Funder information and where to find it
Melanie May | 19 January 2022 | News
Finding funding is a perennial challenge – but the good news is, there are lots of sources out there. The question is how to find the right matches for your organisation and need.
Here’s a quick summary of some of the key sources of funding and funder information available to good causes in the UK – both free and paid for.
Firstly, many community foundations and CVSs (council for voluntary service) provide funding databases, and those that don’t often have online lists of local funders.
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Others, such as infrastructure bodies, grant makers, and councils, also produce online funder lists, which can be quick and easy to access.
There are also UK country databases, such as those held by Foundation Scotland, WCVA and NICVA.
Some big and specialist / sector specific funders have their own search engines for their funds, such as the National Lottery, arts councils and sports national bodies.
Regulators have their own databases too, which can be worth a look, and there are some good UK Government search engines covering grants, contracts, and councils.
Free sources include Funding Finder, and Idox’s My Funding Central (for those with a turnover under £30k p.a.), and regional databases, such CVSs, which are often free, as are those belonging to grant makers like Arts Council England, and online funder lists.
Of course, some databases are more sophisticated than others. Funding Finder and online funder lists are quick and simple to access, so good for those with limited expertise, digital skills, or time. Others, like 360Giving’s GrantNav, where 190 funders publish their grants data in the 360Giving Data Standard, and the regulator databases enable you to carry out more detailed research, which can take a bit more time and some skill. DSC and Idox also offer more sophisticated search options and greater detail on each grant maker.
How to choose
So, how to choose? Rather than focusing just on the price, it’s important to think about what you need, says Ian McLintock, founder of the Charity Excellence Framework and Funding Finder:
“Every funding database offers different functionality, sectors, and costs. If I were a professional, I’d probably choose DSC, if money was tight, maybe Grants Online; for community groups, a CSV or community foundation database; and for specific searches, the big grant maker search engines. Funding Finder has less sophisticated searches and funder detail, but is free, quick and simple to use, with click through to 100K+ funders globally and specific search categories for minoritised groups.”
Anastasia Nikolic, Marketing Manager at Brevio agrees. She advises:
“Start with defining your funding need. This means looking at the specifics of the project you require funding for, such as the focus areas and beneficiaries of the project, how much funding you require, where the project is based, and when you will need the funding.
“Next, research funders that might be interested in funding your project. There are different platforms available with large databases of funders, and those that use AI to tailor grants and funders to your specific funding need could save you a lot of time. To help you choose the right one, look at previous success stories, how they can support you, and pricing, and talk to the team. It’s important to choose a platform that has the right customer support in place and values your feedback.”
20 sources worth checking out
- Charity Excellence Framework Funding Finder (free)
2. 360Giving’s GrantNav (free)
Geraldine Tovey, Policy & Engagement Manager at 360Giving shares:
“Aside from the GrantNav site, we encourage organisations to explore other sources of open data such as the Charity Commission Register, OSCR Register and Contracts Finder. This 360Giving blog gives an example of how fundraisers can use the Charity Commission Register to identify potential funders. Another good source of publicly available information is the statutory accounts of similar charities which often list their funders.
“We’d also recommend looking locally. Many councils for voluntary services and community foundations have lists of local funds available on their websites, such as Support Staffordshire.”
3. GrantsOnline (free)
4. Grantfinder (subscription)
5. Government search engines including Contracts Finder & Innovate UK (free)
6. Charity Commission / OSCR / CCNI registers (free)
7. Get Grants Funding Finder (free)
8. DSC funding directories – such as The Directory of Grant Making Trusts (£125 for hard copy)
9. Idox’s My Funding Central (free for charities with annual turnover under £30k
10. DSC’s Funds Online (subscription)
11. Country databases such as Foundation Scotland’s (free), NICVA’s GrantTracker (subscription), and WCVA’s Funding Wales (free)
12. Local CVS and VCSE support services (free)
13. Brevio (free trial, then subscription)
14. The Funding Network (free but requires being sponsored by a TFN member
15. Websites of big funders, like the National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council etc.
16. The websites of networks like London Funders, WM Funders Network, & Environmental Funders Network can throw up usual names (free)
17. The websites/annual reports of grantmakers are also worth looking at for a list of whom they funded, for what, and how much (free)
Jay Kennedy, DSC Director of Policy & Research, advises:
“When examining reports and accounts, look for examples of previous charities or projects that the funder has supported to see whether they’re similar to your own. Also, see how much money the grant-maker gives annually and how much it gives in grants. What’s the range in grant size? Is the total given going up or down? Do they have strategies or plans for the future that you might fit into in the future, even if you don’t now? Do they give to the same organisations every year, or completely different ones? These kinds of information can help you form a judgment about whether it’s a potentially good target for you.
“It can also be a really good idea to give the grant-maker a call or email to explain your project and talk about a potential application, assuming you can find a phone number or email address.”
18. The websites of similar/competitor charities – they often acknowledge funders online as well as sometimes in their annual report and accounts (free)
19. New government grants community pilot project – one to keep an eye on. Read more on this here.
20. Search engines – go deeper into the page listings than just the first few pages (free)
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.