GRANTS – Fit for funding
status – academies are exempt charities and so are many state schools – and a lot of people, including some funders, don’t understand what that is. An exempt charity is one that doesn’t have to register with the Charity Commission, and for schools, this is because they are regulated by the Department for Education instead. Find out if you qualify and then ask the funder if they will fund exempt charities.
How can we demonstrate we align with a funder’s objectives? You may have heard the term ‘case for support’. This is an internal document that pulls together all the information about your school and its situation. It’s where I tell people to dig deep into what’s special about their school. Every school has advantages and disadvantages that affect fundraising and it’s these differences that give people a reason to support you. Identify them and use them to strengthen your argument. Find out information such as
the deprivation ranking for your area, how many children qualify for free school meals compared to the UK average and the number of pupils who speak English as a second language. Record evidence of any community involvement the school has and any consultations you’ve done. Alongside the school’s case for
support, you will also need a project brief for each initiative where you hope to get funding. The scale of this brief will differ hugely based on the project in question. For example, a new piano would require only a short project brief, whereas the brief for a completely revamped playground would be much longer. Give your project a title that stands out and makes what you hope to achieve immediately clear. As a minimum, you should include a description of the project, quotes for goods or services and a budget. You will also need to identify
Give your project a title that stands out and makes what you hope to achieve immediately clear
and include evidence of need for your project and the desired outcomes for the children.
How can we demonstrate evidence of need? Ask yourself why you have come to this idea for a project and what will change as a result. Consult with the community or the children early on. The more money you’re asking for, the more evidence funders will generally require. Evidence can come from
consultations, questionnaires, school council minutes or existing research. I recently worked with a school where the condition of the tennis courts was becoming a problem. Resurfacing them would cost tens of thousands of pounds and the school did not have the funds to do it. We asked the pupils how often they would use the courts if they were open after school, and we reviewed the Parish Community Plan. The plan didn’t mention tennis courts, but did record a need for more recreational facilities for residents, which gave us external evidence to support the need for this project.
JOIN Welburn &
Can working together help secure funding? When the school and PTA work in partnership, it will almost always increase the total funds available. I see it as two heads of state coming to meet each other – they need to be respectful of each other’s territory, mission and purpose. Collaborating on a big project often brings the school and PTA together, because they see how it works from the other side. A PTA can offer seed funding to
the school to help strengthen a grant application. When a funder sees that another organisation has already contributed to a project, it demonstrates local support. It’s also worth discussing who
should apply for grants. If a funder only accepts applications from registered charities, then a PTA that is a registered charity could be the applicant. Similarly, the PTA may identify that an application needs the weight of the school behind it.
Wood’s free school fundraising Q&A sessions on the second Friday of every month.
How can a PTA or school maximise its chance of success? Make contact with the funder if you can and run your project by them. Clearly answer all the questions they ask and supply any additional documents requested on time. Follow up on any grants received promptly and complete all the necessary paperwork. A funder who has already
supported you is more likely to do so again, so it’s essential to maintain strong relationships
with them.
l Claire Welburn is a partner at Welburn & Wood Fundraising Solutions, who specialise in grant funding and capital projects for schools and charities.
welburnandwood.co.uk
School Fundraising SPRING 2025 39
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