Voluntary Organisations

Where does your Voluntary Organisation operate and how is it structured?

The way in which voluntary organisations are structured varies and this will affect how you go about seeking funding.

If you are a local branch or an autonomous part of a regional or national organisation you will need to consult your headquarters or parent body to ensure your fundraising does not undermine theirs.

You will need a global perspective of what is going on in your organisation. You should be aware of current funding made to other parts of your organisation particularly from the funder to which you are applying. It is useful to know of previous applications, whether successful or unsuccessful, by branches elsewhere.

It may not be appropriate to apply for funding from a national or regional body without considering whether national or regional bids are more appropriate. It could be embarrassing if two applications arrive on the desk of a funder from different parts of the same organisation without these being co-ordinated.

If a funder has already supported work for your organisation elsewhere, they may be sympathetic to supporting similar work in your area. Gaining a copy of the paperwork for the successful application could save a lot of work.

If you work overseas you may find that you are eligible to apply for funds in the countries where you work or in other countries which have ex-colonial or other ties with those countries. The EC is often keen to support work in countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America with which Britain as well as France, Spain, Portugal etc have cultural ties, particularly if it involves a number of partner countries.

How you can benefit from The CIB's services will depend on the area you cover, the size of your operations and how your organisation is structured.

Now read on in the Prepare section.

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