Let’s be honest, creating successful proposals and grants for community project funding is tough. You may have the best project ever, that’s doing great things in your community, creating massive social impact, but getting funding can be a nightmare. Typically only 15-20% of grant applications succeed in the UK. So you are in fierce competition with every else and their emotionally hijacking pet cat project. Noone has told you the rules, but you need to get that funding for the community project you care so much about. That’s why I’m here to help and I’ve written this guide just for you.
Three Key Takeaways to Create a Winning Funding Application For A Project:
1. Communicate Strategically: Clearly articulate your project’s impact, tell your story about why you can uniquely deliver funder’s goals.
2. Understand the Funder’s Perspective: Tailor your application to meet the specific interests and requirements of the funder.
3. Rigorously Prepare & Get Feedback: Thoroughly prepare your proposal and seek feedback widely to refine and strengthen your application.
Fighting to Change Your Community For Better?
How do you put together a great community project funding proposals and grants? When you’re looking for funding for a project, the process can seem overwhelming. However, with the right strategy and approach, your project can secure the funding it needs to succeed. It is not enough to have a good project. You need to make sure you communicate it well and give funders confidence in your application. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about applying for project funding for community projects. Whether it’s understanding the application process, writing strong proposals and grants and gr or getting help with your application.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Community Project Funding Proposal & Grants
What is a Social Project?
A community project is a form of social project; A social project can be defined as initiatives, interventions or social innovations that aim to address social issues, such as poverty, inequality, health, education, or community development. The aims of a social project are always some form of social change. Meaning that the impact will always be a social impact on people.
A social project is different in nature from many other types of project. This is because they are predominantly aimed at addressing wicked problems. That does not mean they are evil! It means they can never be fully understood or solved. They can only be improved addressed and navigated, and certainly not in a narrowly defined timeframe.
What is a Community Project?
A community project is an initiative designed to address a specific need or problem within a local community. Normally these problems are causing stress or challenges from the community. They are typified by a negative social impact on the health and well being of the community. These projects aim to improve the quality of life for community members, enhance local environments, promote social cohesion, or address specific social, cultural, environmental, or economic challenges. Community projects are characterised by their focus on local participation and benefits.
What is The Difference Between a Community and a Social Project?
A community project is similar to a social project, but it focuses on creating a specific change in a particular community. This may or may not include a social issue directly, but as it affecting the community the outcome will certainly be a social impact. So in practical terms a community project is a subset of social projects.
Both social and community projects both have in common the aim of creating change in people. People and social systems are messy and complex. This means social & community projects are a special type of projects and is totally different from the types of projects used to build bridges or create software. Social and community projects are special because people are special.
Is There a Difference Between Project Funding Applications For Social And Community Projects.
For the purpose of funding applications there is no difference between community and social project funding applications. Purely because to get funded everyone social project will need to define their community. From here on in for ease of reading I refer to only community project funding. However in terms of practice their really is no difference between applying for a funding application for a community project and a social project for a social intervention, as for funding a social project will still have to specify a community. The only slight difference is on emphasis a social project will emphasis the wider social cultural goal more.
What is a Project Funding Proposal for a Community Project?
A funding proposal is a formal written request for funds to support a specific project or activity. This document is crafted by individuals or organisations (applicants) seeking financial assistance. The funding proposal is submitted to funders, such as governments, corporations, foundations, or social impact investors. A well structured funding proposal will outline the project’s objectives, the problem it aims to solve, the proposed solution, a detailed budget, and the expected outcomes and impacts as well as the change process. The purpose of the proposal is to convince the funder that the project is worthwhile, feasible, and aligned with the funder’s objectives and values.
What is a Grant for a Community Project?
A grant is a sum of money given by governments, organisations, foundations, or Trusts to finance a particular project or activity. This primarily for public health and wellbeing, research, education, or the arts. Grants are typically awarded based on the merit of the application, relevance to the grantor’s objectives, and the potential for social impact. Unlike loans, grants do not have to be repaid, making them highly sought after for community projects. The application for a grant often involves submitting a proposal detailing how the funds will be used and the expected benefits.
Difference Between a Funding Proposal and a Grant
Funding and grants are difference, but it’s mostly in the language people use about them. To get technical the main difference between a funding proposal and a grant lies in their nature and function within the funding process:
- Nature: A funding proposal is a document or application created and submitted by someone seeking financial support. It is essentially a pitch or argument as to why a project deserves funding. On the other hand, a grant is the financial support itself, provided by a funder to the recipient to carry out the proposed work.
