Are you REALLY eligible for that grant?

“50% of eligible applications are successful in receiving a grant.” Sounds like brilliant odds, right?

Hold your horses. Note a very important qualifying key word: “eligible”. That 50% figure does not include the hundreds of applications this foundation received that did not fit their criteria.

Saying “check your eligibility” might sound insultingly obvious.

But we know the feeling when you stumble across a really juicy funding opportunity, and want it so much that you start making excuses as to how and why it’s definitely a good fit… Your work does indirectly meet that need, somewhere down the line, in the big picture…

Deep down, you know you’re trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.

If the funder is interested in organisations involved in the welfare of horses, and your charity preserves historical chairs… Well, just because your beneficiaries also have four legs, that doesn’t make you a suitable applicant. That’s a silly example, but you get the point.

The funder will get far more applications for funding than they can meet. If they have to stretch their imagination for your organisation to fit within their criteria, and they’re choosing between you and an organisation that does exactly what is described in their objects… who are they going to choose?

At times, it may still be worth applying for opportunities that don’t fully align, or are perhaps “a bit of a stretch”. But it’s important to be wise about which applications you spend your time on.

So, when you find a funding opportunity that looks exciting, take a moment, scrutinise their criteria - and ask for a second opinion. Consider what they are looking for as a funder, rather than solely focusing on what your organisation is looking for.

This may mean you don’t pursue some big funders. But in the long run, it’s worth saving your time and resources for pursuing prospects who really want the same outcomes as you.

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This advice was shared by Rachel Cross, one of our fundraising consultants who loves writing excellent grant applications to the right funders! To hear more about how our Trusts and Foundations team could help you, just get in touch.