Find the funding you need and get that grant

Whether you’re new to securing funding or fundraising, or an old hand, we’ve gathered resources, stories and advice on how to get support with all your funding needs in this Funding Toolkit.

Resources

Applying for funding

Getting started.

Fundraising – what you need to know before you start – everything you need to consider before starting a funding application.

Evidencing need and defining outcomes – how do you prove to a funder that what you want funding for is needed?

Researching funders  –  with so many funders and grants out there, how do you work out which is the right one for you? Our information sheet will help you get started.

The application.

How to write a successful funding application – our tips on how to submit a stand out application from planning to budgets to project management and delivery.

Charities Aid Foundation – how to write a great grant application

NCVO – write a winning funding bid

Funder videos - hear straight from the horse's mouth what makes a good funding application

On 30 September 2021, we held our first North Yorkshire Funding Summit. Below are recordings from funders who ran seminars at the event. Hear from the funder’s mouth what make a successful applications, do’s and don’ts and what projects they support.

Not all of these funds will be open at any one time so please remember to check application deadlines.

 

Fundraising

Fundraising Regulator – fundraising code of practice: this sets out the responsibilities that you need to be aware of as a fundraiser.

Other useful resources.

Funding reports and research

When you’re submitting a funding application, it may help to draw on research and data to back up your project.

Yorkshire & Humber voluntary sector funding ecology research 2021.

Read the Funding Ecology Report to gain a deeper understanding of how Yorkshire and Humber voluntary sector funding compares with other regions and how funding is distributed. Find out where North Yorkshire’s funding cold spots are, which funders are giving out the most grants and to which type of groups.

Yorkshire & Humber Funding Ecology report 2015 – 2018.

Read for further details of the £100m of funding per annum invested in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Yorkshire and Humber region from 2015-2018.

The Value of Small.

Discover the value of small and in-depth insight into the distinctive contribution, value and experiences of small and medium-sized charities in England and Wales (2018).

IBFEW The Value of Small in a Big Crisis.

Explore the distinctive contribution, value and experiences of smaller charities in England and Wales during the COVID 19 pandemic (2021).

Shining a Light.

Read about the experiences of voluntary, community and social enterprises in North Yorkshire supporting communities during the Covid-19 pandemic (2020).

Training

How to successfully apply for funding

Our bespoke training will take you on a journey from identifying funders to submitting a successful application.

Whether you’re only looking for a small grant or seeking funding for a major project, we can help. Our development officers will talk you through how to identify the right source of funding for your group and how to increase your chances of making a winning application.

Keeping up to date with the latest funds

Funding bulletin

Our monthly Funding Bulletin keeps you in touch with new and ongoing funding sources, emailed straight to your inbox. 1 in 3 subscribers have applied to funding they’ve found out about in the newsletter.

Our Funding Bulletin is available to:

  • All our members across North, South and West Yorkshire as part of their package of benefits.
  • And voluntary groups and charities in North Yorkshire can freely access it as part of the resources and support services funded by North Yorkshire County Council and NHS North Yorkshire.

Register here for the Funding Bulletin or any of our other newsletters or become a Community First Yorkshire member.

Funding stories

Farndale Village Hall

Everyone’s journey to secure funding is different. It may be that you don’t know what funding is out there, you might not know where to get started, or even the funding you think you need isn’t right for you.

With our help, Farndale Village Hall found the funding they needed to build a new community hub.

Search for funding

Overview

We want to help you bring your local community projects to life – and often that can depend on helping you to secure the right funding.

There are so many funding pots available out there and competition for grants can be fierce, so where do you start?

We can make your search for funding easier. We help groups access support independently wherever possible, as well as being there for groups who need additional help. We have two distinct funding search options available:

IDOX Grantfinder – request a bespoke funding search

Request a supported, bespoke funding search – we use IDOX GrantFinder, a leading funding database in the UK covering local, national, and international sources of funding, to carry out detailed searches to match the right funds to your need. We use your precise location, key words and your governance structure to find the right funds for you. Once we’ve done a search, we’ll send you a customised funding report.

Because IDOX GrantFinder is updated in real-time, we’ll only tell you about funds that are up to date.

The database includes not just the well-known funding providers, such as The National Lottery Community Fund, but many of the less well-publicised pots of money – helping you to increase your chances of success. It may be that our search throws up funds that you would have never thought about applying to before – but if that helps secure your group or project’s future, even better!

Get in touch through our  Community Support North Yorkshire Enquiry Form to get funding support for your group.

Grantway – carry out your own funding search

Carry out your own self-serving funding search – you can sign up and use Grantway to search for grants yourself. Grantway is a free, innovative, user-friendly new search portal, designed to make it easy for charity and volunteer organisations to find and obtain essential funding. Please note you can search grants available in Yorkshire and the Humber, but cannot sort by grants available solely in North Yorkshire.

Guiding you through your funding journey

Funding advice from Community Support North Yorkshire

If you’re a voluntary or community organisation or social enterprise in North Yorkshire we can help you get the funding you need to create a more sustainable financial future for your organisation.

The Community Support North Yorkshire team will work with you to understand your grant funding needs, check you are eligible then direct you to suitable grants. We can also be a critical friend during the application process.

Because we’re funded by North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), our support is free to VCSE organisations in North Yorkshire.

We can help you with:

  • Getting ready to make an application – do you have all the documents that funders want to see and understand timescales?
  • Preparing community consultations and surveys to provide evidence and data for funders
    how to plan and cost a project.
  • Identifying grants, trusts and funds to apply for.
  • Giving advice on how to write an application and reviewing it with you, as a critical friend, to make it stronger if needed.
  • Speaking to a funder on your behalf to check your eligibility, and follow up with them if your application isn’t successful.
  • Linking you with other successful groups to learn from their experience.

To get in touch, simply fill in an enquiry form or ring 01904 704177 and ask to speak to someone in the Community Support North Yorkshire team.