Supporting your unit with grant funding
A leader shares their top tips for increasing your unit finances with grant applications
Applying to a trust and foundation for a grant, can be a brilliant way to help grow your unit’s finances.
Whether you’re planning a specific project for your unit, wanting to buy guiding equipment or asking for help with unit running costs. To support you, here's our guidance on making grant applications.
We’ve been speaking with leader Leigh-Ann to find out how she’s been using grants to fund her unit’s growth and activities. She also shares the top tips she’s learned along the way when working with trusts and foundations.
Leigh-Ann became a volunteer when her daughters joined as Brownies. And when there were no spaces available for her Rainbow-aged daughter to begin her own Girlguiding journey, she opened a Rainbow unit.
To support with opening costs, Leigh-Ann looked out for fundraising opportunities in her local community and on social media. That’s where she found Co-op grants, who helped her to welcome the first 10 girls and then a further 12! The grant application was a simple letter, explaining the unit’s plans and sharing how it will provide a safe space for girls to grow in confidence and develop new skills.
After getting funding for the initial set up, Leigh-Ann also knew they would need more to buy resources like badge books and promise badges for the girls joining. So she applied for one of Tesco’s Community Grants, supported by their local community who used tokens to vote for causes. Their unit received an amazing £1,000!
Although the Tesco Community Grant needed a little more planning for the application process and a few months to receive funding, it was worth it.
Their Rainbow unit is now thriving with 22 girls and Leigh-Ann’s ambitions don’t stop there! She’s hoping to support more girls as they move through Girlguiding by opening a Guide unit next. Plus she’ll keep going with her fundraising and looking out for more funding opportunities.
Some top tips from Leigh-Ann:
- Grants can cover lots of different things, from starting a new unit, buying resources, covering running costs and even things like hi vis vests so girls can go on adventures safely.
- Look out for funding opportunities in your local community and on social media. Your local community will want to help, if you let them know.
- Make sure you’re clear on how you'll match the funder's aims with your project. Be as specific as you can about the amount you need and what it will be used for.
- Many grants are a simple online form and the process is often easier than expected.
- Keep going even if you face some rejections.
