Elgin– Fundraising Seminar – 1 st April 2010

Elgin– Fundraising Seminar – 1st April 2010 Lesley Macdonald The Robertson Trust

Welcome! • Overview of The Robertson Trust • Background information • Specifics • Helpful hints • Questions

The Robertson Trust • Established in 1960’s by 3 sisters living in Berwickshire • Income generated from shares held in The Edrington Group i.e. the whisky industry • Disburses approx £9Mm each year mainly to charities based in or working in Scotland

Who are we? • Small staff team of 7 based in Glasgow • Trustees meet 6 times a year • Want to be approachable and supportive • Happy to talk prior to application • Try to visit in person – not telephone assessment

Priorities • Care - (28%) • Education and Training (16%) • Community Sports and Arts (13%) • Health - (11%)

‘Other’ Categories • Children, Young People & Families (14%) • Communities (8%) • Culture, Heritage and Science (7%) • Environment, Saving Lives, Civil Society, Animal Welfare (3%)

What we don’t fund • Individuals or organisations which are not recognised as charities or whose work does not take place in Scotland • Umbrella groups not providing a direct service • Organisations and projects whose primary object is to provide a counselling, advocacy, advice and/or information service • Projects which are primarily intended to promote political or religious beliefs

Types of donation • Small (revenue up to £5k p.a. and capital up to £10K) • Main (revenue over £5k p.a. and capital between £10 - £100k) • Major Capital (only within our Priority Areas and for £100k +)

Facts & Figures • 767 applications received in 2008/09 • Average of 128 for consideration at each meeting • Committed £9.9m to 497 different charities • 71% success rate

Preparing the Application • Do your research - find funders whose criteria, geographical area and size of donations match yours • Don’t design your project to meet a funders priorities or deadlines • Provide contact details including e-mail address and legible signature • Check all applications with committee

Writing the letter‘do’s’ • Write to a ‘real’ person • Keep it concise and to the point • Follow the headings in the guidelines • Include attachments as requested • Provide fully costed budget • Give details of other funders approached • Get someone not connected with your organisation to read it through

Writing the letter‘don’ts’ • Overload the application with attachments • Include DVDs/CDs • Woffle/pad out • Use jargon • Repeat yourself • Include lots of research

Financial Information • Revenue – Projected Income and Expenditure Budget • Capital – Expenditure plus future cashflow predictions • Fundraising Plan • Evidence of capacity to manage funding

Annual Accounts • Audited or independently examined • Breakdown of information • Note to accounts to explain anomalies • Level of reserves

What happens to your application? • Checked for basic eligibility and inclusion of key information • Passed to assessment team for a more detailed check • Decision taken on whether or not a visit / telephone call is required • Once all information is gathered a recommendation is written for the Trustees • Challenge meeting between staff to agree recommendations • Trustees final decision

What makes a good assessment visit ? • Arranged for a time when activities are taking place in the premises • Opportunity to meet a range of people including beneficiaries of the service • A quiet place to meet with knowledgeable people to discuss the application • Informal atmosphere

What does an Assessor look for? • commitment, enthusiasm • activity which shows the potential to make a difference • good planning and evidence of capacity to run proposed activity • evidence of local support • sound financial management • honest appraisal of potential difficulties • sustainability of the project (especially for capital grants)

Are you successful?(+) • Letter of offer – sign and return • Pledge conditions – understand and make a note of • Maintain contact with funders and send relevant updates – good or bad • Send information requested to release payment • Ensure end of grant / year conditions are met

Are you successful?(-) • Often a standard letter to inform you of the decision • Many funders will give feedback if asked - More applications than available funds- Not a strong enough fit with priorities- Our funding unlikely to make a difference- Not convinced that the project will deliver- Poor communication when previously funded • Usually have to wait a year before re-applying

Grant Monitoring • Funders are interested in your work and do read reports – more interested in outcomes than how each £1 has been spent • We are interested in what has worked but also as importantly what hasn’t worked and why • Alert us to significant problems affecting the grant as they occur • Send a report on how the grant has been used at the appropriate time and before requesting further funding

Helpful Hints • A personal approach can make all the difference so do your homework • Encourage visits – it’s easier to say “No” to a piece of paper • Ask for what you want to be funded - not for what you think we might like to fund • Don’t try and hide any problems - be up-front and open • Believe in your work – let your enthusiasm show!

Contact Details Lesley Macdonald The Robertson Trust 85 Berkeley Street Glasgow G3 7DX • 0141 221 3151 • www.therobertsontrust.org.uk

Elgin– Fundraising Seminar – 1 st April 2010