The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Funding for village halls
Securing funding is high on the agenda of many village halls. As well as facing the general work and time involved in finding funding, there are specific challenges such as raising core running costs and funding building maintenance.
There are many forms of income available, from grants and loans, to rental fees, events, or membership fees. An overreliance on any one income source should be avoided and Trustees/Committees need to identify the most suitable and sustainable sources for their organisation.
Funding should be a part of your wider planning, particularly when grant funding is usually time limited and can have long lead in times. Think two or three years in advance and having a good mixture of income streams to avoid reliance on grant income which is not guaranteed.
Things to think about
- Ensure that activities funded are permitted within the terms of you governing document and don’t go after funding if you aren’t genuinely a good fit.
- Sustainability is important, plan ahead and don’t be over reliant on one income source.
- Remember that grant funding requires measurement of impact and outcomes. Put in place suitable measuring from the beginning.
Finding funding
Funding Scotland is SCVO's funding database which you can use to search for potential funding opportunities for your hall. It's free to use, and has lots of different kinds of funding. You can search using keywords or filter by area, type of funding, etc.
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Sign in to My SCVOFunding Scotland is a great starting point when searching for funds for your village hall or project. Once you have identified a potential fund, it’s time to find out more and decide if you’re a good fit.
Where else to look:
- Local Third Sector Interface (TSI): tsi.scot Your TSI is a great source of local knowledge and can help you identify potential funds. Some also run funding events which are a great place to network with other groups and speak directly to funders.
- Similar organisations: Look at similar organisations and see who has supported them. You can often find this information on the organisation's website, social media channels or in their accounts.
- Funder websites and accounts: You can use these to see what types of organisations they have previously funded. Accounts are published online on OSCR or the Charity Commission. Some funders also publish their grants on 360Giving
Talk to the funder
Ask if you are a good fit. Take onboard their advice to help your chance of success. They’ll give you honest advice and will tell you if you aren’t a fit. This saves both your time and theirs.
Top tips for writing a funding application
Application writing can be time-consuming, so check your organisation and costs are eligible before spending the time on an application. Check that you provide all the supporting information. Funders want to support organisations, but competition for grant funding is high, so help them by providing the right information.
Don’t be generic. Be specific about how you will use the funding. Mirror the funder’s language to describe how your work will meet the fund priorities.
Don’t assume a funder understands your area of work and write your application as if you’re speaking to a lay person. Use clear, plain language and avoid jargon and acronyms when describing how you would use the funding. Always ask someone else to proofread.
Relate your costs to your activities and give a breakdown. Don’t forget to include everything you need and be honest about what it will truly cost. If you’re applying for multi-year funding, think about inflation and add this into your budget.
Remember to focus on the impact on the people or places that will benefit from your work. What difference will this project make to the local community and why is it so important that it happens?
Check out our Tops Tips for Writing a Funding Application video
Funding for Buildings
Maintenance and refurbishment costs are a big concern for village halls. When searching for funding, these costs are often referred to as capital funding. You can add capital as a filter on Funding Scotland to help you identify suitable funds.
When writing an application for building or maintenance costs, remember to always link it back to the community. Whilst you may need funding to replace the windows with new double glazing, your application should focus on the benefit this will bring to the people who use your hall. What type of groups use the space and would benefit from a warmer, quieter environment? Would reducing your heating bills mean you can open the hall longer and reach more people?