Funding Advice Network seeks members

NICVA is facilitating the Funding Advice Network as an ongoing part of its contribution to resourcing the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland.

The Funding Advice Network (FAN) is an informal opportunity to meet funders and other workers to learn more about funding opportunities and techniques. Membership of FAN is entirely free. The principle aim is

The network is open to anyone across Northern Ireland who works in funding advice (even if it is just a part of their overall role). Over the past three years members have met with Big Lottery Fund, Lloyds TSB Foundation, Children in Need, International Fund for Ireland, Community Relations Council, CFNI, Bombardier, Ulster Bank and many other local funders.

If you, or a member of your organisation, have responsibility for providing funding advice as a substantial part of your role in community and voluntary activity, then you can join the network. The network is just as appropriate for community development workers, information officers, grants officers, community service officers in councils/government departments and community centre/library workers. and network staff as for funding advisers.

As a one-off spin-off the network initiated a visit to the European Commission in 2005 in preparation for changes in EU funding. For the rest of this year an exiting new programme is being developed to offer the chance to meet with Northern Ireland's largest independent funding organisations.

The Funding Advice Network, facilitated by NICVA,was first established almost four years ago as the following statement of need was identified:

• There is much duplication of research into various funders across the spectrum of sources.
• There may be inequality in the dissemination of funding information to rural areas and low capacity groups. This is evidenced in the quality of applications received by grant-makers across the range of grant-making sectors. From applications for a few hundred pounds to applications for many thousands.
• There is little joint working between voluntary groups, funders and statutory individuals with a role in funding advice.
• There is a lack of co-ordination and consistency in information provision.
• There is no adequate channel for consultation on policy matters relating to fundraising.
• There is no forum for policy discussion and lobbying.

This is achieved through regular networking and the sharing of resources.Visits are organised monthly (members can pick and choose which meetings to attend) to update one another on recent changes in the funding environment and use the monthly meeting as 'Meet the Grant-maker' sessions. This ensures funding advisors are regularly informed of current and proposed funding schemes, their criteria and application processes. Funders also find this extremely useful as it gives them an opportunity to clarify their criteria to networks who will disseminate this information to members.

The FAN calendar of events has now been agreed for the period September 2007 to December 2007. For information on this please download the attached calender

If you would like more information on the Funding Advice Network or attend the next meeting please contact James Laverty on 028 9087 7777 or via email on james.laverty@nicva.org