Grants available can be from public sources or from charitable organisations and grant making trusts. Often access to a fund will be dependent on the applicant organisation’s status (exclusive to organisations in Renfrewshire). Most grants target charitable organisations, however a number will support any not for profit organisation that is properly constituted (for example Awards for All does this).
The size of grants available can vary, however these have different implications for your organisation:
Small grants (up to £10K) – typically these grants are easier to access and are a good source for first time funding applicants and for community groups. Once secured they can also act as a springboard to larger grants as they demonstrate the organisation’s ability to deliver a project and manage a grant.
Medium grants (£10K to £100K) – more often available to larger organisations with charitable status these grants can allow an organisation to move into new areas of operation. It will be important to consider how new activity fits with organisational ethos and to address practical issues related to grant management.
Large grants (£100K to over £1m) – these very large grants are most often provided by the Lottery funded grant makers and by a small number of other large grant making trusts to charitable organisations. The size of the grant relates directly to the volume of preparatory work required prior to application. Large grants often have a two stage application process.