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Support & advice

Are you a voluntary or community organisation or social enterprise in need of funding advice? Are you unsure how to assess your funding needs or how to identify the most appropriate income source to meet those needs?

This part of the website features a wealth of tools and resources enabling you to enhance existing skills and develop new ones. Each area contains best practice tips and advice, easy-to-use guides, practical toolkits, and case studies to inform and inspire you as you embark upon your funding journey.

Grants

In this section you can discover how the world of grant-making is evolving. You can also access guidance on applying for grants plus advice on how to manage a relationship with a funder.

Contracts

In this section you can access advice on how to tender and negotiate contracts and download practical tools that will help you to weigh up the associated benefits and risks

Loan finance

In this section you can explore the benefits of loan finance and assess your organisation’s readiness to take out a loan to finance your future development.

Managing your finances

In this section you can gain an insight into how crucial financial management is to your success, survival and sustainability. It includes practical guides and tools to get you started and keep your organisation on track.

Planning your future needs

In this section you can explore the key stages of developing and implementing a plan, discover how to define and assess outcomes, and find out how marketing can be used both to generate income and extend your reach.

Infrastructure support

In this section you will find tools and resources specifically designed to increase the capacity and capability of infrastructure agencies in the area of sustainable funding advice.

NCVO Tips

The Support and Advice content featured on these pages is brought to you by NCVO's Sustainable Funding Team. More information is available on their website:

Facing cuts?

NCVO’s specially designed service Getting Ready for Cuts will help your organisation prepare for these changes. Our expert, friendly staff will come and work directly with your team to help you identify the scenarios you’re likely to face, improve your readiness for change, and develop a useful action plan.