- Function: The function of a funding proposal is to persuade potential funders of the value and feasibility of a project. It is an essential step in the process of seeking financial assistance. A grant, however, represents the outcome of a successful funding proposal; it is the financial assistance provided to implement the project described in the proposal.
In reality the process of creating an application for a funding proposal and a grant is the same. The terms really refer to the nature of the funding not the application.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip 1:
The key to understanding the whole bidding process for community project funding proposals and grants is that the funder wants a social change. Not an activity, not an output but better outcomes for a specific group of people. That is what should be the heart of your bid.
What are Project Funding Proposals and Grants?
Project funding proposals and grants are formal documents that outlines the objectives, methodology, timeline, and expected outcomes of a project. Project funding proposals are submitted to secure funding for a particular project. This funding can come from a variety of sources. These include government agencies, private foundations, companies, and individual donors. Successful project funding bids require a clear understanding of the funding landscape. As well as how your project fits into that landscape. As I explain in my blog article ‘What is a Project Funding Proposal’. A project funding proposal can be seen as a flow of information that connects the capabilities of the applicant with the needs of the funder.
What is the Main Purpose of A Project Funding Proposal or Grant Application?
The main purpose of a project funding proposal or grant application is to enable the funder to achieve a particular strategic goal of the funder (not the applicant). The proposal or grant is a means that the applicant can show that they have the operational capability to meet that strategic goal.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: What does the Funder Believe Needs Changing.
A community project funding proposals and grants therefore needs to understand the specific social change that the funder wants to achieve. Do not fall into the trap of assuming that the funder will support your social impact, purely because it is a good thing. It needs to match the specific change the funder wants.
A project funding proposal or grant application is a communication that you have the capability to achieve a funder’s intentions of creating their desired impact.
Leading to ImPact
How to Get Started With A Community Project Funding Proposal or Grant Application
To start a community project funding proposal or grant application, follow these steps:
- Identify Community Needs: Research to pinpoint a significant local issue your project will address.
- Find Funding Sources: Look for local governments, businesses, foundations, and crowdfunding platforms interested in projects like yours.
- Research The Funders: What Are Their Requirements? When Do They Accept the Proposals or Grants? How Much do they Fund?
- Develop Project Description: Outline your project’s objectives, target audience, implementation plan, and anticipated impact.
- Prepare a High Level Budget: Include a clear breakdown of all project costs to ensure transparency.
- Highlight Sustainability: Show how your project will continue to benefit the community post-funding.
- Customise Your Proposal or Grant: Tailor each proposal or grant to align with the specific values and goals of potential funders.
Once you have completed these steps or as you go consult widely with stakeholders. What do they want what is possible? Build momentum and support for your change.
J-P‘s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Know Your History
Research is crucial, the most important thing is has someone tried this somewhere else. What was the outcome, how similar or different is your work. Many social impact investors and commissioners are experts in the things they fund, so they will very likely know if something like it was done before and whether or not it worked, so you need to know too.
How Can I Get My Community Project Funded: Expert tips
To enhance your community project’s chances of getting funded start by crafting a compelling narrative that underscores your project’s impact, aligning it with the specific interests and priorities of potential funders. (I’ve found Marshall Ganz’s Public Narrative can be a helpful tool) Explore diverse funding sources, including grants, crowdfunding, and partnerships with corporations or foundations. Who has funded community projects in the past. What did they fund?
Networking plays a crucial role; engaging with industry events and online platforms can uncover new opportunities and partnerships. Lastly, consider leveraging digital platforms for crowdfunding, offering a unique way to engage a broader audience and validate your project’s appeal to potential investors. To give your community project funding proposals and grants the best chance of success.
I’ve created a simple powerful guide to get you started with getting your community project funded.
Of course for more information please read on the rest of this guide and explore the attached blog articles. I also offer direct support for funding proposals & Grant Applications.
What are the Types of Project Funding?
There are 4 Main Types of Project Funding:
- Grant proposals: Grants are funds provided by foundations, corporations or government agencies. They are used to create projects that make changes that align with their mission or funding priorities. They are usually one-off and time-limited. They are the most common form of direct funding and can be both external and internal to an organisation.
