SCHOOL%20FUNDRAISING

1
SCHOOL FUNDRAISING Working together to find
funds and write killer bids Ryan Green Managing
Director
2
WELCOME

• Objectives for this session. You will learn how
  to
• PREPARE Develop a fundraising vision and
  strategy
• PLAN Find funds and identify what funders want
  to see in a funding bid
• WRITE Put pen to paper to start writing your
  own winning bid

3
PREPARE!
4
WHY FUNDRAISE?

• Different schools have different needs and
  reasons for raising additional funds
• Launch a new project
• Develop or sustain a current project or activity
• Provide opportunities to match the educational
  mix
• Address a need in the local community

5
BECOME A VISIONARY FUNDRAISER
6
YOUR FUNDRAISING VISION

• Identify a brighter future that involves a
  positive educational experience in school
• Be meaningful to colleagues, pupils, parents and
  local community representatives
• Be achievable within the next three to five years

7
THINK STRATEGICALLY

• Outline your priorities according to your most
  urgent needs
• Define your strengths and opportunities
• Understand what is unique about your
  circumstances and ability to generate results

8
COLLABORATE

• Identify strategic relationships and capitalise
  on them
• Parents friends of school
• School clusters federations
• Community groups
• Not for profit organisations and charities
• Local national businesses
• Share expertise and knowledge with other schools
• Improved networking opportunities to identify
  future funding partnerships
• Experience of bid writing
• Experience of organising fundraising events
• Increase your bidding power!
• Tap into discounts and free resources

9
PLAN!
10
THE PURPOSE OF PLANNING

• Match your needs to specific funds and funding
  criteria

11
WHAT CAN CANT BE FUNDED?

• Yes
• Artists poets in residence
• Breakfast clubs after school clubs
• Building projects
• Classroom resources
• CPD training
• Field trips holidays
• Green living energy projects
• Library books, ICT equipment furniture
• Outdoor learning playground projects
• Research innovation
• Science projects
• Sports facilities equipment

• No
• General funds
• General running costs
• General salaries
• Replacement of statutory funds

12
EASY WINS

• BQ Waste Donation Scheme
• Community RePaint
• Giving World Online
• Home Retail Group Prize Draw
• Lords Taverners Free Cricket Kit Bags
• Merlins Magic Wand Free Tickets
• O2 Think Big
• Sky Sports Living for Sports
• Speakers for Schools
• Woodland Trust Free Tree Packs Autumn 2013

13
TOP GRANTS

• Big Lottery Fund Awards for All
• Co-operative Community Fund
• Education Endowment Foundation
• EMI Music Sound Foundation
• Ernest Cook Trust
• Football Foundation Facilities Grant
• Foyle Schools Library Programme
• Tesco Charity Trust

14
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FUNDERS

• Do your research
• What types of organisation do they usually work
  with?
• What projects have they funded?
• Read the guidelines
• Get the pitch right
• Look for reciprocal advantages and relevance
• Pick up the telephone
• Keep in touch

15
PLAN YOUR BID

• Key questions for your project
• Is it achievable?
• Will it appeal to the funder?
• Does it meet the funding criteria? Organisation
  type, geographical area, grant amount, project
  costs (capital or revenue)...
• Have your beneficiaries told you what their needs
  are and how you can help them?
• Does it represent value for money?

16
COLLABORATION FROM THE FUNDERS PERSPECTIVE

• Collaboration can make your project more fundable
• Community buzzword
• Schools
• Reach more beneficiaries
• Provide a compelling case for the need for
  funding across a number of schools/groups e.g.
  speech therapist poet in residence iPads
• Involve other schools in the dissemination of
  your project findings
• Local groups other organisations
• Evidence of support for your project
• Strong community links

17
IDENTIFYING YOUR NEEDS

• What is the problem or issue you will address?
• Why is your project needed?
• How do you know this?
• What do you want to achieve?
• How will you measure success?

