Getting You Ready For Grants & Funding
Before applying for funding, your group needs to have a few essentials in place. Let's take a look at these things:
Constitution
You must be formally constituted with a management committee of at least three people. This outlines your group’s purpose and powers. Your Well Doncaster officer can support you in setting this up.
Bank Account
You’ll need a group bank account with at least two unrelated signatories. This ensures transparency and accountability for any funds received.
Financial Systems
Set up a simple income and expenditure system to track your finances and produce basic accounts at the end of your financial year.
Governance
If your annual income exceeds £5,000, you must register with Companies House.
Committee Meetings
Meet regularly—ideally at least four times a year—to review activities, finances, and make decisions.
Forward Planning
Plan your activities in advance. Submit funding applications at least three months before your event or project. For larger grants (over £10,000), allow more time for decisions.
What Funders Will Want to Know
When you're ready to apply, funders typically ask these questions...
Why is your work needed?
Explain the issue you're addressing, who it affects and why it matters — backed by data. Our Community Profiles can help with local statistics.
What are your goals?
Be clear about what you want to achieve — both short-term and long-term.
How will you do it?
Outline your plan, timeline, and who will be responsible for delivering the work.
What are the expected outcomes?
Set realistic, measurable goals and explain how you’ll track and report progress.
What’s your budget?
Provide a detailed, accurate budget with evidence for all costs. Include quotes, receipts and consider inflation for multi-year funding.
Start Small and Build Credibility
If you're new to funding, begin with smaller grants to build experience and trust. Avoid overestimating costs or ending with a surplus, which may need to be returned.
Community Wealth Builder can help you find and apply for suitable funding opportunities!
Need Support?
Contact the Well Doncaster Community Wealth Builder team:
Email: communitywealthbuilder@doncaster.gov.uk
