Funding Opportunities

Grant Funding is available from many sources – for example Charitable Trusts, Corporate, Local Government, Lottery, European Union. Step One is to find a source interested in supporting your particular project and Step Two is to write an application which matches their grant criteria and information needs.

Fundraising is a big industry as an Internet Search will reveal – so where to start?

Chesham Connect recommends you visit Community Impact Bucks(CIB) whose mission is:

“to help local charities, community groups and volunteers to thrive”.

At no cost, you can access Buckinghamshire Funding Search – a free online searchable database of funding opportunities hosted and sponsored by Community Impact Bucks. This is easy to use and a good source of potential grant funders – Step One.

A grant funder’s website will tell you their grant criteria, how and when to apply and what information to provide. The internet provides a deal of advice on how to write an application and it is worth checking some out. The key is to be sure that your project fits the funder’s criteria and to do exactly and only what the grant funder asks regarding the provision of information.

CIB run funding advice sessions on a monthly basis around the county. These are free face to face sessions to discuss and help you think through specific issues linked to wider aspects of sustainability and funding. These are highly recommended particularly if you are new to fund raising.

CIB also run training courses such as Getting Fit For Funding to help groups be better prepared to make funding applications.

Setting Up a “Voluntary or Community Group”

For your group to be sustainable (i.e. open a Bank Account, take out Liability Insurance) and to be able to apply for grant funding it will be helpful for you to adopt some form of legal structure. Community Impact Bucks list some resources and tools to help you with this and you can also book a place at a free advice session to discuss your options.

To keep up to date make sure you take advantage of free membership of Community Impact Bucks. The link to join: Community Impact Bucks Membership