Business Planning and Fundraising 19 November 2009

Remember…….

• Shout if there’s anything you don’t understand

• Interrupt if needs be – I will stop talking!

• Ask questions

• Share experiences with colleagues

• Don’t be afraid to appear stupid – we do it all the time!

Clare Wichbold MBE• Grants and Partnership Officer, Public Health

Directorate, Herefordshire Primary Care Trust• 11 years experience of project development in

Herefordshire • Background in archaeology – worked for English

Heritage for several years• Also worked for NLCB prior to coming to

Herefordshire as a grants officer

Why Public Health?• Herefordshire Council and Primary Care

Trust have deep partnership working• Shared services across both organisations• Opportunity to integrate delivery of grants

and project development advice• Currently two staff: myself; and • Dave Tristram – VCS advice

Contents of presentation• How do you get to a business plan? • Aims and objectives • Gathering information for identifying need • Work planning  • Monitoring and appraisal of work undertaken • Money and marketing! • Warning words…..• Questions

How to get to a business plan

• Where are you starting from?

Nothing – something – refreshing• Why do you need a business plan?

Funding – future direction – changes in personnel or circumstances

• Who’s going to do it?

Everyone – Someone – No one!

Headings in a business plan• Not exhaustive, but a guide• Think carefully about what you need and which

sections you need to major on• Some funders have guidance for business plans,

use it if available!• Don’t panic – everyone has to start somewhere• Make use of the toolkit – excellent additional

information guide

Business planning flowchart

• Look at sheet• Need to think who’s involved• Remember – a camel is a horse • built by a committee• However, try to involve people wherever

possible• Give deadlines for responses to keep things

moving

Length of a business plan• Think about the plan in relation to the project or

work required• Less can be more in some cases, but don’t

scrimp on information• Tables are very useful• Don’t try to write War

and Peace!

Aims and objectives• SMART• Don’t try to do too much in one go• Make use of your constitution which will have

some useful pointers• Make sure you can measure your objectives as

that is what funders will be looking for• You will have your own targets to meet as well• Some funders want outcomes rather than outputs

– bear this in mind

Constitution Aim

• The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of the Priory Church of St Peter and St Paul Leominster

• “Promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church”

Constitution objectives

• But goes on to say….• Makes grants to organisations • Provides buildings / facilities / open space• Provides services• Other charitable activities

SMART objectives • Make 10 equipment and activity grants of up to

£500 per year to 20 organisations • Provide one building of 400m2 for rent to 5

groups on 3-yearly contracts by December 2009• Develop three drop in and outreach services for

250 beneficiaries of older people, children, and the homeless in Leominster by March 2010

• Run a voluntary youth club for 25 young people starting in April 2010

Outcomes

• Some funders are looking for outcomes rather than outputs – around quality rather than quantity

• Output: 50 older people are using the new drop in lunch service at St Martin’s church

• Outcome: 50 older people have become less isolated and have improved social lives by coming to the drop in lunch service

Gathering information• Information gathering to prove that you should

go ahead – you may think there is a need for what you want to do, but is there a demand?

• Can use surveys, published information, own research

• Questionnaires, telephone surveys• See guidance for setting questions• Make use of the local council’s Research Team

for “stupid proofing” • Tracy’s workshop!

Work planning

• Think about how you need to timetable what you are doing

• Make use of Gantt charts or barcharts for plotting progress

• Take into account: • school holidays, • staff/volunteer holidays, • bank holidays, consents,• funder’s deadlines, etc

Monitoring and evaluation

• Frequency of meetings of groups and main committee

• Link these meetings where possible – small group before main group

• What are the feedback mechanisms for volunteers and staff?

• Policies for staff and volunteers • Show how the management structure will work –

on next slide

Thorpe PCC business planning group

Albert JenkinsChair

Paul BrookerFundraiser

Alice Burgess Vice-chair of PCC

Patrick WilsonArchitectural liaison

Thorpe PCC

Peter MillsChairman

Alice Burgess Vice ChairOf PCC

Other PCC members

Other PCC members

Monitoring and evaluation

• May have a form to complete from funders • Need to keep good records and explain how you

do this in the business plan• You must keep records of what you are doing,

including minutes of meetings, timesheets, recruitment procedures, invoices and receipts

• Be careful and don’t throw things away quickly• “Keep or Bin” – vital guide from Church of

England Records Centre

Monitoring and evaluation

• Some funders need records kept for seven years!

• May be required to submit quarterly or yearly returns about the project

• Remember – you may be audited• Example of a monitoring form to show you what

might be expected• Different funders will have different forms so

beware!

Money

• Make sure your finances and budgets are in order and add up

• Make use of spreadsheets or software to do this

• Make sure any finance details in the business plan match with funding applications

• Consider how the finances will work

and be reported, with authority

levels and decision making

More about money

• Why are you wanting funding?• Need to decide what the money is for• Need to make sure project fits with local and

other strategies and policies• Need to think about future fundraising and have

a funding strategy as part of your plan• Think about grants, fundraising, loans, and

sponsorship

Even more about money

• Be realistic about how much you need• Are you looking for capital or revenue funding or

both? – could influence where you go for help• Make use of local advice and support• Ensure you fit the criteria for funding• Need to think about exit strategy – what you will

do after the funding has finished? • Avoid “shiny new building” syndrome at all costs

Marketing

• Who do you want to use your facilities?• What is compatible with your overall aim?• How will you reach potential users?• What about “non-users”?• How much do you want to spend on marketing?• How much can you make from what you do to

help your long term sustainability?

Writing your business plan

• Remember – even if funders are human beings, they may be based far away

and not know the

circumstances under

which you are operating -

you must “sell” your project

as if to a complete stranger

But also remember…..

• Funders are not aliens – so

make sure you do ask

for advice • Make sure you get local

advice as well for any

specific issues

BIG WARNING!!!!

Check that the business plan matches any applications you are submitting for funding – and use a fresh pair of eyes to do so!

More words of warning

• Be prepared to work in partnership rather than as a single organisation

• You may not be successful - ensure you receive feedback if not, to learn for future applications

• You must be prepared to manage expectations if you are unsuccessful

• Refresh your business plan regularly – don’t just leave it on the shelf once it’s done

Applying for Funding

• Remember - getting the money

is often easier than delivering

the project! Once the offer

letter is in your hands, the

hard work really starts……

Any questions??