Team Wilder Resources Funding

Work with your whole group. Answer these key questions:

What do you want to do? Do you have the people to run it?
How much will it cost? (Don’t guess. You need to do some research. And it must be cost-effective, which means you are not wasting money.)
Why is this work important? Who or what needs it?
How will you know if you are doing a good job? How will you know if your idea has succeeded?
How often will it happen, and how long will it last?
Where will it take place? Do you have permission and insurance?

TIPS: Think about money. You will need to make a detailed budget.

List everything you will pay for and what it will cost
List all the income you expect (for example membership fees, donations, grants you already have)
Get quotes for everything you will need to pay for
Do not underestimate! Be realistic
You could find it useful to prepare a budget for the whole year

Redcatch Community Garden by Sophie Bancroft

Grow Batheaston

Anne Corfield - The Wildlife Trust

Nimble_Bees Rachel Brown

Preparation. You need paperwork to show that you have:

A committee (the group of people who make decisions for your group)
A bank account
A statement of accounts for the last year (unless you are a new group)
A governing document (this is some written details about your group, which says how it’s run)

You might also need paperwork to show:

Insurance
A health and safety policy and/or risk assessments
An equal opportunities policy (a policy is a written set of guidelines that you follow)
A child protection or safeguarding policy

A list of local and national links to find a funder, suited to your project.
Live opportunities, updated on a regular basis.
Local advice.

This means you need to show you have a good track record. You could show this with:

Profiles of the people in your group who’ll be involved, which show their qualifications and experience
Case studies of similar projects your group has run
Evidence of support from other local groups or organisations

The Wildlife Trusts

When you have a good idea of your project and your outcomes, you can write your application. But remember:

Don’t assume the funder knows anything, so don’t use jargon and make sure everything is very clear
Study what the funder wants, and make sure to use their keywords in your application
Answer the questions and don’t waffle
Be positive and firm – “we will” is better than “we will try”
Make it easy to read with clear headings and bullet points
Ask someone else to proofread it