Increase Your Chances Of Success In Fundraising From Grant-Makers In Today’s Highly Competitive Environment

Let’s start with some good news, shall we? According to Philea, Europe is home to over 186,000 public benefit foundations, with an annual spend totalling €54.5 billion. Moreover, there are other types of grant-making entities operating at both European and international levels, which have much to offer.

Pursuing grant fundraising is an excellent way to secure significant and long-term funding for your organisation and its growth; however, there are a few drawbacks as well. This session will, therefore, provide a comprehensive overview of fundraising from various grant-making entities such as foundations, funds, trusts, and institutions – including their advantages and disadvantages. We will also cover the current funding landscape in Europe (and beyond), the trends shaping it, the introduction of more strategic approaches and planning in grant fundraising, and offer many practical tips for success. These tips will include how and where to find the right funders, managing the funders’ pipeline, developing relationships with funders that result in equitable partnerships, and writing compelling and powerful applications that can win in the age of AI-generated content and ever-increasing competition.

The session will also delve deeper into topics such as core funding and how to actually secure it, as well as connecting with funders who do not accept unsolicited applications or launch open calls for funding.

Learning outcomes:

• Understanding the constantly evolving funding landscape in Europe (and beyond)
• Developing a more strategic and organised approach to grant fundraising, from the pre-award to post-award phase
• Practical tips on how to identify the best prospective funders for your organisation and effectively build lasting relationships with them
• Insights into what funders are really looking for and prioritising nowadays, and how to prepare a compelling application that stands out from the crowd
• Reaching out for the Holy Grail of grant fundraising – core funding
• How to connect with an increasing number of funders who do not accept unsolicited applications

Who should attend:

• Fundraisers with some bid writing experience;
• Fundraising Directors;
• Executive Directors;
• Board Members.

Suggested level of audience:

• This session is designed for intermediate and highly experienced fundraisers and/or leaders.