I was once told by someone in local government circles that they dreaded my attendance at meetings because I always used the “f”-word: The word was “Funding”!
It’s a perennial problem in the sector and, although there’s a lot of free or cheap technology around, most ICT projects require some funding to get off the ground. Given the credit crunch and the 2012 Olympics, there’s less funding around nowadays. However, there’s more help around than you think.
Local Funding Advisors
Many CVS’s / Voluntary Actions have advisors to assist your search. Find your local CVS/VA here. This is a good place to start.
Funding Advice Agencies
Within the region there are a couple of agencies dedicated to helping organisations access funding. These are:
- Fit4Funding (formerly the Charities Information Bureau) – http://www.fit4funding.org.uk/
- SYFAB (South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau) – http://www.syfab.org.uk/
Funding Search Engines
One of the main search utilities is GRANTnet. This is available through local access points. Sometimes these are free and sometimes they form part of a subscription. Locally we have access points at the websites of Doncaster Council, East Riding Council, Fit4Funding, Hull CVS, Kirklees Council, North Lincs Council, North Yorks Council and the “Funds in Leeds” site. You can find all these links on the sidebar of this blog.
Another search utility is J4B. This is free as far as getting the name of the fund – but you have to pay after that. This utility also powers the BFunded site in Bradford.
funderfinder is a small charity based in Leeds who produce a computer program which can be accessed at many CVS’s and Voluntary Actions. Check your local one to see if they have an access point.
Funding alerts
Several agencies send out funding alerts. Some of these are paid-for services such as those at North Yorks Forum for Voluntary Organisations (NYFVO) or Fit4Funding.
Experts Online is a national service run by RuralNet. This is a website which flags up the name of the fund (which you can use in a google search) but if you want the detailed information you will need to subscribe to the service. Their RSS feed is on the side bar of this blog.
SYFAB also produce a blog of funding alerts with full information. Their RSS feed is also on my sidebar.
Sources Lists
The (now defunct) ICT Hub commissioned a study into potential Sources of Funding for ICT. This was last updated in March 2008. Links to this are provided on the sidebar here (see SoF).
Applying for Funding
Remember there are organisations around dedicated to helping you in the process. They run many courses to assist you in this quest.
Funder Finder also offer a free software resource to help you in the process called Apply Yourselves. Refer to the sidebar for the link.
Applying for ICT Funding
Remember that the funding streams that you will see on this blog are not usually specifically for ICT. Rather, they are aimed at a social need (say, disability, age, homelessness and so on) than an operational need. However, ICT needs cut across all voluntary sector organisations and have the capacity to help you do things better – or – do better things.
If, when you bid for funds, you try to take the approach of full cost recovery, you must take all the costs associated with ICT into account. And beware! That’s not just the cost of the PC and the software. They are the cheapest bits! For instance, you can find a new PC (including monitor) for under £300. And, if you are a charity, have a look at the cost of software on the Charity Technology Trust site. For example the cost of MS Office Professional Plus is just £10 plus VAT. (Click on the link in the right sidebar for details).
Remember you need other things: technical support and maintenance, broadband, training and so on. All of these have a cost and should be bid for in any funding application. The best advice when applying is – “get your ideas clear” – so that the funders can see why you are asking for that funding.
One programme that helps CEOs and senior managers do this is net:gain. This programme helps them identify the key internal processes in which they must excel to deliver their mission for clients and funders (and to which ICT can be applied). It helps leaders “do things better and do better things”. This programme is heavily subsidised under ChangeUp only until March 2009.
Electroville is the main deliverer of net:gain in Yorkshire & Humber. Indeed they won the national award for most successful net:gain centre in the UK in 2007. If you would like to know more, you can look at the net:gain website, the Electroville website or ring Simon Duncan on 01924 488725.
Filed under: Funding | Tagged: SYFAB, Fit4Funding, Experts online, J4B, GRANTnet, BFunded
