Connecting with funders

This is the second in a series of articles focused on the issue of funding in S&D.

Making the connection

Understanding what funders are looking for is essential. While it should be common for funders to provide clear funding criteria, this is not always the case. Thorough research into knowing who you're approaching and what their requirements are will only increase your chances of being successful.

Who is funding S&D?
The following list aims at showing the diversity of funding available to S&D projects, but is not a comprehensive list of every funding source. It also doesn’t include fundraising events (Institute of Fundraising) and individual donor solicitation (Nonprofit Resource Center), both of which are vital sources of funding for many S&D projects.

• Government Aid (USAID)
• UN Agencies
• Non-profits (Comic Relief)
• Corporations (Sony, Samsung and Chevrolet)
• Sports teams and federations (Chelsea FC and FIFA).

This diversity in funding is healthy for the S&D sector and indicates that many different types of funders are supporting the use of sport in development.

What types of projects do they fund?
Just as there is diversity in funding sources, the projects they are funding are also diverse. These projects may be defined by the sport they use, the thematic issue they are focused on, the geographical location they are working in and/or the service they are providing.

S&D projects can also be defined by their programmatic approach, being placed somewhere on Fred Coalter's often quoted ‘sport plus’ and ‘plus sport’ continuum. This continuum aims to distinguish between projects focused on the development of sport and those focused on addressing social issues through sport.

Whether closer to sport plus or plus sport, S&D projects are proving to be succesful in finding funding. Right to Play's partnership with Chelsea FC and Generations for Peace's partnership with Samsung are two great examples.
 

• Related article: Four ways that S&D programmes can build smart corporate partnerships

So, where do you start? Arguably the most difficult type of funding to obtain is start-up funding. Part three in this series will look into the issue of start-up funding and possible opportunities for those looking for that ever elusive initial investor.