Funding Training Costs
Organisations and groups working the children, young people and families need generally need some income in order to provide training and development opportunities for their staff and volunteers. This section aims to give you some brief information and signpost you to helpful resources.
Where do we start?
To begin, contact your local Council for Voluntary Action. They will be able to offer help with all aspects of fundraising including giving advice, information about funding sources, reviewing funding applications and running training on fundraising issues.
Also think about your existing contacts – this might include:
- Your trustees or management committee members
- Staff and volunteers
- Supporters, past and present
- Grant-giving organisations you have approached in the past, including those who have rejected previous applications but not discouraged you from trying again
Who do they know and what might help might they be able to offer, either in terms of finance or fundraising skills and expertise?
Where can we go for funding?
Generally, groups and organisations access money and resources from the following areas:
- Local and central government
- Lottery distributors and public appeals (such as the Big Lottery Fund, Comic Relief, BBC Children in Need)
- Grant-giving trusts and foundations
- Donations – either from individuals or local companies and small businesses
How can we find out about funding opportunities?
As well as getting in touch with your local Council for Voluntary Action, you might find the following resources helpful:
- East Sussex County Council produces a monthly bulletin containing all the latest funding opportunities. Their Funding Team can also help you to identify potential funders.
- GRANTnet is a free-to-use funding website containing the most up-to-date database of grants for all types of groups and organisations.
- FunderFinder sell grant-seeking software but their website contains some useful free resources including ‘Apply’ Yourself’ and ‘Budget Yourselves, plus some helpful factsheets.
You can also find a range of free advice and factsheets on the Fit4Funding website. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has also produced a helpful guide called ‘How to train and develop your workforce on a tight budget’.
And don’t forget!
You can use the Skill Share Swap Shop to see if any other local groups and organisations have fundraising expertise they would be happy to share or to find out whether anyone would like to share training costs.
Useful Links
Local Councils for Voluntary Action
East Sussex County Council Funding Team
National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
