Funding advice

Funding advice

One of the most regular requests for information that is submitted to all Local Authority Arts Services is about funding and how to access it. Unfortunately, although there are many funders who support a very wide variety of work, accessing those funds is not always easy. This page will link to some basic fundraising tools and will also list some of the main arts funders. Please find below a quick list of questions and answers to help you narrow down your search for funding and which should be considered in regard to ANY funding application.

This page should be read in tandem with Funding Links found on the Links page.

Q1: Where do I start looking for funding?
The Internet is probably one of your most useful tools and in particular the funderfinder website, www.funderfinder.org.uk. The Directory of Social Change, www.dsc.org.uk, also provides a subscription only online funding service on Trusts and Foundations and Corporate funders but also provides a free search on government funding as well as useful funding publications. A good free general guide to arts funding can be found online at www.culture.gov.uk/arts/funding_for_arts

Q2: What different types of funding are there?
Funders often break down their funding into various strands or themes. These often come under the headings of Capital, Revenue and Core funding. The term Capital funding refers to any item of equipment or building work that you may need to buy. Revenue funding refers to project funding (often public funds) and can refer to some elements of Core funding, which is normally defined as funding for operational costs such as salaries or administration without which your organisation could not survive. It is important to be clear about which type of funding you are seeking; however please remember you should include a percentage of your Core costs within every funding application. For a full explanation of funding terms please follow this link to http://www.funderfinder.org.uk/jargon/jargon.php

Q3: How do I decide which funding is appropriate to me?
Be clear about what you want the money for and how and when you will spend it. If you have a specific funder in mind, it is often useful to call them to discuss the application you want to make. This can save you and the funder a lot of time in terms of writing and reading applications that are not eligible for support.

If you are looking for a basic guide to fundraising please follow this link www.funderfinder.org.uk/advice_pack.php

Q4: What if my funding application is unsuccessful?
Funding applications can be unsuccessful for many reasons; one of the most frequent is that a project does not meet the aims and objectives of the funding body. It is essential to find out as much information about the funding body and the type of projects they fund prior to making your application. However it is worth bearing in mind that the majority of statutory/charitable/sponsorship funds are usually very oversubscribed and this could play a large part in an unsuccessful funding bid. In this case it is often worthwhile speaking to the funder to find out when and if you can re-apply and what, if anything you can add to your application to make it stronger. Please go to the Links page for further information on arts funding and some links to a variety of trusts and foundations who may be interested in supporting your work.