Small charity guide to writing funding bids

Writing funding bids can be a huge headache for small charities. It’s often an item high on the agenda with a low level of resources assigned to it.

 

There are so many things to think about: which funders to apply to, how to squeeze all the relevant info onto the tricky application forms, and how to stand out.

 

“I’ve had applications where the question wants me to answer three points, and then gives me 50 words to do it in. The reverse is also true – a question which essentially repeats an earlier one…but they’re expecting 750 words.” says Anna King, Fundraising Manager at Snow Camp.

 

Asking a fundraiser at a small charity to talk about the grants system is a sure-fire way to get them riled up. We’ve collated tips from expert fundraisers to help you fine-tune your bid-writing process.

 

 

Top tips for writing funding bids

 

Some issues with the grants sector are systemic. Check out movements like #FixTheForm that have called on funders to change application forms and stop wasting fundraiser’s time. That said, there are actions small charities can take to make the process easier and increase success rate.

 

 

Be targeted in your approaches

 

According to Emma Low, Director at Nova Fundraising, charities with small and medium income portfolios will earn most of their trust fundraising income from the top grant makers. “Despite everything you throw at it, you will get the vast majority of your support from a small number of donors,” says Low.

 

Narrow your target list down so you can spend more time on applications, relationship building and reporting for a smaller number of grant makers.

 

 

Be prepared

 

Make sure you have the resources you need to hand before you start writing. These might include a boilerplate paragraph on the story of your charity, project summaries and budgets.

 

Gemma Pettman, Chartered PR Advisor at Gemma Pettman PR, suggests you should, “assume the reader knows very little about your organisation and approach. Keeping this in mind will help you decide what information to include and what supporting detail will be relevant”.

 

 

Tell your story

 

Humans are hard-wired for story. You probably have dozens you could tell about the work that your charity does. Which one will get the attention of the funder you’re applying to?

 

“Explain what it’s like to be in the shoes of the people you support; consider whether you have space to include a short case study, or even a one-liner from someone you have helped,” says  Pettman.

 

 

Emphasise your impact

 

Vic Hancock-Fell, Founder and Director at Fair Collective, has the following advice: “Don’t explain what you do, explain what difference it makes. Funders don’t want to know how busy you are, they want to know how your work is changing things for the better. For example: Rather than ’In 2023 we delivered 200 training sessions,’ try: ’In 2023 80% of the people who attended our training said they learned a new skill and felt more confident’".

 

 

Find the right writer

 

Low explains that when small charities assign someone the job or task of being a bid-writer, “what they are really looking for are relationship-builders, storytellers, information gatherers, expert report-writers, and outstanding communicators.”

 

A good writer knows that in the first draft, it’s more important to get the story out than to meet the word count – that comes in the edit. Pettman says, “Start by answering each question as fully as you can. Then you can go back and edit (and possibly re-edit) until you meet the word count.”

 

 

Use AI to help write funding bids

 

Generative AI can help to speed up the funding application process. You can use tools like ChatGPT, Copy.ai, or Bard to create a first draft of your application using the information you’ve gathered. They can also be very useful for converting the information from one application form to another with different word counts or requirements.

 

Anything created by generative AI should be run through a plagiarism and AI checker and proofread by the bid-writer. It’s possible for misinformation and bias to creep in as a result of using AI tools without checking the results.

 

 

Proofread and proofread again

 

Correct all spelling, grammar, and factual errors – easier said than done! Pettman suggests reading forwards and backwards and then reading aloud to pick up errors. She also suggests you “ask a colleague or friend – someone less familiar with the content – to read it for you.”

 

 

The application isn’t the end

 

Having a successful trust and grants fundraising programme isn’t just about writing great applications. Low says you should also, “ask yourself…‘what have I done today to build a relationship, show gratitude, demonstrate outcomes?’” to ensure success.