1. Find the right funding programme for you

As a funder, we expect projects to be driven by the people and communities that will benefit. When developing your project, speak to the people you are working with and listen to what they tell your group. Ask them about what matters to them and find out what strengths they can bring to the table that would help others. You could also chat to their families, the wider community, local community groups and similar organisations you might work with. Projects tend to be more successful when communities are involved in them from the very start and remain involved during the life of the project.

Once your group have decided what you need a grant for, visit our website to find out what funding programmes we have available and check whether your idea is eligible. Remember that we may not be the best funder to support you so having a look at other funders will help you find the best funding option for you – the WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Associations) have created a database of all the funders offering grants in Wales – after a short process to register for free you can access the list here: https://funding.cymru/.

You might also speak to other National Lottery funders or chat to helper organisations like WCVA or your local County Voluntary Council to find out what other options are available.

2. Shape your idea

If you feel that your idea fits with the aims of one of our funding programmes, give our team a call on 0300 123 0735. We have a dedicated, friendly funding officer in each area who will be happy to chat with you. They will help you explore how your project idea has been developed alongside your community, how it will use and build on the strengths you have in your group and how you will work with other organisations. They will ask you to look and see if anyone in your area is already offering what you want a grant for. If you plan to work in partnership with other organisations, we are happy to speak with all the groups in the partnership.

You don’t need to have your project idea finalised before you contact us, but it would help if you had an idea of what you would like to accomplish, as this will allow us to have a detailed chat with you. We will let you know if your idea is something we could consider or not. You are welcome to chat with us as often as you like. If your idea is something that would not meet the aims of our programme, we will do our best to refer you to a more suitable source of funding.

3. Develop your project budget

When you have decided what to apply for, you’ll start to look at what costs will be involved in bringing it to life. It is always good to do some research into the average costs for items that will help your idea to become a reality. Make sure you include all costs relating to your project i.e., facilitators, equipment, materials, rent, salaries, publicity, merchandise. Chat to the groups you hope to work with – are there any staff, volunteer, equipment, or venue resources you could share? This will help you to keep costs down and build on the strengths that people in your community have and are willing to share. Ask someone to have a read through your final budget plan to make sure everything is included, and it all adds up correctly. It’s also a good idea to double check the amount requested falls within funding limit of the programme you are applying to.

4. Complete your application form

We have found that it’s always better for a key member of your community group to complete the form, as the passion and drive you all have for your project will shine through. In fact, if we think someone not connected with your project has written your bid we may not be able to accept it. Someone in the group will be the best person to tell us how your community and partners will support you in making your project a success and how you plan build on the great things that are already happening in your area. Use your own words to write about your idea – there is no need to use buzz words or jargon. This is your opportunity to tell us all about your project and how people you work with were involved in developing it. It is always a good idea to ask someone who is not involved directly with your project to read your application form to make sure they can understand your idea fully.

If, for whatever reason, you are unable to fill an online application, hard copies are available. Just contact us and we will provide you with all the documentation required.

5. Send your form to us

When you’re sending us your completed application form, double check that you have included any additional information we asked for. We will send you an email or letter to confirm that we have received your form. If you do not receive anything from us, please call us on 0300 123 0735 to check we have received your application.

When we are assessing your application, our team may chat to the person who completes the form to get any further information. This is another reason it is important that this person knows your project plan in detail and how the idea was developed. We want your project to be successful and wish you the absolute best of luck in your search for funds to make your dream a reality.

We would love to hear from you

We hope these tips will help you to get funding for your project and that you found them useful. We love to hear from you so if you have any tips you would like to share with others, please get in touch with us and let us know.

You can leave a comment below or feel free to drop us an email at wales@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.

You can also contact us on our Facebook page (The National Lottery Community Fund Wales) or Twitter (@tnlcomfundwales).