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What we do
Policy and information sharing
Seeking funding
Without it, the services we offer can’t happen. Take a look to find out about all things money related, and how we can help you with them.
Earning your own income
Voluntary and community organisations have traditionally received much of their funding from the state, individual donations and grant makers. However, in recent years there has been less public money and more competition for it. As result there has been a growth in social enterprise which is simply selling your knowledge and or services.
Most voluntary and community organisations have knowledge and services that they could sell, though not necessarily to their traditional beneficiaries. Charities can trade goods and services and there are clear guidelines from the Charity Commission and HMRC on when such trading has tax implications. You do not necessarily have to change your legal structure to earn income through trading. However, there is also a newer legal structure, a Community Interest Company (CIC), which was set up to aid social enterprise trading.
For more information take a look at our Social Enterprise page or get in touch.
Grant Funding
Grants enable voluntary and community organisations to provide services that make a real difference to people’s lives. Funders offer grants for specified activities, usually following an application process. This can include activities such as research and development, building capacity or for pilot schemes to test a new area of work. Finding and applying for grants is competitive, takes time and requires careful planning and management.
Where can you find grants?
How do you apply for grants?
Once you’ve found a potential funder, you need to write a successful application. Before you put pen to paper here are some dos and don’ts:
Do
Make sure your organisation and project is eligible
Accurately cost your project
Provide evidence of good management and planning
Illustrate how the project will make a difference
Don’t
Leave your application to the last minute
Be unclear about why you are seeking funding
Make assumptions about what the funder may or may not know about your project or organisation
Use technical language or jargon
Make the funder work for the information
Social Finance
Social investment is a repayable finance that generates both a financial and a social return. It encompasses loans, equity and donations.
Social investment, like social enterprise activity, may not be for all but if your organisation:
- Has good management & governance
- Is keen to grow
- Has fairly predictable income streams that can support the repayment of a loan
- Can clearly demonstrate the social outcomes of your work
…then social finance may be a funding option for you!
For more on this, take a look at New Philanthropy Capital’s ‘Best to Borrow?’ or contact us for a chat about how we can help.
Tendering and Procurement
Funding from local authority and other public sector bodies is likely to be in the form of contracts, usually awarded after a formal tendering and procurement process. A contract is a legally binding agreement to supply a specified service, usually for a specified price. The provider is responsible for the service, and the risks associated with it.
National regulations require public tendering and procurement processes to be fair, transparent and strictly time limited, thus enabling the commissioner to buy the best possible service available from the market of potential suppliers.
Tendering for a contract and delivery is a multi-step process:
- Step 1 – Commissioning
- Step 2 – Tendering
- Step 3 – Evaluation of tenders
- Step 4 – Contract Award
- Step 5 – Mobilisation
- Step 6 – Managing the contract
For more information about collaborating with others on contracts or for a Tender Ready Health Check please get in touch.
