The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Get set for success
Before you start thinking about funding, it is useful to consider the following questions:
Set yourself up for success
If you are applying for grant funding, it is important that you can demonstrate that your organisation is well run. Getting prepared with all the supporting evidence you might need before you begin making applications will save you time in the long run.
Good Governance
Funders want to know that the organisations they are supporting are well run with good governance. Whilst it might not be in your control to ensure that accounts are submitted on time or that you have an appropriate reserves policy in place, it is important that those who are responsible for this understand the impact that these things can have on your funding success.
If you need help with your governing documents or policies, visit our Good Governance guide.
What do funders typically look for when carrying out their due diligence checks?
- Constitution/Governing Document: You have a signed and dated constitution or set of rules for your organisation.
- Committee/Board: You can demonstrate good governance. This may differ depending on the funder and your organisational structure. For example, some funders expect you to have at least two unrelated people who live at different addresses. You should check your eligibility with each fund before applying.
- Bank Account: You have a bank account in the same name as the organisation.
- Reserves policy: You have a reserves policy in place.
- Dissolution clause: Some funders will expect you have a clause which states what happens to any assets if your organisation closes.
You may be asked for some/all of the items below. Do you have a copy of these that is easily accessible? Create a folder in a shared drive so the whole team can access them.
- Constitution/Governing Document
- Most recent set of signed accounts or financial statement (if applicable)
- Bank statements
- Charity or company registration number (if applicable)
- Safeguarding Policy
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Case studies & quotes
- Headed paper
- Photos of your work
- Annual/Impact Reports
Building relationships
Building relationships is an important part of keeping up to date with funding opportunities and increasing your chances of securing funding. Some of the key people to build relationships with are:
- Other groups in your local area
- Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) - You can find details of your local TSI on the TSI Scotland Network.
- Local authority funding officers
- Grant funders
- Umbrella organisations
- Local networks
Partnership working
Lots of funders are looking for groups to work with others to achieve your project aims and having a strong partnership can strengthen your application. Collaborations could involve delivering a project jointly, hosting joint fundraising events, sharing resources, or sharing your learning and ideas.
Funding Scotland
SCVO's Funding Scotland service gives you access to up to date, high-quality information on funding opportunities. It is free for any voluntary organisation working in Scotland with exclusive features for SCVO members.