Be Fundable - According To Funders: New Research to Improve Charity Fundability

There often exists an understanding gap between charities seeking funding and those with resources to give, with many charities struggling to secure the funding they need to thrive.

Yet we are part of a community of people and organisations committed to realising meaningful change – rather than two opposing sides – and indeed some who can identify with both raising funds and giving funds to fulfil their mission.

ImpactEd Philanthropy, are striving to help bridge gaps through a new research project designed to help charities and funders better understand each other and collaborate for greater impact.

Why are we doing this project?

We know from experiences across the philanthropy world – including in fundraising, giving and consulting - that many brilliant charities are missing out on funding because they do not know what funders are looking for (or at).

They may struggle to present their organisation at application stage, or not have considered how proactive funders may review them from behind the scenes.

This particularly applies to accessing unrestricted, multi-year funding - described by the Institute for Voluntary Action Research as "the holy grail of funding” - which gives charities the flexibility to spend it where it is most needed.

This project is not about telling charities to change who they are or meet demands that drift into the unreasonable; it is about demystifying decision-making to increase transparency and fairness. We seek to empower charities with the knowledge to maximise their chances of fundraising success.

What will the project look like?

Firstly, we are gathering insights directly from funders about their decision-making processes via a survey and follow-up interviews.

We will then translate these findings into practical guidance for charities, culminating in the development of a self-assessment tool that organisations can use to evaluate and enhance their fundability which will be freely available on our website.

In addition,we will offer funders an insight into how their funding practices align withand differ from current trends.

What do we want to achieve?

Our researchaims to demystify decision-making processes and thereby:

·       Equip more charities to be in stronger position to seek and secure funding, particularly unrestricted, multi-year funding that provides stability and flexibility.

·       Enable funders to have a better insight into a wider range of charities, increasing the diversity of the organisations they engage with and support.

·       Bridge gaps between funders and charities to move resources to where they will make a difference people and society.

How can you get involved?

If you are a funder, we would be grateful if you would take 10-15 minutes to complete our survey – we recognise that time is precious and your input will be incredibly valuable.

Following our earlier outreach about the project, we are delighted that more than 20 funder shave already confirmed their participation - including Collective Futures, The Considered Ask, The Dulverton Trust, Social Business Trust and Walcot Foundation – and we hope that many more will join them.  

We invite everyone to help spread the word about the project on LinkedIn.

“Please please please do put in a few minutes to take this survey, which will make a big difference.

As you know, too many great charities and funders are missing out on impactful funding relationships through a lack of understanding. Having moved from fundraising to grant making, I’ve seen first-hand how little even the best, emerging charities understand what funders are looking for.  

That’s limiting for charities but it’s also frustrating for funders. By demystifying what funders need - especially what they need to give unrestricted, multi-year funding - we will ensure that more excellent charities can access funding to help them really fly. Thank you!”

John Rendel

Non-Executive Director at ImpactEd Group and Director of Grants at The Peter Cundill Foundation

Full Survey available here: https://forms.office.com/e/r74aVSr7aP

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Together - by bridging gaps - we will remove barriers to funding to drive greater collaboration and impact for society.

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