- Contract proposals: A contract is an agreement between two parties. In the contract, one party agrees to provide a service or product to the other party in exchange for payment. This is typically a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and is much less common for a project. However, a project can be a pilot that develops into an ongoing contracted service.
- Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is a method of raising funds by soliciting small donations from a large number of people. This can be done through online platforms such as Kickstarter or GoFundMe. It’s less common to use these methods to fund a community project. However, they are becoming increasingly popular for technology projects with social benefits.
- Donations: Donations are funds given by individuals or organisations. They are often earmarked for a specific cause. They tend to be funds that are used to start a project based on a desired social impact. The volatility of the donation process means that it is often an unreliable source of funding for a long-term project.
For a more detailed guide to the different types of project funding please read this guide. The guide includes the pros and cons of each type and some tips to applying for each type of fund.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Diversify Your Funding
One of the great secrets of successful charities, social enterprises and community projects is that they have a mix of funding types. This means they are never dependent on any one funder or person. It also gives them flexibility as the project scales up. Yes it’s amazing to have a big grant from a single donor. But you are then completely dependent on one donor and life is unpredictable.
Requirements for Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants
Each community project proposal or grant has it’s own requirements set by the funders. It’s important to check that your project meets the requirements and to fill any gaps. The requirements are likely to have a significant impact on the type of community project you develop. Requirements are likely to include
- The type of project being proposed.
- The type of organisation applying.
- The geographical location of the project.
- The project budget.
- The timeframe for carrying out the project.
- The target group or beneficiaries of the project.
- The applicant’s experience and qualifications.
- Data management restrictions. (data protection and confidentiality)
- Use of a specific methodology or technology.
- Requirements for reporting and evaluation.
- The desired impact.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Evidence Your Claims
This is often the main reason funding proposals and grants fails. The proposal and grants simply didn’t provide enough evidence they met the requirements. Yes it’s dull, boring and bureaucratic. But that’s the test! If someone is not thorough in ticking the requirements box it is the easiest reason for a funder to say no to a bid.
What is the Basic Structure of a Proposal or Grant Application?
A proposal typically consists of the following basic structure:
- Title Page: Contains the proposal’s title, name of the person or organization submitting the proposal, and the date.
- Executive Summary: A brief overview of the proposal’s main points, intended for readers who may not have time to read the full document.
- Problem Statement or Needs Assessment: Briefly describes the problem or need that the proposal aims to address.
- Context or History of the Problem: This puts the problem in context why is there is an issue, what are the consequences.
- Objectives: Outlines the goals or outcomes the proposal seeks to achieve.
- Methodology or Approach: Details the methods, strategies, or processes that will be used to achieve the objectives.
- Timeline: Provides an estimated schedule or timeline for the project or activities proposed.
- Budget: Lists the projected costs associated with the proposal, including materials, human resources, and other expenses.
- Expected Outcomes: What is the impact that project is expecting to achieve.
- Evaluation: The process by which the outcomes and benefits of the project is expected to measured.
- Risks and Issues: Identifies pottential key risks to the project achieving it’s goals and mitigations.
- Conclusion: Summarizes the proposal and reinforces the importance of the project or need.
- Appendices: Additional materials that support the proposal, such as resumes, letters of support, or detailed data
How to Create Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants For Social Impact
What is The Application Process for Community Project Funding Proposals & Grants?
The application process for community project funding proposals and grants varies depending on the funder and the type of proposal or grant being submitted. In general, the process may involve the following steps
- Testing viability of solutions at a small scale.
- Researching potential funders and their funding priorities.
- Details of the proposal or grant are published and a deadline is set.
- Check the eligibility criteria.
- Contacting the funder for additional information or questions.
- Preparing and submitting a proposal or grant by the deadline
- Answer any clarifying questions.
- Wait for a response from the funder.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Make Your Calendar Your Friend Not Your Enemy
Know your dates. Put the key dates in your diary as soon as you know them. Do not leave things to the last minute. (Everyone does) Making the whole process a stressful panic. If you can block out time in your diary you can reduce a lot of the stress. Just be aware it always takes longer than planned. It even has a name The Planning Fallacy.