18
CONSULT YOUR BENEFICIARIES

• You need to back up your project with evidence of
  need
• Make direct contact with your potential project
  users, partners and relevant organisations
• Ask them how you can make a difference to their
  lives!
• Build on existing work by yourself others
• Think about piloting an activity
• Find relevant links to local, regional or
  national initiatives
• Gather letters of support, waiting lists,
  testimonials, questionnaire focus group results

19
WRITE!
20
EXAMPLE
What project or activities do you want us to
fund? Describe your project. You can write up
to 300 words.
21
EXAMPLE
Our school aims to support the development of
healthy and active lifestyles for children. We
aim to offer opportunities for children, aged 4 -
7 years to enjoy the physical, social and
emotional benefits of outdoor play, before and
after school and during break and lunchtimes. The
school also aims to promote parental involvement
in children's learning and work with partners to
support parents to re-inforce the importance of
family learning. The aims are to Improve the
playground and surrounding grassed areas by
including a physical activity trail and tyre park
which will challenge and improve the gross motor
skills of the children. The physical trail will
also help the children to develop upper and lower
body strength, core stability and team work. We
intend to improve the outdoor soft play area and
build an outdoor sandpit. We also plan to
deliver sessions for parents on the benefit of
outdoor play on children's development
22
Say what are you actually going to do first
EXAMPLE
Our school aims to support the development of
healthy and active lifestyles for children. We
aim to offer opportunities for children, aged 4 -
7 years to enjoy the physical, social and
emotional benefits of outdoor play, before and
after school and during break and lunchtimes. The
school also aims to promote parental involvement
in children's learning and work with partners to
support parents to re-inforce the importance of
family learning. The aims are to Improve the
playground and surrounding grassed areas by
including a physical activity trail and tyre park
which will challenge and improve the gross motor
skills of the children. The physical trail will
also help the children to develop upper and lower
body strength, core stability and team work. We
intend to improve the outdoor soft play area and
build an outdoor sandpit. We also plan to
deliver sessions for parents on the benefit of
outdoor play on children's development
Finally! Details of the project
Remove uncertainty
Provide more detail who, what, where and when?
Think about how you can add value... Think
people, not just things.
23
WHAT TO AVOID

• Generic statements
• Uncertainty
• Vague project details
• Failing to back up the claims you make
• Circular reasoning
• Doom and gloom
• Failing to identify project outcomes

24
WRITING THAT KILLER BID

• Paint a before and after picture
• Give clear aims and objectives
• Be specific. What are you going to do? Why do
  you need funding?
• Where, when, who, how and how often?
• Explain why you have decided to take the approach
  that youve outlined. Why is your approach the
  right one?
• How will the project involve the community? How
  will you add value beyond the schools statutory
  responsibilities / outside of normal school
  hours?

25
WRITING THAT KILLER BID

• Explain how beneficiaries have been involved in
  the project design/delivery. What have they told
  you? How has this influenced the project?
• Give specific, achievable and measurable
  outcomes. How will you measure success?
• Address project sustainability. How will you
  ensure the project lives on?

26
APPLYING THE FUNDERS PERSPECTIVE

• What would the funder say?
• Have they answered all the questions?
• Does it represent a credible organisation?
• Does the project meet the funding criteria?
• Does the project help me to achieve my
  objectives?
• Is it in keeping with other projects I have
  funded?
• Do they talk about their beneficiaries needs and
  how they have influenced the project design?
• Is the budget robust, detailed and matched to the
  project aims and description?
• Is the project sustainable?
• Is it likely to be a success?

27
EDITING AND PROOFING

• Follow the rules
• Check grammar, spelling, and coherency of
  expression
• Check the use of capital letters and formatting
  for consistency
• Avoid jargon
• Ask someone to check it for you a fresh pair
  of eyes

28
TOP TIPS

• Leave plenty of time to write your application
• Check the deadline and dont miss it
• Plan your project before putting pen to paper
• If they provide a question answer outline, then
  follow it
• Make sure you answer the question directly
• Back up all statements with evidence
• Check if supporting documents are required
• Check if you can use photographs

29
WIN!
30
KEY STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL BID WRITING

• Pledge your time
• Take a professional, strategic approach
• Match your needs to specific funds and funding
  criteria
• Capitalise on strategic relationships
• Build relationships
• Consult your beneficiaries
• Prove you can deliver
• Accept offers of help
• Always be focused, specific and write for your
  audience

31
WHAT NEXT? START TODAY!

• Why is your school fundraising?
• Write down your schools wish list
• Select a priority project
• Think about the basics what, where, when, how
  and why?

Wish List
New soft play area Revision material for
pupils Breakfast clubs
32
THANK YOU QUESTIONS