STEP-BY-STEP FUND YOUR PLAYGROUND


School play spaces come in all shapes and sizes. Beyond the positive impact on children, there’s a positive impact on the marketability of your school too. Never underestimate how attractive this type of investment appears to both current and prospective parents.


Listen to your children The key driver for any supporter (whether a grant funder or a parent making a donation) is evidence of need and impact. With so many others vying for their attention, the two questions you have to be prepared to answer are: Why should I help you? What difference will it make? To formulate a strong response,


begin by engaging with your pupils. They are the primary users and the benefi ciaries, so make sure they play a part in shaping your project. Consult with them about what equipment they want to play with, where it might go, how it might be used and whether the play area should be open and accessible to all children in the school. This process is


critical – indeed, The National Lottery has released a video to highlight just how


important it is. As a prospective funder, it wants to know that your benefi ciaries have been listened to and have played a part in framing how the project looks. So, take photos of your student


council members discussing the project with a potential supplier. Make a video clip to illustrate how pupils are involved in designing their new play space. Take advantage of any opportunities offered by grant funders to upload photos and video content. Come up with a name for your project – and involve the children in this. Consider running a simple competition to engage parents and broadcast your aspirations beyond the school gates.


Recruit your ambassadors ‘No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.’ This quote from Theodore Roosevelt is very apt when it comes to school fundraising. A genuine and emotive campaign is more likely to connect with your support base and create a positive response. Involving pupils and parents early on helps develop a sense of ownership and responsibility. Bring them on board and make sure they


feel part of the collective effort. They can enjoy the successes too.


Manage the campaign There are many ways to approach fundraising for capital projects. Much will depend on the amount you’re looking to raise, your school circumstances and operating environment. Consider all avenues and select multiple routes to


funding – an overreliance on one source can be hard work and unrewarding. Be realistic about your aims and break the project into two or three phases if you need to. Crowdfunding is ever more


popular, with platforms that are free to set up and simple to manage. Most providers charge in the region of 3 to 5% of the funds raised. Keep your message punchy and to the point. Sell the value of the donation and the impact each contribution can have. Upload images (playground suppliers can provide graphics to help) and link the page to your website and social media. Grant funders will want to see


that you’ve made every effort to raise funds yourself, so tell them what you’ve been doing – the work of the PTA, school contributions, sponsorship and so on. A successful fundraiser is a great storyteller – paint the picture and take the funder along on your journey. Articulate clearly your case for


support – why is your playground needed and the evidence that proves the need. Make use of your subscription to the FundEd grants database to identify eligible funding options for your project. The fi lters and search facilities make it very easy to use. Local business owners may be


parents of children in the school and are worth approaching with an offer. People love to support tactile,


‘Make a video clip to illustrate how pupils are involved in


designing their new play space’ 10 SPRING 2022 FundEd


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44