Step 7. What are the types of funding you might give?
Once you have a sense of what needs to be funded, you can decide on the types of funding you prefer.
This is not an easy question and the answer is not always evident. Again, there is no one single ‘right’ answer or silver bullet.
To be good grantmakers, particularly for small grants, funders need to respect community groups and their knowledge of conservation on a local level. It’s about thinking outside the box and considering funding groups who may not have a high profile in the city, but have a solid track record in conservation management, the ability to collaborate effectively and evidence of tangible outcomes from past projects.
Beth Mellick – The Norman Wettenhall Foundation
You might like to specialise in a particular type of funding – for example small grants, project grants or scholarships. You may need to begin with a few small grants to help you understand the issue more or the capacity of a community organisation.
Type of funding | Strengths | Challenges |
Small grants ($500 – $15,000) |
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Medium grants ($15,000 – $50,000) Large grants ($50,000+) |
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Multi-year grants |
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Pilot or seed funding – grant to develop projects or to undertake a feasibility study |
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Grants that scale up success (follows from seed funding, small grant or specific project) |
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Challenge grants (based on an organisation raising funds from other sources) |
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Scholarships |
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Awards |
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Project funding |
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Collaborations |
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Capital grant (for building, land etc) |
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Endowment grant (usually to an academic or cultural institution and to be used over a long period of time) |
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Evaluation grant |
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Program-related investment |
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Ask yourself
- What are your preferences for the type of funding to have impact on the issues you are interested in?
Record your answer in the worksheet (pdf)