A funder's perspective: The Northern Rock Foundation
The Northern Rock Foundation distributes around £10
million a year to projects primarily in the North-east of
England.
| 'Voluntary
organisations need to think about their unique selling
point and really promote that. If an organisation hasn't
got one, can they really justify themselves?' |
'You have to tell trusts why your organisation and
your project matters,' says Fiona Ellis, the foundation's
director. 'Try and find out as much as you can about
the trust that you are applying to, so you can give them information
that best argues your case in the way that appeals to them.
Also, be truthful and bear in mind that it's easy for
funders to see if a voluntary group's application is
not congruent with its core aims and objectives.
| 'You
wouldn't expect
a bank manager to let people get away with not keeping
them informed. Funders like to know what is going on,
so keep them updated about the progress of the project.' |
'Voluntary organisations need to think about their
unique selling point and really promote that. If an organisation
hasn't got one, can they really justify themselves?
We invest in the voluntary sector to get results, not simply
to keep it going. If an organisation can't show that
it is getting results, then tough.
'You wouldn't expect a bank manager to let people
get away with not keeping them informed. Funders like to know
what is going on, so keep them updated about the progress
of the project. Invite funders to events, but don't
be surprised if they don't turn up. They have lots of
invitations, but they still like to be asked.'
|
