Fundraising For Your Playground
Infinite www.infiniteplaygrounds.co.uk
Playgrounds
Infinite Playgrounds has extensive experience of working in a variety of settings where fundraising has been a key element of the project from the outset. Schools and community groups often come with a wish list and advise that they are going to need to fundraise for a development but do not know where to start. Infinite Playgrounds recognises that there is an increasing need for its partners to be supported in their fundraising efforts - a process that can be challenging at times - and has put together this guide to help you get started with the fundraising process.
Funding Your Playground You’ve decided you want to develop your playground, playing field or green space but now need to raise the money. There’s so much information out there you don’t know where to start: what do you do first? Our introductory guide is designed to help you answer those initial questions and also provide you with some suggestions of where you can start looking to get the ball rolling…
Help! I want a new playground but I need to fundraise. What do I do? You may be a school head teacher, business manager, an interested parent or a community group planner involved in the development of an outdoor space and looking to fundraise. There’s a lot of preparation to undertake before you can approach funding bodies; here are some of the things you will need to consider.
Be clear about what you want to achieve It is important you are clear about this right from the start so you know what your community – be it school, public park or local village – wants from the project and you are working towards meeting your agreed goals. You need to be able to clearly communicate these goals to potential funders so they know exactly what they are supporting and the benefits the project will provide.
Know your audience and what they want Who will use your playground? Have you consulted them about what they want? Make sure you are having a playground produced that meets the needs of the community who will use it; it will be much easier to get support and help from them if you are producing something they will make use of. It will also help you identify any potential obstacles that may present themselves further down the line. Wherever possible consult from the outset: colleagues, parents, children, governors, community users and parish and local councilors may all have opinions and you need to ensure you are working towards the same goals. Think about how you are going to contact people and what will work best for your community; is it meetings, newsletters, focus groups, questionnaires, digital communications or something else? Maybe a combination of all of these things will work best so that you reach as many people as possible. Funders will want to ensure that you have undertaken a solid consultation process.
Planning There is a lot to think about from the outset and a significant investment of your time will be needed, so you need to ensure you have a focused and committed core project team. Think about the skills you will need and who might be able to contribute. Business planning, project management, marketing and communications, accountancy and legal skills may be required and there may be members of your community with these skills who will be able to help; make use of them! Once you have identified these people make sure they are clear about their role within the group and their responsibilities to it. Having a clear structure for your planning committee will demonstrate to any potential funders that you are organized, reliable and committed. Set realistic and measurable timescales for stages of the project and keep to them so that it does not drag on. Think about any legalities you need to address; do you need planning permission? Will you have to pay VAT and how can you reclaim it back? Will you need any licences for any fundraising events you will be undertaking?
Involve your community in the design process Once you know what your community wants, involve them with the initial designs. A good playground design firm will recognise that changes may often be required and will be happy to work with you to revise the design to get it right for your community. Compromises may have to be made by some and the saying ‘you can’t please them all’ may feel apt at times, but persevere: when your community sees its completed playground it will have been worthwhile.
Communication Communicate throughout your project, with funders and your community members. Keep the momentum going and build the anticipation for the finished playground. Keep everyone informed of events planned so that they feel ownership of the project. Shout about it; raise further support from your local community through publicising it through local channels; call your local paper and radio station and follow up with an email to a named person with all the key information (when, where, why, what, who). Set up social media platforms, keep them up to date and make sure you include the information on any communications you issue. Many fundraisers will want to ensure they are publicly recognised for their support, so include this information on any publicity you send out and offer them the opportunity to be involved in any press calls you decide to arrange.
Call news and photo desks the day before planned photo calls to remind them it is happening and confirm they will be sending someone along. You don’t want to spend a long time arranging an event only to find no-one turns up to cover. That said, have a contingency in place so that if a major news story breaks or a sickness bug sweeps the newsroom, your story can still be covered at a later point – arrange for a community member who’s good with a camera to come and take pictures on the day, write a short press release about the event and then send them to your press contacts, following up the next day with a phone call and choosing a time when journalists aren’t working to tight deadlines. This should ensure your project gets the press coverage it deserves.