How to Successfully Ask for Funding for Your Project
Asking for funding or support for a community project can be a daunting task. You will have to personally represent your project. Yes you. It’s important that every project needs a human face. You will need to create a compelling pitch to persuade key decision-makers to believe in your project.
i) Define your project and its objectives
ii) Research potential sources of funding
iii) Create a compelling story
iv) Prepare an elevator pitch
v) Practice your pitch
vi) Schedule a meeting
vii) Deliver your pitch with confidence
viii) Follow up after the meeting
ix) Be persistent
x) Be prepared for rejection
xi) Listen to feedback and learn how to improve.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Practice Makes Presentation Perfection
Presenting is a skill. It gets better with practice. Only very experienced presenters can just switch it on, at the time they choose. It is said there is only 1 law in psychology practice makes better. You will never regret practicing. You will always regret not practicing.
How to Write Project Funding Proposals and Grants That Win Funding?
Winning community project funding proposals and grants will typically include the following components:
- Executive Summary: Provide an accurate and concise overview of the project. This must include the problem, the intervention and the expected impact.
- Introduction: An introduction to the organisation or individual submitting the proposal.
- Statement of Need: A clear description of the problem or need of your community that the project will address. This should include data or research to support the statement.
- Aims and Objectives: A clear and concise statement of the community project’s goals and objectives. This should include measurable outcomes.
- Project Plan: A detailed, step-by-step description of how the project will be carried out. This will include timelines and deliverables for each milestone.
- Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Demonstrates that the target audience is involved in the process. Not just your community, but other key people who can affect the impact of your project. A communication plan is also required to increase the reach of the project.
- Budget: A detailed budget outlining the costs of the project and how, when and where funds will be used.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: A plan for how the impact of the project will be monitored throughout. Also a plan for evaluating the success of the project at the end, including methods for data collection and analysis.
- Innovation: This will usually be a theme throughout the bid. These set out the ‘winning factors’ for the application. What makes this proposal unique and of particular value to the funder.
- Impact assessment: Evidence that the project will achieve the intended impact.
- Scalability and Sustainability Plan: A plan to ensure the long-term impact of the project beyond the funding period. Depending on the project, a plan for scaling up impact is also an important consideration.
- Conclusion: A concise summary of the project, its costs and expected impact.
This 10 point plan is based on several years of experience working as both creating and assessing finding processes and submitting my own applications. Read more in my 10 steps to creating a successful project funding proposal.
J-P‘s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Save Working Now, Saves Future Work Later
It might seem like there is a lot of work to do. That’s because there is. So do yourself a favour save everything. Keep versions numbered and dated so you don’t get confused. If you keep a good record win or lose, the next time you go for funding you only have to update the old work, which saves tons of time.
What is a Good Community Project Funding Application Template Structure for Proposals and Grants?
Creating standout community project funding proposals and grant applications is crucial for securing grants in the competitive field of social impact initiatives. With a success rate hovering around 20-25% (according to the BMJ) a well crafted funding application template can significantly tip the scales in your favour. This template not only streamlines the application process, but also clarifies project requirements, enhancing the overall quality of submissions.
For commissioners and social impact investors, a project funding application template offers several key advantages:
- Easier comparison between applications by providing a standardised format.
- Enhances decision making through a structured review process, potentially incorporating a scoring system to assess bids.
- Manages investment risks more effectively by ensuring all bids consider essential requirements, leading to higher quality applications.
For applicants; communities charities, social enterprises, and not for profits, the benefits of using a project funding application template are
- Increases the proposals or grants chances of success by guiding the applicant through a structured format that covers all necessary information.
- Encourages thorough preparation and detailed planning, which can improve the proposal’ or grant applications clarity and impact.
- Provides a competitive edge by helping applicants to present their projects as professional, well-considered, and aligned with the investor’s criteria.
Please find a successful template for a project funding application here.
Following a template is actually pretty essential. The people assessing the bid almost always mark your bid according to the template. But keep an eye on what makes you and your project unique, use that as a golden thread running through your proposal.
What are the Do’s and Dont’s of Writing Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Applications?
My Tips for Writing a Winning Project Funding Proposals and Grants
Good communication is at the heart of creating good community project funding proposals and grants. You want to close any gaps in the flow of information to build confidence in your bid. So there is as much confidence and as few doubts as possible in the mind of the investor. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when writing community project funding proposals and grants. Writing a strong proposal or grant application requires a strategic approach. This approach will highlight the unique aspects of your project while addressing the needs of the funder. When writing your proposal or grant application, consider the following tips to make your proposal or grant stand out:
- Use clear, concise language.
