Application forms - do they help or hinder?

When deciding which charity to fund, an application form is a useful tool for gathering all the information you need in one place. It then aids comparison: should you fund this new charity which helps 100 people into accommodation or this other long-established one that helps 50 people back into work?

However, a grant should not be a reward for the best form-filling. An application form can sometimes get in the way of a good decision. Some charities write fantastic, clear and concise applications but when visits are made, the reality can be very different and some charities cannot evidence the claims they made. At the other extreme, some charities do amazing work but the application form is so poorly written you wouldn’t really know it.

As a funder, it’s quality work you want to fund, so how much weight can and should you give to its presentation?

Ideally, the work should always win out – you want to fund those making the most difference to those in greatest need. But if you don’t have the resources to conduct visits or telephone assessments or have local knowledge or referees to draw on, then the paperwork is all you have. Funders will still hopefully be experienced enough to spot an overly positive application which tells us exactly what we want to hear. After all, we do read hundreds of forms and can use our experience and judgment to check the credibility of claims and plans.

For those completing application forms, it is more important than ever to be able to clearly articulate what it is you do. This shows confidence and direction. Not having this skill will reduce your likelihood of getting funding in these increasingly competitive times. And to some degree, a funder is right to make a judgment on how well you come across on paper. If you can’t convey why you need the money, then how successful are you in attracting volunteers, donors and other supporters to your cause? We may conclude that your whole charity is not just overlooking writing skills but more fundamentally may not have a clear sense of purpose.

Whether an application form is helpful or an obstacle, it is still the commonest tool used. So both sides, funder and applicant, need to be skilled and experienced in preparing and writing as well as reading and correctly interpreting these forms.

Emma Beeston Consultancy advises funders and philanthropists on giving strategies and processes; selecting causes and charities; assessments and impact monitoring. Services for charities include external perception reviews; bid reviews; training for fundraisers and non-fundraisers involved in bids. E: ms.e.beeston@gmail.com; T: emmabeeston01