Key Facts
There are lots of things that funders are likely to want to know about your group or organisation. Many of them are very straightforward. Getting all the answers together while you are preparing your project idea will save a lot of time when it comes to writing the application. If you apply for funding regulalry or want to be ready when that funding opportuity arrives it is worth keeping a file with all this key information in.
We have provided a checklist of information below. If you do not have the answers to these questions you may have to do something about it before you can apply for funding. You can get help on these issues from many organisations, and we have provided a list of support organisations on this website:
What is the name of your organisation?
What is the purpose of your organisation? (This may be written in your constitution or other formal document?
How is your organisation constituted? Are you a charity, not-for-profit organisation, Community Association, etc?
Do you have a constitution?
When was your group or organisation formed?
Does your group have a bank account?
Do you have a set of audited accounts?
Do you have a Board of Trustees or other structure to manage your organisation? (This will depend on the nature of your group). Many funders will ask about the composition of your Board or management group in terms of gender, ethnicity, and disabilities.
Do you have policies on Equal Opportunities, the Environment, Learning and training, etc?
Do you have any recognised standards such as Investors in People, or quality standards such as PQASO?
Do you have a membership and if so how many members?
What is the composition of your membership in terms of age, ethnicity, gender and disability?
How many staff do you have and what is the composition of the staff?
How many volunteers do you work with and who are they?
Where do you do your thing – i.e. what is the geographical limit of your work?