- Be clear about the steps and milestones to achieve the project.
- Tailor your proposal or grant to the funder’s priorities and requirements.
- Focus on the outcomes and impact of your project.
- Use data and research to support your project’s statement of need and objectives.
- Use concrete examples and user stories to illustrate the need for your project.
- Demonstrate your organisation’s expertise and experience in the area.
- Use visuals, such as charts or graphs, to illustrate key information.
- Include a sustainability plan that outlines how the project will continue beyond the funding period.
- Develop of a coherent and compelling narrative. Weave the story of why your organisation and project is best placed to deliver impact throughout your application.
J-‘P‘s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Learn From Others Experience
(Yes this is an extra tip on the end of my own tips list but this is going outside the rules.) Find out who has won funding from the funder before. Find out what they did how they did it. What made them win? Also find out how they liked working for the funder. What kind of relationship the funder wants. Some want to know everything, others want you to go away and get on with it. It’s important to know which you are dealing with.
What are Common Mistakes to Avoid in Writing a Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants?
All too often community project funding proposals and grant applications fail because of the same common mistakes. Many of these can be seem to be creating gaps and uncertainty in the flow of information. Even the best project can lose a funding bid because of mistakes in the bid writing process. To increase your chances of success, avoid these common mistakes to avoid being one of the many projects that never get funded:
- Failing to tailor your proposals and grants to the funder’s priorities and requirements.
- Including irrelevant or unnecessary information.
- Failing to clearly articulate the need for your project.
- Overemphasising the problems and challenges without proposing a clear solution.
- Including lots of unnecessary jargon or phrases that break the flow of the document and can be difficult to understand.
- Neglecting to include a sustainability plan.
- Not fully considering the risks around your project.
- Underestimating the knowledge, skills and expertise required to deliver the project. (Dunning-Kruger Effect)
- Poor decision making from cognitive biases that typically plague project planning process. These include: the planning fallacy, confirmation bias, availability heuristics, the framing effect, belief bias and others
- Underestimating and not taking into account the practical challenges around implementation.
- Poor grammar and writing. (It is not uncommon for a good proposals and grants to fail simply because of poor writing, which undermines the credibility of the proposals and grants).
- Creating proposals and grants with too much detail that is too complicated and difficult to understand.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Everyone Makes Mistakes
Funding proposals and grants applications are complicated. They need a fair bit of expertise and experience to do well. Don’t be too hard on yourself for making mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and find a way to improve. You have not failed because the bid did. It may just have been others were a bit better or had a bit better relationship with the funders.
How to Get Feedback on Your Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants
Getting feedback on your project funding proposals and grants is an important consideration. Again this is about closing gaps in the flow of information. Whilst that may be the intention to ask all too often, due to deadlines and other pressures, this can be seen as a nice to have. It is often the case that the first feedback people receive outside their organisation is whether or not their bid has been unsuccessful. Writing proposals and grants applications are complicated, with a wide range of skills required and a lot of information to consider. With the pressure and stress of looming deadlines, our creativity diminishes just when we need it most. (Vartanian et al, 2020).
We also have a limited view of the world. We can only make decisions from the one perspective we already have. It can be easy to get lost in the details of the offer and not see the wood for the trees. It can be difficult to get a rounded view of proposals and grants. This is important because the evaluators are likely to have a very different perspective to yours. Before submitting your proposals and grants, it’s important to get feedback from others. Consider sharing your proposals and grants with colleagues and peers, or ask a project coach for feedback and suggestions.
Of course, it is important to consult widely with your community. They will often have important knowledge and insights. Together with an understanding of the practical implementation of your project. Consulting them is also an opportunity to engage and gain advocates and champions for your work.
While it can be helpful to engage the target population, they are unlikely to be able to give you feedback on your proposal and grant application document. That’s why I’ve created the Project Funding Strength Test. This assessment is designed to give you feedback and targeted advice to help you write a proposals and grants that will make your them shine. This tool will assess the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal or grant, allowing you to focus on areas that need improvement. Learn more about the Project Funding Strength Test Here.
How Can I Get Help with My Community Project Funding Proposal or Grant
Writing successful proposals and grants for project funding is a complicated process. It requires a wide range of skills, including research, writing and presentation skills. For many, this can be a daunting task, especially if they have limited experience of writing bids. Other skills needed include project planning, stakeholder engagement, budgeting and social impact measurement.
