Funding Applications
Take the high ground
Thoughts of a major capital campaign during a recession may seem a bizarre notion, but actually this is a good time to think long-term and plan to meet your school’s future needs, writes Alison Graham
New facilities still need to be built, endowments increased or bursary schemes financed (depending on your type of school): all of these can benefit from a capital campaign. The economic downturn offers a breathing space to prepare your institution so that you are ready to undertake a major campaign when the recovery comes.
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London calling
As fee income looks set to tumble for some schools, a proactive response can be critical. Tori Roddy outlines how her school introduced a successful telephone fundraising campaign and here reveals the results
At Westminster School, we have had an active alumni relations programme and have targeted major gift initiatives for more than 20 years, both run through the development office. Last year, keen to engage our entire community, we launched our first long-term annual giving initiative. Fully supported by the governing body and heads of department, The Fund for Westminster’s purpose is to support bursaries and a number of academic and community projects that help the school meet its commitment to excellence in education.
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Top of the class
How can you make your application for funding stand out from all the others?
Submitting a formal application can be a gruelling process. Some forms are detailed and wearisome, but the process needn’t be so.
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Funding guides
Researching sources of funding for a project is not easy. Here is a list of some publications that can provide direction to appropriate grant-makers
The Schools Funding Guide
published by the Directory of Social Change
by Nicola Eastwood, Anne Mountfield and Louise Walker
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Make your bidding
A project that stimulates your school's SMT may not have the same appeal to a prospective funder. By taking another point of view into account, your application will stand a much greater chance of being effective
Look beyond what you want to achieve with your bid and consider the relevance and/or benefits to a funder. Taking an objective view will save you many hours spent on fruitless applications. While it is important for you and the supporters within the school to be enthusiastic about your project, you have to find ways of presenting it to third parties to evoke the same sense of excitement in them.
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Face to face
A compelling and relevant application can open the way to a meeting with a funder. Here are some techniques to help to make a final convincing case
After all the planning, securing support locally and beyond and refining application bid letters, you find that a prospective donor expresses an interest in hearing more . This could be your one chance. While you can spend hours refining minor details of any written proposal, once you are standing in front of your prospect, you must make it count.
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Donors on board
Seeking and attracting new donors and supporters to your cause or project can be hard work. It is much more profitable to keep current donors happy and find new ways of keeping them interested in future donations
A donor is a precious thing: once you have been able to secure a donation, it is imperative that you work hard to maintain and develop this relationship. After all, attracting funds to your school can be difficult. So when money is forthcoming, your friendly prospect may be willing to donate more in the future if you keep them informed and interested.
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Overcoming failure
Constant rejection to funding applications can be frustrating. The key to success is learning why bids have failed
Every applicant for funding receives a rejection letter at some point. Most receive many. In fact, it is likely that you'll be unsuccessful many times more than you will receive funding. This is fundraising. However, it is important not to be put off by failure.
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Sponsor power
There are many responsible companies that are interested in associating with schools through sponsorship, either to boost their image as a responsible employer or for corporate social responsibility reasons
Every school has some appeal to businesses. To attract sponsorship, you have to consider your operations from the point of view from a business without compromising your remit. A school has a ready audience of pupils, past pupils, parents and other stakeholders. For a business, this is a potentially valuable relationship.
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