So you have sent off your beautifully crafted funding bid
and are waiting for the decision when you get the call – the funder would like
to come and meet with you to find out more about your work. A good thing to do at
this point is to ask the funder what they would like to cover, who they would
like to meet and how long the meeting will last. However, if they don’t offer
you this guidance, here are a couple of dos and don’ts for how to respond.
Do - Try and involve more than one
person. No matter how well briefed, it is difficult for one person to know
about all the aspects that could be covered (history, finances, strategic plan,
staff performance management, user involvement, project plans and budgets etc.)
and it is also a weighty responsibility to put on one person. Think who should
be there to cover frontline and strategic questions: the CEO, a Trustee, a
frontline worker, a project manager?
Do -
Think about personalities and not just roles. For example, if your CEO is a
charismatic storyteller, but might be a bit woolly on detail, bring along your
finance and operational staff to cover any questions on your accounts and
policies. If on the other hand, your CEO is very thorough but lacks a bit of
spark, make sure you invite a passionate frontline worker or some service users
to bring alive their stories.
Don’t - Feel
you need to introduce the funder to everyone in the building and give them a
grand tour. They will be on a schedule and so a tour could be losing you precious
time to answer the questions they want answered. For example, unless it is the
point of the bid, the funder doesn’t need to see your new toilet block.
Don’t – Make people perform. The funder
is interested in the work you do and the difference it makes. It is always a
welcome addition to meet with service users, where this is appropriate. But
don’t compel a service user to tell their difficult experiences to a stranger.
Take time to think how your service users’ voices can best be heard and manage
this carefully and sensitively.
This first meeting with a funder might be a crucial
one-off opportunity to secure funding or an important first step in a long
relationship. So next time you get that call, make sure you stop and think what
you can do to best meet both their needs and yours.
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