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This training session from the Baby Bank Alliance is a deep dive into the National Lottery Community Fund and some of their open funding opportunities. We go through the guidelines, application questions, and their strategy. We were very lucky to be joined by Kirsty from High Peak Baby Bank who shared their experiences of applying to the Fund. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback about this session – email [email protected]
In addition to what was covered in the session (see video below), we wanted to share this advice shared by Hayleigh from Baby Necessities: “I’ll be brutally honest, you can write the best lottery proposal ever, but there are a couple of things it comes down to that I have noticed:
- Your area seems to play a part. We were told back when we applied 3 years ago that there aren’t many lottery funded organisations in our area, so this was one of the reasons they were keen to start supporting us. However, they have since said that it will be more competitive for us when we come to reapply next year, because there is a lot more competition in our area now.
- The support officer. We have had such luck with the two different lottery support officers we have had, in that they have really resonated with us (a baby bank). At the end of the day they are the ones who have to stand in front of the panel and propose your charity. Their enthusiasm for the charity will go a long way, compared to one they may be pitching that they do not connect so well with. So definitely have them come along for a visit and find that connection with them.
- My other tip would be to start off by just asking for a 1 year grant or a small amount. If you can at least get your foot in the door with the lottery you then have the chance to ‘wow’ them and show them what you can do. We did this by starting off doing a 1 year grant of around £34,000, then reapplied for £200,000 spread across 3 years, and we are hoping to next apply for a 5 year multi-grant (but there’s no guarantees of success!).”