Why not invite a funder to your away day?

Recently I attended a Board away day. The main purpose for the day was long-term planning but, as ever, there were also the added benefits from bringing stakeholders together and getting to know each other away from the usual day to day issues.  Of particular interest was having not just staff and management in the room but representatives from the charities we fund. Having their perspective really helped ground the discussions. One charity said they thought it was such a good idea that they were going to invite a funder to their next away day.

When I assess charities, one line of questioning is about their strategic planning and who inputs into this. Some charities take a limited approach with just staff and Trustees getting together. Other charities take the time to seek the views and input from a wide range of stakeholders including service users and external referral agencies. I can’t recall anyone ever saying that they included a funder.

I can think of some reasons why it would be tricky. For example, if the funder endorsed the plan the charity might assume that this would translate into future funding. But these expectations could be managed. What would the benefits be? It could be a useful reality check on fundraising strategies. It could bring an objective view from someone who reads lots of plans.

When thinking who to invite to your away day, think of asking a funder. What do you think the pros and cons would be? If you’ve already tried it, I’d be really interested to know how it went.

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Writing a funding bid: an act of persuasion

It is easy to treat writing funding bids as a task – something to tick off your list, to get done. But don’t forget, your bid is a form of communication and one that is seeking to persuade.

One of the classic models of persuasion directs you to appeal to the head, heart and hands so make sure you cover all three aspects in your bid:

• The head – this relates to the logical flow of your proposal. Does it make sense? Will your activities lead to the changes you claim? Do your numbers add up? Is the unit cost reasonable?
• The heart – this is where you need to get across the importance of your cause. Make sure you convey the experience of your users with examples and case studies.
• The hands – this is the call for action. What do you want the funder to do? You would not believe how many times this is not clear so make sure the ask is upfront and explicit. For example, please give us £X to do Y to make Z happen.

You never really know who is going to read your bid or have the final say on whether or not it is successful. I tend to get won over when the logic stacks up, but someone else will remember the story – and all the angles are important and valid. The added benefit of covering all three approaches means at least one should appeal, no matter which decision-maker it reaches and whatever their preferences for being persuaded might be.

How to make word count limits your friend.

Word count limits on application forms can be annoying. They stop you in your flow. They stop you conveying vital information. They are imposed by an ‘other’ who does not appreciate the importance of what you are trying to say.

 

The next time the word count limit has cut short your beautifully crafted sent...

 

don’t get annoyed. Instead treat it as a call to arms. Consider it valid advice from someone who is encouraging you to be succinct.

 

Word count limits are there for a reason. Without them some bid writers can and do go on and on. Weighed down by the importance of the bid, they put everything down for fear of leaving out the critical fact. It is a much more confident and skilful bid writer who can respond clearly and concisely. And as a reader of application forms, clear and concise is exactly what I want to see.

 

So when cut short next time, pause, re-read the question and ask yourself exactly what is wanted here? Revise your answer and be thankful for the word count limit for prompting you to practice and display your talents in brevity.

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Is competition killing collaboration?

 

I recently presented to the Lloyds Bank Foundation Board away day on the current issues facing small charities. To help me do this, I asked some charity leaders across the West what they thought – and they did not hold back! They provided me with a long list of issues. Some were positive, like having new opportunities to deliver services that were previously run by councils. And there were lots of negatives – most of which, unsurprisingly, were related to funding such as the problems with payment by results.

One theme that came through really strongly was the impact of the shift to commissioning. Examples were:

• the ‘big players’ who have come in and won large contracts at the expense of small, local charities;

• charities who shared information about local issues and needs with a large provider on the understanding that they would become a sub-contractor only for these sub-contracts never to materialise;

• problems in partnership working as partners were reluctant to share knowledge that could be taken to strengthen another’s bid.

The impact has not just been on the loss of funding or the frustration with the new regime. This increased competition has also made people more guarded. It is a climate of competition not collaboration.

If this is your experience, how do we preserve the values of openness and collaboration in this increasingly competitive environment?

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