORT IN QUESTION.
BE CAREFUL NEVER TO USE JARGON, ABBREVIATIONS OR ACRONYMS. THEY TRIP
OFF OUR TONGUES EVERY DAY BUT MAY BE ABSOLUTELY MEANINGLESS TO A
GRANTS OFFICER WHO IS REVIEWING A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS IN BROAD
FIELDS OF INTEREST. IF THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN,
THE CHANCES ARE THAT YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED. THIS IS
PARTICULARLY TRUE OF SMALL GRANT MAKING TRUSTS WITH PERHAPS ONLY ONE
OR TWO PART-TIME STAFF.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

10. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE BID!
WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR DRAFT GRANT APPLICATION, GET SOMEONE
WHO HAS NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER WITH YOUR WORK TO READ THE BID.
ASK THEM TO HIGHLIGHT ANY POINTS THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. YOUR LOCAL
VOLUNTEER CENTRE CAN BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN THIS RESPECT.
DON’T ARGUE WITH YOUR BID CHECKER! SIMPLY MAKE THE CHANGES THEY
SUGGEST.
DEADLINES! GET YOUR BID IN WELL BEFORE THE DEADLINE IF THERE IS ONE.
A LAST MINUTE, HAND DELIVERED ‘PANIC’ BID MIGHT GIVE THE FUNDER THE
IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS HOW YOU WILL DELIVER YOUR PROJECT.
ALWAYS SEND YOUR BID BY ‘RECORDED SIGNED FOR’ ROYAL MAIL DELIVERY,
REGARDLESS OF VALUE. THIS ENABLES YOU TO TRACK ONLINE ITS SAFE ARRIVAL
AT THE FUNDER’S OFFICES. OTHERWISE, YOU MIGHT WAIT FOR WEEKS FOR
NEWS OF A BID THAT YOUR POTENTIAL FUNDER NEVER RECEIVED.
KEEP YOUR COPY BID AND ANY SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION IMMEDIATELY TO
HAND. IF YOUR POTENTIAL GRANTS OFFICER CALLS TO DISCUSS YOUR BID, IT
DOES NOT GIVE THE BEST IMPRESSION IF THEY ARE KEPT WAITING WHILST YOU
RIFLE THROUGH THE PAPERWORK ON YOUR DESK TO FIND IT. KEEP A ‘DO NOT
TOUCH’ FOLDER WITH YOUR VARIOUS ‘LIVE’ BIDS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER ON A
SHELF NEXT TO YOUR DESK FOR QUICK ACCESS.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

11. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE GRANT!
SUCCESS! YOU’VE GOT THE FUNDING. ACKNOWLEDGE THE GRANT AS SOON AS
YOU RECEIVE THE GRANT LETTER, THANK THE FUNDER FOR THEIR SUPPORT BUT
DON’T ACCEPT THE GRANT! THAT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR
TRUSTEES – NOT OF THE DIRECTOR, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OR ANY EMPLOYEE.
EXPLAIN IN YOUR LETTER THAT A COPY OF THE FUNDER’S GRANT LETTER HAS
BEEN EMAILED/POSTED TO YOUR TRUSTEES FOR THEIR ACCEPTANCE AND THAT
YOU WILL WRITE FURTHER IN DUE COURSE. THIS SHOWS SOUND GOVERNANCE,
AN ADHERENCE TO YOUR CONSTITUTION AND YOUR INTERNAL PROCEDURES AND
WILL INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN THE FUNDER.
WHEN YOU HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED YOUR TRUSTEES’ EMAILED/WRITTEN
CONFIRMATION OF GRANT ACCEPTANCE, WRITE TO THE FUNDER TO ADVISE
THEM ACCORDINGLY, REQUESTING THAT THEY RELEASE THE GRANT PAYMENT.
IMMEDIATELY DIARISE THAT YOU WILL REPORT TO THE FUNDER IN 12 MONTHS.
PUT A DATE 11 MONTHS AHEAD INTO YOUR ORGANISER AND THEN AGAIN AT 12
MONTHS. AT 11 MONTHS, EMAIL/WRITE TO YOUR FUNDER TO REMIND THEM
THAT YOU WILL BE REPORTING TO THEM IN A MONTH’S TIME – GOOD PRACTICE!
DON’T WAIT TO BE PROMPTED ….. OR SUMMONED! FUNDERS TALK!
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FUNDERS ADVISED OF YOUR PROGRESS.
OUTSIDE CHANCE

12. DEVELOPING YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY – THE FUTURE!
AS MUCH AS WE IN THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR GET
TOGETHER TO HAVE MEETINGS, SO DO THE GRANT MAKING TRUSTS. THE
‘LONDON FUNDERS’ GROUP AND THE ‘ASSOCIATION OF CHARITABLE
FOUNDATIONS’ MEET REGULARLY TO DISCUSS THEIR FUTURE …. AND OURS!
THEY DISCUSS FUNDING TRENDS, AREAS OF INTEREST, POTENTIAL MERGERS
SUCH AS THE CITY PAROCHIAL FOUNDATION WITH THE TRUST FOR LONDON,
THEIR ASSETS, POOLING OF RESOURCES, ETC. WE TALK ABOUT THEM SO I
SUPPOSE IT’S ONLY TO BE EXPECTED THAT THEY WILL TALK ABOUT US. SOME OF
THE MAJOR TALKING POINTS AT THEIR MEETINGS ARE POOR PERFORMANCE,
ERRATIC SERVICE DELIVERY, VALUE FOR MONEY, WHO IS DOING WHAT, ETC.
PARTICULARLY IN THESE AUSTERE TIMES, FUNDING WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT TO SECURE. ONLY BY STEPPING UP OUR OWN GAME TO MEET THE
CHALLENGES THAT WILL FACE US, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE OUR PROCEDURES
AND SYSTEMS IN FIRST CLASS ORDER, TO KEEP OUR FUNDERS INFORMED OF OUR
PROBLEMS AS WELL AS OUR SUCCESSES, ARE WE, AS A SECTOR, LIKELY TO
SURVIVE. COMPETITION FOR WHAT FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE WILL BE
FIERCE. GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
OUTSIDE CHANCE