By Ged Simpson, Funding Adviser
Since the start of the year I have re-tuned the essential skill that all funding advisers need.
That skill is translation.
This isn’t translating for clients who may not have English as a first language. Nor is it ensuring that my often nasal speech can be understood. No – it is the ability to translate the language of a funder into plain language and identify what they want and aim to achieve for their quid.
A good example came last week when the head of a local charity put me to the test. She sent me a current list of funding programmes and asked me what they wanted from applicants and what their desired outcomes were.
I am pleased to be able to share this information in easily accessible format:
Fund: Transition Fund – rolled out from all central government departments in 2011.
Outputs: A fund to help the voluntary sector follow a completely inappropriate business model.
Outcome: Never darken our door for money again.
Fund: The Big Local Metamorphosis Fund
Outputs: A fund to help you develop a Business Plan or marketing plan to ensure your services are no longer accessible to the most vulnerable.
Outcome: You forget about cuts to voluntary sector.
Fund: Changing Homeless People Fair Share Programme
Outputs: A fund to ensure homeless people pay their fair share to make your charity more sustainable.
Outcome: For you (and them) to realise it’s a tough world.
Fund: Legal + (2011- 2012)
Outputs: A tapererd programme to ensure all advice agencies has the old fashioned word “aid” removed from publicity.
Outcome: You blame lawyers and not us.
Fund: The Coalition “Warm Handshake” Fund….. in partnership (yet again) with John Lewis but not many more.
Outputs: A £50 grant that will buy you a bus pass to go round private companies and be turned away by the receptionist.
Outcome: You blame companies.
Fund: Moving on from Whitehall Mobility Grant
Outputs: A grant designed to help government departments become co-operative and part of civil society.
Outcome: Worth a go.
Fund: The Preservation Fund
Outputs: You will embrace pre welfare state values and call it "community".
Outcome: Now we’ve got ya!