More on fundraising

A couple of days ago I mentioned fundraising in this blog , and this morning I've come across a blog post from a site called the Non-Profit Fundraising Blog, in which there's a very down to earth post by Amy Karjala which emphasises the importance of doing things properly and well when you're applying for funding.

Amy calls her post: Grant writing - no magic required, and points out five areas in which applicants will do better, if they're prepared to listen to what she says.

The first is: Follow the Rules. And the last of the five is also, Follow the Rules. As she says, she can't emphasize this enough. Trying to get around the rules just doesn't work - the people who check your application will toss out the ones that don't fit the criteria long before they get to the decision-makers.

She also notes that you need to persuade the readers of your application that the 'Why' of what you're doing is important, not just the 'How'. "I’ve reviewed hundreds of proposals and the best ones have been the ones who present their organizations the way funders see them – as one implement in a toolkit of approaches to addressing a broader cause."

Don't go for grant money if it really doesn't fit what you're doing. The money may become more of a burden than a blessing. And her fourth point is that it's good to remember that the people who read your application are human too - they're not robots; they can be communicated with and your cause can be discussed with them.

There are other good posts on this site, from a variety of writers. Worth checking out if you're planning on applying for money.