Successful Funding Strategy Dawn Brown, Garioch Partnership Getting it Right? OR Successful Funding Strategy Dawn Brown, Garioch Partnership

A wise wee bear “How can you get very far, If you don’t know Who You Are? How can you do what you ought, If you don’t know What You’ve Got? And if you don’t know Which To Do Of all the things in front of you, Then what you’ll have when you are through Is just a mess of without a clue Of all the best that can come true If you know What and Which and When and Who.” The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff

Why Plan? OR Do you set off on a journey without knowing where you are going? Without everyone with you who needs to be? Plan each step of the way, and take everyone with you!

All on the same page…? History – where did your group come from Who are you and what do you do? Track record Impacts and Outcomes – what have you changed? How many people do you make a difference to? Who funds it? Consider the amount of work, and who will drive/do/deliver it Clearly state what you want to deliver… and agree your strategy!

Elevator Pitch? Is everybody on board? Shared objectives and a real understanding of the direction your group want to go is ESSENTIAL. Your shared plan allows anyone in the project to be able to explain what is happening, and why its needed… A CONCISE agreed statement can make it much easier for your group to move forward.

What should be in my plan? A brief description of what you want to do Who you are Background Project description – how you identified the need Marketing Competitor analysis (third sector/statutory/private providers SWOT How will you do it – what changes will you make and how will you know? Finances – targets, milestones When? Tailor your plan to your audience – an internal plan may well look very different to one you would submit for funding. Consider your reader and their knowledge of your organisation

“Fail to plan and you plan to fail” Use the resource in the room – assess the skills you already have… and any gaps you may need to fill Look at other people’s plans – but don’t plagiarise! Don’t feel your plan has to be an encyclopaedia… KISS (Keep It Short & Simple) Can you sell your idea to someone who does not know your project? Use tools that are out there for project planning – VOiCE, LEAP etc. PLAN, Timeline your years activities.

1 year, 3 year and 5 year 1 year plan – deadlines you know about, fundraising events, milestones Plan agreed Apply for funds Apply to Local funder Event crowdfunder Annual report Years 1-3 tend to be internal, and so you can track where you are going A 5 year plan tends to be needed for anything more “formal” and larger amounts of money, and is good practice for continuity for organisations to have in place. 5 year plans should be SMART

SMARTie? Specific – be clear Measurable – what will you need to collect to show you have done it? Achievable – Can it be done Realistic – Don’t promise the moon Timeline – be precise Inspirational – aim high Excellence – how can you stand out?

What makes a good plan…? Keep it clear, and simple Avoid jargon and acronyms Clear objectives and outcomes Get support – AVA and the rural partnerships can help Have clear timescales – both for developing your plan, and for delivery afterwards Share the work Review, review and review… at each step ensure it is still aiming for your target and not gone off track. Plan how you will monitor and evaluate… and what information you need to gather as you go Be realistic… with targets, costs and timelines. SPELL CHECK! Little details make all the difference.

What does success look like? What will success look like? How will you know? You can also turn this on its head… look at how terrible things could be – what could you do that would mess it up most? Write this down… and then turn each negative into a positive, or at least keep it in mind as one of your threats.

What do you want to achieve? Great plans are clear, concise and achieve what you set out to… Poor plans… Miss the target and leave people…

Places to get third sector support The Aberdeenshire Federation of Rural Partnerships Banffshire Partnership Buchan Development Partnership Formartine Partnership Garioch Partnership Kincardine Development Partnership Marr Area Partnership Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action

Discussion and any Questions? What support do you need? What do you need to plan? Evidence of need Discussion and any Questions? Does it meet the requirements? What does the funder want? Match funding? Realistic? Community buy in and wider support Clear and understandable?

The Garioch Partnership Keep in touch! Dawn Brown Development Worker The Garioch Partnership dawn@gariochpartnership.org.uk www.gariochpartnership.org.uk 07514 449 127 or 01467 628 801