By working with the Leading to Impact you can gain valuable insight and guidance on how to write a winning project funding proposals and grants. I can give you feedback on your proposal or grant. I can help you identify areas for improvement and give you guidance on how to write a compelling narrative. I can also equip you with new skills and tools to improve your skills in the future. The benefit of independent help also means that you get a fresh set of expert eyes on your bid before it is submitted.
What Are the Steps to Consulting on a Funding Proposal or Grant Application?
- Complete the Free Project Funding Strength Test
- Book a free 30 min discovery call: We will discuss your project and your goals for the funding bid.
- Strategy development: Based on the feedback from the proposal review, the coach will work with you to develop a strategy to help you improve your proposal. This may include developing a stronger narrative, addressing weaknesses in the proposal, looking at the metrics or refining your writing and presentation skills.
- Coaching sessions: We will work together through a series of coaching sessions. During which we will provide guidance and support as you work on your proposal. As well as helping you with tools to create a better bid.
Please find details on how Leading To Impact can help you with your proposal at edgeofpossible.com/project-funding-bid-consulting/
How to Finalise Your Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Applications?
Submitting Your Project Funding Application
When submitting your community project funding proposals and grants, make sure you have followed all the funder’s requirements. Check that all the necessary documents are included. Then double check everything. If you can get others to help they will often spot something easily missed.
All too often, submissions are made on the day of the deadline. Deadline day can often be a day of panic and stress. I’d recommend having a plan before the day and checking key things before the deadline, such as who needs to sign off the application and who is on annual leave! Check for mistakes and make sure your proposals and grants are well organised and easy to read. I strongly recommend that you read the proposal or grant out loud. Even printing it out and reading the information on paper really helps to spot small mistakes.
In terms of submission, make sure you take screenshots and keep emails as proof that the community project funding proposals and grants were submitted on time. Technical errors and problems do happen. Finally, do not forget to check, edit and CLEARLY LABEL all supporting information and appendices. It can really frustrate evaluators to have to make sense of a bunch of attached documents if it’s not clear what they are.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Know Their Timetable
The time after submitting can be a nervous stressful time. Some organisations can take a few days to get back to you. A week or two is normal. Some (almost always) public sector organisations can take months. Yes months!! I worked at a hospital where the average funding request would take 18 months to get an answer. That wasn’t even unusual. So my tip is ask them how quickly they will get back to you with an answer. If you haven’t heard back by the time they said they will it gives you an excuse to give them another call.
Following Up on Your Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants
After submitting your community project funding proposal or grant, it’s important to follow up with the funder to make sure they’ve received it. It’s an opportunity to make friendly contact. It is quite common for reviewers to have questions that they may want more information on while they are reviewing your application. So make sure you are on the ball and ready to respond quickly to any requests. It’s also important to maintain a positive relationship with the funder, regardless of the outcome of your application.
Securing Funding for Your Project
Congratulations, you have secured that vital funding for your project.
Securing funding is something to celebrate with your community! Especially after all the stress of putting together a bid and the time (often weeks) of waiting to find out if it has been successful. Make sure you mark the occasion by publicly recognising all the people involved and thanking them for their contribution. Only about 15-20% community project funding applications are successful in getting grants.
Once you calm down, take the time to ensure you follow the terms and conditions of the grant or contract, and keep the funder informed of your project’s progress. In particular, you need to understand and monitor any procedures for transferring funds. Make sure you notify and talk to all the financial people you need to get the money where it needs to go.
Be aware of delays in the implementation of a project and whether this will cause problems with funding later on. (Usually, funding that extends beyond a financial year is something that can be a real problem later on). Now you know it’s actually happening, be sure to use the opportunity to consult your stakeholders, it’s a great opportunity to portray your project in a positive light.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Don’t take the Financial Transactions For Granted.
Once the funding has been agreed it’s vital to get the details of how and when and whose bank account the money will be sent to. Make sure yours and there finance people are in the loop. Honestly, the number of projects that get held up because the finances didn’t do what they said when they said or something got done but wrong is crazy. So be on top of the money details and know what should be happening when. That way when there is a problem you will be right on it.
What to do After Winning Funding?
