Get organised!
If you have an idea or project that you want to put into
practice and need some money to make it all happen, then you need
to plan ahead to give yourself the best chance of success. The
longer you spend on the planning phase the better you will be able
to present your organisation and your project or idea to those who
might be interested in supporting you.
Get a Constitution!
Even if you only consider yourselves to be an informal voluntary
or community group, you should have, and adopt, a Constitution or
set of rules. This will help to show that you are well organised
and are clear about your aims and objectives. It will also be
something to refer back to if there are any disagreements within
your group. Some helpful information on how to draw up a
Constitution or set of rules can be found on -
www.awardsforall.org.uk (click on England then
How To Apply and follow links)
Get a set of accounts!
You should always produce a set of annual accounts to show what
money has been received and what money has been paid out over the
past year. It's a good idea to get your accounts certified as an
accurate record by someone not connected with your group.
Get a bank account!
Open a separate bank account for your organisation or group and
ensure that at least two people are named as signatories to the
account. These two people should not be related. This will help to
ensure that nobody can be accused of misappropriating the group's
money.
Be clear about what you are raising money for
If you want to raise money for a particular project, idea or
area of your work it is a good idea to start by putting some basic
information together. Using the headings below, try to be as
concise as possible and write a few lines under each one. Get some
input from the members of your group and make sure that everyone
agrees with the final version.
1. What do we want to do or achieve?
2. Why do we want to do or achieve this?
Perhaps you have consulted local people or undertaken a survey
that shows a need for what you want to do. Some basic facts and
figures will always help to make a stronger case, e.g. number of
children who have no xyz, lack of any xyz in abc area
3. How are we going to do or achieve this?
Include how long it will take as well as the actions you will
need to take
4. What do we need in order to do this?
Don't just think about money - think about other resources that
you can put into the project, such as volunteers, free professional
advice
5. Who will benefit and how?
Be clear about how many people will benefit from what you are
doing. Use figures where you can based on realistic estimates.
6. How will we know we are successful/have achieved what we set
out to do?
Think about how you will know if what you are doing, which you
explained under point 1., has been achieved or is successful, eg a
survey of people benefiting when the project is underway to get
their opinions.
7. How much will it cost?
Your budget which should be realistic, so do some research and
don't err on the side of caution. Remember to include VAT in your
calculations if you will incur it but can't reclaim it
Now that you have put this information together you are ready to
start thinking about where to get the money from in order to
achieve what is involved.
Other useful sources of information
- www.awardsforall.org.uk has useful information
about Constitutions and accounts (click on England then How To
Apply)
Raising Money For Good Causes £5.99
Pub: Directory of Social Change - online bookshop -
www.dsc.org.uk