Is your charity grant-ready?

It might be a new year, but we all know how challenging the funding landscape continues to be for charities. Funding seems increasingly difficult to come by, especially if you’re a small organisation, and individuals seems to have less to give. Put simply, it’s never been more important to diversify your income so that you can keep the funds coming in. If you’re considering your first grant application, or if you’ve only recently come to the grants world, you might be feeling a little daunted or lost, so keep reading this blog to make sure you’re on the right track.

Checklist: Writing a successful grant application

If you’re considering writing a grant for the first time, don’t just download the questions or open the application form and start writing. That’s a sure-fire way of producing a disjointed, vague, and unengaging proposal that is highly unlikely to be funded. Instead, preparation is absolutely crucial. In this checklist for writing a successful grant, you’ll find the five key questions you need to answer before you even think about getting started:

1. What do you need funding for?

This might sound obvious, but it’s an important step, and one that can be easily missed. Do you need funding to contribute to your core (running) costs? Or is it for something more specific like a project, or capital expenditure? Not all funders support all three of these areas, so it’s important to know how to spend your money before you decide who to approach.

2. How much do you need?

Again, this might sound like a simple question, but it’s not. It’s not enough to say that you need about a certain amount, or that you need £XX-ish. To be grant-ready, your organisation needs to know exactly how much it needs for its chosen activity (see the three types in point 1 above). Some funders might ask you to submit quotes, and many will ask for a budget as part of your application. Many will also state that they will only contribute up to a certain percentage of costs - so the sooner you get to know your numbers, the better.

3. What are your timescales?

We’ve touched on what you need a grant for and how much you might want, but the next question is the ‘When?’. The development of a grants strategy is very much a strategic activity, and one that should be considered as a ‘long game’ - not a quick financial fix. Many funders require at least 10-12 weeks between application and decision, with others taking even longer to process. So in your quest to become grant-ready, think about what money you’ll need in 3-6 months time - not how much you need right now.

4. Do you have the right person for the job?

If you’re a small charity, you’re probably thinking that grants have to be fit in around your existing team’s day jobs and that between you, you can make it work. And if you can, great - that’s certainly the most cost-effective option. However, grants, and becoming grant-ready, takes time and investment. Whoever you choose to write your grant application needs the right skills for the job, as well as dedication and passion for your cause. Therefore, you may decide that investing in outside help is the right way to go so that you can give yourself the greatest chance of success.

5. Do you have the tools for success?

Whether you choose to work with a professional, or allocate grants to one of your existing staff, you need to equip that person with the right tools for the job. They need a thorough understanding of your organisation, what you hope to achieve, and your reasons for doing so. Your tone of voice and your passion for your work. Your people, your direction of travel, and your finances. And more broadly, the market you operate in, the beneficiaries you serve, and the challenges they face. Think data, case studies and connection to those with lived experience. Just like a desire to make a cake without the right ingredients, a good grant application cannot be crafted successfully, without these things.

The next step

Overall, taking action to become grant-ready represents a strategic investment in your charity. It represents a decision to invite other external organisations to become part of your journey and to broaden your reach in terms of both stakeholders and beneficiaries. By extension, successful grant applications open doors to other additional opportunities and allow you to achieve things that would not ordinarily have been possible for your charity. Grants represent opportunities for innovation, growth and expansion.

That said, it can still seem a heavily complex, and time and resource-intensive option with a low chance of success. So, if grants still seem unreachable for you, get in touch with me to discuss how we can break through that mindset, and how I can help you get started on your grants journey in 2026.