Fundraising during a pandemic is proving – in some cases – to be very, very tough.
We’ve spoken recently about the value of emergency fundraising appeals, but importantly, trust funding and other grants are being made available for charities that are responding to the crisis. With many hospices adapting their services or developing new ones in response to COVID-19, trusts and grants are definitely sources of funding you should consider focussing on in the weeks ahead.
Of course, there’s fierce competition for grants as more charities attempt to make up for the loss of other income streams (particularly from events and community). CAF, for example, closed their Coronavirus Emergency Fund after just eight days, having received applications totalling £40m! Swift action, we’d say, is crucial.
So our Trusts expert, Andrew Peel, has developed a few pointers for hospices that we hope will help to navigate the choppy waters of the current funding environment:
Government support
£200m of Rishi Sunak’s £750m support package for the charity sector is earmarked for hospices ‘delivering essential services and support during the coronavirus crisis’; though the specific details of this package are yet to be clarified, it’s definitely worth keeping on your radar.
National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund has made an additional £300m of funding available for charities, including hospices. All its funding decisions for England for the next six months will prioritise those charities and projects that are COVID-19 related.
Funding Databases
New funders and opportunities are emerging every day, so we’re working hard to stay abreast of all developments and provide the most up-to-date advice to our clients. One excellent free resource is a searchable funding database that’s being updated daily. Similarly, CAF’s Covid-19 Hub of further information and support for the charitable sector is super useful.
Hospice-Friendly Trusts
Some traditional hospice-supporting trusts and grantmakers have relaxed their funding criteria – or made more funds available. So, we’re reviewing historic and live trust fundraising activity to identify those most likely to a) support your charity again; or b) be flexible in amending the terms of grants already given (e.g. by de-restricting a grant where the need has changed) or c) consider funding new COVID-19-related services.
Making Your Case
We’re also supporting clients by writing compelling funding applications that we believe will have the best possible chance of success. Funders still need to buy in to your work on an emotional level. AND, they need to be convinced that the hospice has a clear strategy to cope with reduced income, increased demand or even the delivery of a brand-new service. In this competitive new environment, bland, generic applications or ‘round-robins’ are less likely to succeed.
Let’s Talk
We‘d love to talk about your trust plans, or how we can help you source trusts income for your hospice. So, our offer of a free chat (we live on Zoom now, friends!) to discuss what you’re up to – and how we can support you during these challenging times.
Best of luck – and may the Zoom be with you!
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