Page 43 - NAS Members Guide to Funding

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What funders do not like to hear:That you have not considered other ways to fund your plan and are solely
9. TELLING YOUR STORY: THE APPLICATION FORM
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LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this section of the guide, your association will be able to:
Submit an authentic application for grant funding Explain and provide Essentials about your governance
Supply Evidence of Need & Outcomes
INTRODUCTION
Although many would say that this is the hard part, if you have done the work in the previous eight parts of this guide then completing the actual application form should not be too onerous a task.
What funders like to hear:Your plans to become a durable self-sustaining organisation who will not be back next week for more funding.
reliant on grant funding from one funder (“funding dependency”).
Before you start
Read through the application guidelines thoroughly.
And then read them again. Try not to rush. Putting the paperwork to one side for a couple of days can help it all sink in. Aim to have at least two or three people familiar with your association’s idea to also check the guidelines.
Gather all of the relevant documents to hand:
• Plan (see Part 1)
• Budget Sheet and Non-monetary Budget Sheet (see
Part 1)
• Essentials (see Part 6)
• Case for Support (see Part 8).
The funder may not want to see all of your association’s documents but you will likely need to quote information from them to answer questions on the application form, so it is useful to have them all with you when complete the application form.
Online applications
Most funding applications are now made online. You can usually read through all of the application form online before you have to start filling in your answers to the questions. This is so that you have an idea of what is coming, and can avoid repeating information or missing anything out. Once you do start to fill out the application form online, you can usually save your application and come back to it later before you finally press “submit”. If an online application is going to be difficult, e.g. lack of
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HONESTY
It goes without saying that you must be honest on your application form. Bear in mind that funders do talk to one another and have their own networks
- so keep it truthful. Funders also keep a keen eye out for fraud and they encourage the public to report suspicions to them. Funders will investigate and they do go to the police if they suspect fraud.
Action: Check you have followed the Guiding Principles (see Part 1) and have put all of the Essentials in place (see Part 6). Ensure you are comfortable that your association’s idea and application are authentic before you submit an application.
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