Good Thinking Jones
Winning Funding That Works for Everyone
A friendly and experienced CEO specialising in grant funding, governance and co-production
Are You Running a Marathon?
I know this might seem like an odd place to start, but like any superhero with a day job, when I'm not helping people to run charities, I help people to run marathons!
All my charity and running content used to be here but now, the Lovely Marathon stuff has it's own shiny new home!
- how to train without breaking yourself (or your relationship)
- how to eat, sleep and think so that you enjoy the process
- how to raise money effectively without the 'ick
The problem with funding applications...
Grant funding is highly competitive. You barely get any breathing space between one grant starting and another ending- it can feel like a hamster wheel!
Funders are having to find different ways of managing demand... some are now invite only, some have long lock-out periods preventing re-applications. You might only get one shot... if you've already had a couple of rejections, the pressure can feel unbearable.
Many organisations seek a bid writer when a deadline is looming, or the old grant is about to run out. You've had a million and one things to sort out in the meantime, and you know you should have got round to this sooner... It's okay, I understand (there's no judgement here)!
But I also know through decades of experience, that the 'wrong funding' is a poisoned chalice... If you employ someone just to secure a grant, you can end up tied to a project that's a nightmare to deliver... and everyone loses in this situation!
So instead, I work with leaders to develop the skills and understanding in-house, working with the staff and volunteers who'll be delivering the project and those who'll be benefiting, to help you co-design a project that works for everyone.
- Strategic Alignment: Does this funding opportunity actually serve your mission, or is it just chasing the money?
- Operational Integrity: Is your organisation ready to deliver what we’re promising on paper?
- Systemic Growth: How do we use this application process to strengthen your internal structures for the future?
Funding....
Are you finding it a struggle to secure grants?
Do you know which trusts & foundations are looking to support to work you do?
Co Production
Are you able to involve your beneficiaries in design (and delivery)?
Is everyone on board with this or is it seen by some, as tokenism?
CEO Support
You might just need the ear of someone who understands the challenges you're facing...
Or you might need someone to take some of the CEO tasks off your to-do list for a while?
Reviewing Your GPS*
- Goals - You probably have a mission statement and you might have a beautiful strategic plan, but these might not translate well to reality. Does everyone have the same understanding of what you're trying to achieve? What evidence do you have that these are still the right goals for the organisation? Are you aware of your anti-goals?
- Plans - How are you planning to achieve your goals? What steps will you need to take to get there, do you have the capacity and, does everyone have the same appetite for taking those actions? What else is getting in the way of executing the plan and what can you do differently to address the obstacles?
- Systems - Do you have the systems in place to support the plan? Can you monitor and track your progress? Do you have the necessary policies and procedures, the right staff in place, the volunteers you might need? What about your communication, your financial management, your governance?
I help you:
Design with Intent: Build projects alongside your staff and beneficiaries to ensure they actually work.
Secure Your Future: Win funding that builds your reputation instead of risking it.