Prepare for Project Implementation
Before you start your project, make sure you have a clear implementation plan. Implementation is often much more difficult than expected. A project is, by definition, a change. It will mean that people will have to change their behaviour and do things differently.
You need to recognise the stress and pain that people will go through to take on extra work or change their behaviour. This is something that project managers rarely consider. There is often a sense of loss for people, even with changes that are entirely positive. Old habits die hard. But addressing this and supporting people through the process of ‘letting go’ or learning new skills is a key secret to success. If you would like to learn more about implementing a social impact project please read our complete guide.
J-P’s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: The Doubters Need a Say.
The problem with change is that people feel threatened by it. There reaction is usually much worse if it’s a surprise. So don’t be shy to have a conversation as early as possible before you submit your proposal or grant when you are still decided what to do. They may not be happy then, but they will like the fact you showed them the respect of consulting them early.
It can never be too early to consult them, but it can always be too late.
How To Do Monitoring and Reporting on Your Community Project?
Throughout the community project, it’s important to monitor progress and evaluate results. Be sure to keep detailed records and prepare regular reports for the funder, as required. One of the most important early steps is to put in place the data collection processes that will support this. Even before the project starts, as changes to data processes often take time. It can take time for these new ways of working to bed in, so it’s one of the first things you should do once you have the green light for a project.
J-P‘s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Averages Sometimes Don’t Mean Much
Beware of the average. It tells lies. Despite what you are told at school. Most people are not average. Averages are fantastic for monitoring standardised highly controlled processes in a factory. But people are not robots and if you make decisions on averages you will always be surprised. The devil is alive and well and hiding in that detail that disappears when you average it out.
Create a Funding Flow for A Community Project is A Great Strategy, so That it Thrives Over Time
In order for a project to thrive and gather momentum over you want to think about the flow of funding across the entire project lifetime. Most social impact takes time and often it needs work to sustain it (e.g. smokers and drinker relapsing). The idea of flow is very powerful in creating a successful project funding proposal or grant. If you think of money as the energy your project needs, then you realise your project needs a constant flow of funds throughout it’s life. For this reason, it is better to start small manage your funding energy requirements, and grow. You are starting large means that you can run out of that funding energy very quickly.
“Transform your project’s future by reimagining the funding process as a shared journey, not a battlefield.”
J-P Crofton
Adversarial Relationships Disrupt the Fund Flow for A Community Project
The biggest danger is that many people view the awarding and winning of funds as a competitive adversarial challenge. The goal is for one party to beat the other. In my opinion after managing inter-organisational relationships for 20 years, this is completely the wrong way to go. Despite the assumptions by some politicians survival of the fittest is a very poor way to go about change. If we want a project to grow and prosper we need to build a cooperative partnership that flourishes and benefits both parties in the longer term. As learning and information flows as the project matures. An adversarial relationship means that this can never happen.
Creating an Efficient Project Funding Flow
When talking about funding proposals and grant applications, we can see efficiency as how quickly and well we can get the funding energy to the front line to produce impact. The more of the energy that gets to the front line the better. If it is pooling up then it is not doing any good. That is the pressure a funder feels under. They have this potential energy they need to release. But once it’s gone it’s gone. So they want to maximise the impact those funds do.
How to Create Funding Proposals & Grant Applications That Flow to Create Social Impact
To create good funding proposals and grants we need to show the funder three things.
1) Maximise Impact Power Generation
The project will generate the power of impact
The funder will naturally want to generate the maximum ‘power’ out of their funds as possible. Creating a bigger impact as possible. But I’d strongly recommend having a credible plan to grow the project larger over time rather than start big and multiple the risks. That said the size of the overall transformation is the what will most likely capture their imagination. (As long as it’s credible)
2) Optimise Efficiency of Flow
The project will work to efficiently deliver it’s goals.
Most experienced social impact investors and commissioners will be looking for bang for buck. Consider options of how you can maximise the efficiency of impact. One of the most common mistakes is to try and target everyone. Which naturally multiples your costs vs a small well targeted intervention.
3) Maximise Information Flow
You increase the flow of good quality useful information as much as possible. This involves creating feedback loops.
Any gaps in information flow will lead to leaks, distrust, and uncertainty and inevitably you will be replaced by someone who can provide better information.
The information itself needs to be useful as too much information can lead to confusion and uncertainty.
