Expert tips on funding for communities
In June, we hosted our first Resilient Communities Series workshop in partnership with YHA Outdoor Citizens and supported by the Sport England Together Fund on the subject of Routes to Funding for Outdoor Communities.
Funding is a topic that comes up over and over in our conversations with the All The Elements community as a barrier to scaling, sustainability and stability of projects.
As part of the workshop, we had a panel of four wonderful experts that provided their advice, experience and top tips to help leaders from across the All The Elements community to access funding options that they may not have considered before.
The panel
The panel brought together a range of experts who could talk about how to approach funding your community projects from different angles!
Marie Cartwright joined from charity Sporting Equals, which raises awareness & understanding of the needs of Ethnically Diverse Communities within the sports and physical activity sector. Follow @marie.c.cartwright on Instagram.
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is co-founder and trustee of charity Black Trail Runners, which seeks to increase inclusion, participation and representation in trail running. Follow @sabrunsmiles on Instagram.
Jes Baikins is founder and CEO of Crowdfund 360, which supports individuals and groups in designing and running successful crowdfunding campaigns. Follow @jes_baikins on Instagram.
Steph Wetherall is the co-founder of Every Body Outdoors, which fights for clothing, gear and representation for plus sized bodies in the outdoors. Follow @steph_wetherell on Instagram.
Types of Funding Available
During the online session, the panel discussed crowdfunding, grant funding, working with brands, consultancy as a form of funding and personal branding when it comes to reach and funding. We have created quick-start guides for each topic so that you can quickly access their advice on each.
Access the top tips for each type of funding below:
Crowdfunding
Grant funding
Working with brands
Consultancy as a form of funding
Personal branding and reach in funding
Top Tips From the Panel When Applying for Funding (as a community group or individual)
After the main discussion, we asked the panel to share their overall top tips when it comes to seeking out and applying for funding:
“Funding is a bit like dating; you’re looking for the right fit for you and when you make contact with a potential funder, you want to show yourself in the best possible light and tell them why you have chosen them and what you think they might be able to bring to your life. They want to know why you chose them, so do your research and ensure you know about the funder’s values and what they want to invest in; make sure you find the best match for you. Ultimately, treat funding applications in the same way you would with dating!” - Marie
“Don’t lose sight of what you’re trying to do just so that you can fit the funding pot. Don’t change who you/your organisation to fit the funding criteria – because that’s a bad match and a bad date!” – Steph
“Tailor your application to you and the funder – don’t make it generic.” - Marie
“Understand your value and that you have a real contribution to make, don’t undervalue what you are doing. Some brands may say no and that’s ok. Look at what you need and the context of what that will cost the brand.” - Steph
“Using the analogy of dating, crowdfunding is not a one-night stand, it’s at least a five-month relationship! Take your time [with crowdfunding]; a minimum of 8-weeks prep beforehand, a 5-week campaign and then really follow up with the people who have donated.” - Jes
“Your mental health comes first, both when looking at funding and also building your community. Funding rejections and people not wanting to engage with you are not a reflection on you – you must remember that! Building a community can take a lot of energy from you, so your mental health must come first. There will be lots of ups and lots of downs, but remember the power of community and reaching out and asking for help is ok. Sometimes you need to pause and take a step back to be able to move forwards.” – Sabrina.
Did you miss the Routes to Funding event live?
You can watch it below or over on the All The Elements YouTube channel.
Looking for more help and support?
All The Elements offers a range of support for those working on diversity in the UK outdoors, including one-to-one calls, in-person and online events, online resources, online directory and consultancy. If you’d like to find out more, please contact us and tell us about what you need to scale your impact!
