FACING THE FEAR OF FINDING FUNDING AND DOING IT ANYWAY! My Story so far…….

Ann OsbornDirector

Rural Coffee CaravanMaking a difference to rural communities throughout Suffolk

Workshop Aims

•To share experience of successful funding bids•To enable everyone here to work out their next step and feel more confident in their applications•To gain experience of running a workshop

The ‘Coffee Caravan’ out & about

At Cream teas and tea dances

Golden Age Fairs

• First ever grant from the Suffolk Community Foundation £2k(have since had over 20 small grants) 2005

• First SLA £3k p.a. for three years 2006(became £10k after that)

• First tender £110k 2009 (how we got Garry and the Campervan)

• First face to face ‘no application form’ presentation was for £5k, received £50k 2013

• First ‘negotiation’ i.e. they wanted to fund us but not for what we applied for! 2015

Some Successes

I learnt to look at it from the Donor’s point of view. They need to• Care about your intended beneficiaries. You MUST check your donor’s CRITERIA before you even begin your application• Believe in the Benefit you will bring. Donors need to share this belief They will do this much more easily if you• Articulately and Accurately answer the question

Edward De Bono’s Coloured hats•White = the needs of your beneficiaries in plain well researched facts and figures•Red = the current feelings experiences and emotions of the intended beneficiaries•Black = if the problem isn't addressed then all these things could happen……..

• Yellow = After the bleakness of the previous section you need to provide some hope

• Green = capitalizing on the opportunity, explaining how your works fits in so well with other factors ( e.g. other organizations, your parish plan etc)

• Blue= your proposal! This should account for up to half the appeal and include outcomes, outputs, activities and inputs

Lessons Learned

• No! You cannot cut and paste from application to application! READ each donors guidelines and criteria (or strategy if it’s a local authority)

• EVIDENCE the need, (consultations, research, quotes from studies, surveys)

• Learn to EDIT. Get your points over inside the word count• If possible TALK to your potential funder• Have a BUSINESS PLAN that includes a description of how the project

continues after this funding• Costs. Funders understand that you have to exist between activities. All

costs should be calculated using FULL COST RECOVERY.• Use everything you would put into an application to create a case for

support for NON APPLICATION FORM donors

“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light” Joseph Pulitzer

Ann Osborn: Director

Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project

The Old Shop Harleston Rd Weybread Diss Norfolk IP21 5TU

Tel 01379 855338

Email coffee.caravan@btinternet.com

www.ruralcoffeecaravan.org.uk