Looking for funding and grants for schools?

We all know that teachers and school administrative staff have long holidays right? Wrong.  Whilst school children are out jumping waves and building sand castles, school staff everywhere are making the most of the quiet time and beavering away to improve facilities for their pupils.  We do our best to keep prices as low as possible for schools – recently reducing the price of our Todmorden and Calder tables – but we know that schools have a tough job stretching their budget.  A good percentage of our furniture is bought with funds raised by parent teacher associations who deserve a huge shout out for the amazing job they do raising money for schools.  It takes a lot of time to organise fundraising events, so having access to information about fundraising bodies which provide funding and grants for schools is really useful.  Our friends at A & S Landscapes have recently updated their excellent resource which provides a list of grant awarding bodies.  Whilst the guide is specifically written for schools, there are associations listed who award to community associations and other groups.

Community Foundations

There are 46 accredited Community Foundations in the UK, but not a lot of people know about them.  All Community Foundations have a commitment to making a difference to people’s lives and the places they serve. They come in all shapes and sizes, bringing communities together by connecting organisations, funding great ideas and inspiring local philanthropy.  Our own local community foundation, Community Foundation for Calderdale was pivotal in providing financial support to victims of the Boxing Day floods in 2015. They focus on issues in their local community and as such they are a great place to start your search for project funding.  You can find your local community foundation here.

Where do I start?

Whilst each awarding body has different criteria, there are some general rules to follow to ensure your application is successful.  A small amount of the information in this guide by Outdoor Recreation NI is specific to Northern Ireland, however it is the most detailed toolkit we have found and is relevant to schools and community groups.  Remember, most organisations which rely on fundraising for their bread and butter employ professional fundraisers.  Even an unsuccessful bid means you’ve learned new skills you can apply to your next application!

If you have any good fundraising tips to share, please message or comment on our Facebook page.

You can find all our products here and a list of our price here.