The importance of social value If you can show the social values of your project this will help you enormously. Put yourself in the shoes of the fundraisers: why should I fund this project over another? Provide them with as much information as possible as to the benefits of supporting the playground. Is the location of the playground significant? Is it in an area of high social deprivation; an area without any existing play provision or an area with a high incidence of obesity etc.? How does it differ from the other play options in the area? Who is the playground aimed at and what is the age of the children who will use it? How will your project promote community cohesion and integration? What will the positive environmental impact of the project be; how can any negative impacts be mitigated?
Focus on all the positive benefits the project will bring to your community and be sure to concisely highlight them, remembering to meet the funder’s criteria.
Remember life post-installation Before your playground can be used it will need to have an independent inspection carried out by appropriately trained safety inspectors, so you will need to factor in a cost for this. Note that a playground company cannot ethically inspect its own work, however they should be able to recommend an independent inspector who will be familiar with their work and design approach. You may need to think about annual maintenance inspections to ensure the validity of your guarantees and you should consider whether you wish to allocate any ongoing reserves for wear and tear of your installations so that any defects can be remedied, or for if you wish to make any upgrades at a later date. All these elements will require costs and it is important to think about the long term. If you can show fundraisers that you have thought about this they may consider your project to be more sustainable than others.
ENJOY! It may feel at times as though the project is taking over your life and that it is never ending. Stay focused and committed; you will get there!
Where To Next? You’ve consulted your community, you’ve spoken to a playground design company that has produced a design and you know how much it is going to cost. What do you do next? Remember that you are more likely to be offered funding if you can demonstrate you have already raised some funds yourself.
Start with the community who will use the playground Arrange social events such as spring/summer fairs, quizzes, bake sales and raffles. These will not only act as fundraising events but may also help you with a significant amount of your consultation. You can hand out questionnaires on arrival, ask children to draw pictures or create plasticine models of how they would like their playground to look so that you have some ideas. It will strengthen relations in your community from this early stage and help those interested to get to know each other. Publicise these events well to share information about your project and how people can get involved. The more people hear about it the more they will remember and if they remember they may be more willing to support it.
Speak to local businesses Whilst smaller, independent local businesses may not be able to give you funding, they might be able to help in other ways. Could a local stationery firm donate raffle tickets, paper and colouring pencils? Maybe you could approach a local bakery for cakes to sell, or other businesses for raffle prizes. Local businesses will often be pleased to support you, particularly if you can guarantee that they will be acknowledged with their logo appearing on your literature and website. Be prepared to keep trying; once one has come on board, others will follow.
How to Complete a Fundraising Bid Once you have made a start with your playground planning, you will then need to look at approaching fundraisers. There are a dizzying number of potential grant-giving bodies, each with their own criteria. Some will be very local to you while others will fund nationally. There are several important steps to remember to ensure you complete the best possible funding application: • Read the criteria carefully. As your teacher used to say before exam time, ‘tell them what they want to know, not what you want to tell them!’ If you don’t meet the criteria you may fall at the first hurdle. • Once you are confident that you meet the criteria, contact the funder to discuss your application further. Ask about the kinds of projects they’ve funded before and whether they’ve worked with anyone local to you. It might give you an indication of whether your application might be successful. • Build up a relationship with your contact at the funding body, keeping them up to date of your activities and progress without bombarding them with too much information. Use their experience as they may be willing to take a look at any draft applications you have written and offer pointers.
• Invite your funding contacts to your major events. They might not be able to attend but will appreciate the invitation. Send a follow up thank you if they do come. Remember this particularly if you have a grand opening when the project is finally complete! • Make sure you complete all your application forms correctly. Proofread, check and then double check that you have not left any questions unanswered or incorrectly completed. • Don’t waffle: remember that your application will be one of many, so be concise with your information. • Tell them what they want to hear: if they explicitly state they want to fund a project that promotes a healthy lifestyle, tell them how funding your playground development will contribute to them meeting their goal. • Don’t hassle for an answer. You may be able to check the status of your application online but if you can’t, check your documentation for information as to lead times. If the turnaround takes up to three, four or six months, don’t call them after two.