4) Foster Strong Relationships to Smooth the Flow
The quality of information and power generated will need to depend on strong relationships and trust. A lack of trust can create a lot of turbulence in the system. You can create great impact power and a strong flow of useful information, but if there is no trust it can mean the relationship becomes turbulent and dysfunctional.
J-P‘s Community Project Funding Proposals and Grants Pro Tip: Keep The Funding Flowing
Funding flow may seem like a random thing to talk about, but honestly, if you have ever been on a community project and you don’t know where or when the funding is going to come from, the whole project loses momentum. Things grind to halt as people instinctively start to disinvest themselves. The hard won enthusiasm drains away. Uncertainty over funding is poison to a community project.
Why You Should Collaborate to Create Adaptive Community Project Funding Flow
Therefore the underlying goals in the steps below are to build confidence and belief in the funder that your project will generate powerful impact. You build confidence and belief by generating high quality useful information transmitted through good trusting relationships with the funder.
Do not see the process as them vs us. In my experience, those adversarial marriages of convenience always break down into distrust and deceit. If these relationships are about winning and losing usually both parties lose in the medium /long term. If you want your project to have a long life you need to build a sustainable flow of resources.
The end goal for a flourishing sustainable community project is to create an adaptive flowing relationship of trust between both parties where you learn to adapt together, working together to create a better world.
Leading Community Projects For Social Impact
Actually getting the project up and running is no mean feat. Successfully Leading and implementing social impact work requires dealing with a number of challenges.
That’s why I’ve created a complete guide for Social Impact Leadership, providing advice and guidance, so that you have the best chance of successfully completing your project making the world that bit better and giving you the best chance of getting more funding in future.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why are Community Project Funding Proposals Or Grants Rejected
Project funding proposals or grants are most often rejected because they did not requirements of the funder as well as their competitors. They are also likely not to have evidenced that they could credibly achieved the expected outcomes as efficiently or well as competitors bids.
How Hard is it To Write Community Project Funding Proposals Or Grants?
Much harder than everyone expects. You are expected to accurately predict the future and budget for it. It is also a very competitive process with only 20% of proposals or grants winning. Writing a poor bid is very easy, writing a great bid takes time skills and persistence.
How Much Time Does it Take to Write a Project Funding Proposal Or Grant?
The more variables and factors in a proposal the longer it will take. Whilst the more experienced you are at writing proposals the shorter time it will take. The planning fallacy, means that it will always take longer than you expect. Only an experienced professional can give an accurate estimate.
What is a Proposal Budget For a Grant Application?
A budget is a spending plan for how the applicant proposes on spending the allocated funds in the time period. It is usually expected that the applicant will spend all the funds, no less and no more by the final date set out by the funder.
Who Writes Project Funding Proposals and Grants?
It usually the individual managing the project who is best placed to write the application. This is as the funding application ties very closely with the project plan.
Can I Write a Grant in the First Person?
If you are a world renowned expert it may help. But for the rest of us mere mortals; it is likely to look unprofessional and amateurish, in the eyes of the funder, so it is unlikely your bid would succeed if you did.
What is the Most Important Part of Project Funding Proposals and Grants?
The budget is probably the most important part of the proposal or grant application. If the funder does not believe that the funding timetable and budgets are correct then this can undermine every other aspect of the bid and mean that funding cannot be agreed.
What is the Hardest Part of Writing Project Funding Proposals and Grants?
The hardest part is how you can ensure that the goals and benefits of the project will be achieved. The process encourages the biggest claims of benefits to secure funds, except people and the future are not predictable. The bigger the claim the more likely you will win, but also more likely that you will fail to achieve the projects goals.
Conclusion
Winning project funding proposals and grants for your community can be a complicated process. It requires a range of knowledge and skills that need to be developed and mastered in order for even a brilliant project to be funded. The good news is that once you have developed these skills, you can use them again and again to secure funding for your valuable work.
With the right approach and a strong proposal or grant, you can increase your chances of success for your community project funding proposal or grant. Tailor your proposals and grants to the funder’s priorities and requirements. Clearly articulate the need for your community project and demonstrate its outcomes and impact. In this way, you can create a proposals and grants applications that stands out from the competition and helps you make a difference to the lives of others.
The first step to improving your bid is taking the Project Funding Strength Test.
Is Your Project Funding Application Likely to Succeed Take the test: HERE.
Learn to create change that flows: Discover more at edgeofpossible.com
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