Writing a Successful Funding Application

Do you struggle writing successful funding bids? We'll take you through the key steps in describing the essential elements of your project.

This short course provides a beginner’s guide to how to write a successful funding application, using the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards For All online application form as an example.

This course will give you:

• The chance to go through a successful funding application and understand how you can emulate it
• Advice on key elements such as writing project outcomes, evidencing co-production and creating an accurate budget
• Time to start sketching out your own application, ask questions and get expert advice
• The chance to step back and decide what you need to do next to lay the foundations for a strong application for your project

This course is for:

People who haven’t written a funding application before, or want a refresher on the fundamentals of writing a successful application in a competitive funding landscape.

Session details:

The course will run from 10am to 1pm, including breaks and time for you to begin sketching out ideas for your application.

Part 1 (1 hour 15 minutes)

• Welcome & introduction
• Why Awards For All, and what do they look for in an application?
• Walking through all the main answers from a successful Awards For All application
• Describing your project activities, outcomes and impact
• Demonstrating consultation & co-design (a key feature that funders look for)

Break (10 minutes)

Time to sketch out your own application & ask questions (40 minutes)

Part 2 (55 minutes)

• Writing clearly and concisely when faced with a tight word count
• Developing a budget that funders understand and that reflects the true costs of your project
• Identifying gaps in your application and how to address them

Feedback from a previous participant:

"I attended your course last summer, which I found incredibly helpful in taking me step by step through writing an Awards For All application. Having previously been rejected, your course showed me where I had gone wrong when writing the first application. This week we received the fantastic news that our latest application had been successful and they have awarded us £18,761! I can say pretty confidently that this success was in part due to the guidance I got at your training."

Trainers:

Mike Zywina has 15 years’ experience in the sector as a fundraiser, consultant, senior manager and trustee. He runs strategic planning workshops and training courses for charities and social enterprises, and designs major funding bids, with a particular track record in securing Lottery funding. As a strategy specialist, Mike brings together groups of people to make better strategic decisions, prioritise the right opportunities and develop a more sustainable funding base, by asking the right questions to bring structure to their planning and draw out the best aspects of their work.

Ally Rea is a marketing and fundraising professional with over 15 years’ experience across charities large and small. She has worked in bid writing, communications and strategic and operational roles across the arts, heritage, disability, health and media sectors. Ally has also assessed funding applications for Arts Council England, and brings this funder perspective into her trusts fundraising work and facilitation.