Applying for funding

Below are some tips and best practice on preparing and applying for funding. Once you have reviewed these and you have the basis for your project, check out the dedicated page for funding opportunities to identify potential funders for your project

  • What is a project?

    Funders prefer to invest in a dedicated project. A project can be any type of activity: building work, repairs, community engagement, employment of a youth worker. All projects have three key elements:

    - it is time limited: fixed start and end dates

    - objectives that you want to achieve

    - you will be able to monitor and measure these objectives to evidence success

    What will a funder give money for?

    Funders publish what they will pay for, so be sure to review their website if they have one. As a guide, they will fund the “direct” costs of what it takes to carry out the activity to deliver your project.

    Funders want transparency, and they want (and will pay for) professional experts to be involved.

    They will NOT fund retrospectively

    Funders will NOT give money to a project that has already started, so preparation is important to ensure that you secure all your funding before your project starts

  • Developing a business case

    Funders want to understand the bigger picture of how your project fits into the life of your church. It is good practice to produce a business case to show this and to justify the need for the project. It weighs up the timescales, costs and risks of doing the activity against the benefits to be gained: think of it as weighing up the pros and cons.

    Business cases are at their most effective for building work type projects as these are often more complex and have a higher cost. Writing a business case can help with your own thinking to focus in on the “need” for the project: what is it’s true purpose. This will strengthen your application for funding and give you a better chance of success. Larger building projects are also likely to require multiple funders to contribute to the total cost, so presenting a single cohesive business case to each will clearly demonstrate your intent, providing confidence and reassurance to a funder of how the project it is being effectively managed.

    Smaller projects are not likely to require to submit a business case, but using similar language and sections will certainly help ensure it is a strong submission.

    A suggested template for a business case is available here.

    Do I have to produce a business case?

    No, although it is recommended particularly for large building developments as it provides confidence to a funder on the authenticity of what you are trying to achieve. Producing a business case will help you formulate your own thoughts and direction for the project, so it is worth reviewing the template to give you ideas.

What else to consider when preparing your project

  • identify “good-fit” funders

    There are a wide range of funders, but it is a very competitive arena. To have the best chance of success you need to match and align your project objectives to the funder’s objectives. Most funders publish on their websites the areas/themes they are interested in. Some funders will not fund building work, but others will, so some research is highly recommended. Also check out our Funding opportunities page to point you in the right direction.

  • Match funding

    Funders rarely cover the full cost of a project, so research funders that are likely to complement each others areas of interest. Funders also often like to see a contribution from church funds, the congregation and/or other fundraising and undoubtedly having this kind of match funding will strengthen the chances of success.

  • Ensure you know if a funder has a set deadline

    Not only set deadlines for application submissions, but also be aware of how long they usually take to make a decision so that you coordinate the start of your project with the outcome.

Go to the funding opportunities page to starting exploring potential ways to get your project funded