Who Can I Approach for Funding? Listed below are some of the routes to fundraising, whether they are portals to several funders or the funders themselves. It is your responsibility to check your eligibility. Some funds will have year-round availability, while others will only be available at certain times of the year.
Sources of general information: Institute of Fundraising www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk A fantastic wealth of fundraising knowledge to give you pointers on getting started and how to successfully complete your funding application. The Community Foundation www.ukcommunityfoundations.org Holds endowment funds from a number of charities and individual donors, advises trustees of which projects to fund and offers routes to applying for grants. Each region has its own Community Foundation. Easy Fundraising www.easyfundraising.org.uk Helps you to raise funds when you shop! VODA (Voluntary Organsations Development Agency) www.voda.org.uk Provides advice, training, information and support to volunteers, voluntary and community organisations. National Association for Voluntary and Community Action www.navca.org.uk May be able to help you in your initial stages of bringing your group together to plan for your project as well as funding advice. The Directory of Social Change www.dsc.org.uk Offers training and information regarding fundraising. Their website has a wealth of information on where to find funding. The Resource Centre www.resourcecentre.org.uk A great wealth of information on your fundraising activities.
Grant-giving bodies: Some of the links below take you to portals where you can search databases for relevant trusts and foundations that may be able to support your playground. Please note some of these sites may require a subscription in order to undertake searches. Big Lottery www.biglotteryfund.org.uk Landfill Communities Fund The LCF is also a way for landfill operators and environmental bodies to work in partnership on projects that create significant environmental benefits, jobs and which improve the lives of communities living near landfill sites. Read more at http://www.entrust.org.uk. Some of their awarding bodies include: www.biffa-award.org www.sitatrust.org.uk
www.cemexcf.org.uk www.veoliatrust.org
www.communityfirst.org.uk www.wren.org.uk
www.yorventure.co.uk
Major Supermarkets Many of the major supermarkets offer grants to local communities, and you could also try some fundraising yourself through bag packing. At the time of writing Aldi, Iceland and Lidl did not offer grant awards and instead have nominated charities they support. Asda www.asdafoundation.org Co-Op www.co-operative.coop/our-ethics/resources/foundation Marks & Spencers http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a/policies/our-policies/community Morrisons www.morrisons-corporate.com/policy/Charitable-Giving-and-Sponsorship Sainsbury’s www.sainsburyslocalcharity.co.uk Tesco www.tescoplc.com/tescocharitytrust Waitrose www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/inspiration/community_matters.html
Others The Association of Charitable Foundations www.acf.org.uk The Association of Garden Trusts www.gardenstrusts.org.uk BBC Children in Need www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey David Bellamy Award for Environmental Cleanliness www.bellamyparks.co.uk Easy Fundraising www.easyfundraising.org.uk The Ernest Cook Trust www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk EduVoice www.eduvoice.co.uk The Hedley Foundation www.hedleyfoundation.org.uk Foyle Foundation www.foylefoundation.org.uk Funding Central www.fundingcentral.org.uk/default.aspx Fundraising for Schools www.fundraisingforschool.co.uk Grantnet www.grantnet.com Grants Online www.grantsonline.org.uk Grants 4 Schools www.grants4schools.info The Giving Machine www.thegivingmachine.co.uk Government Funding www.governmentfunding.org.uk/default.aspx Growing Schools www.growingschools.org.uk The One Family Foundation https://foundation.onefamily.com The PTA www.pta.co.uk The Prince’s Trust www.princes-trust.org.uk The Royal Society www.royalsociety.org/grants The Sport & Play Construction Association www.sapca.org.uk School Fund Finder www.schoolfundfinder.co.uk/home Trust Funding www.trustfunding.org.uk/default.aspx Village SOS http://villagesos.org.uk
Other avenues to explore: • • •
If there are any new housing estates being built in your area you could try the house builders, who sometimes offer community grants. You could try your local utility companies, many of whom have Corporate Social Responsibility departments. Some major high street banks offer funding at a local level. Contact your nearest branch to find out.
Infinite
Playgrounds
www.infiniteplaygrounds.co.uk 0191 266 6508 / helen@infiniteplaygrounds.co.uk