Introducing the Funding Network
Calling all small charities. Are you familiar with the Funding Network? If not, read on, as this post is for you.
What is the Funding Network?
Dubbed the “Dragon's Den” for charities, The Funding Network (TFN) is the UK’s first live crowdfunding charity.
Established by four friends in 2002, the goal was to create a forum where people could come together to learn about social change, the work of small charities, and raise funds as a group.
The priority? To make giving ‘fun, social and impactful.’
Since launching, TFN has raised over £16 million for over 2,300 charities in the UK, driving social change in the areas of human rights, climate change and the environment, health, education, inclusion, and more.
Gone global
TFN also runs an Affiliates' Programme through which they equip civil society organisations (CSOs) across the world with the skills, and resources to run their own live giving circle events.
They provide ongoing training and funding to drive community transformation in 14 countries, from Peru and Palestine to Singapore and New Zealand.
What does TFN do?
Live crowdfunding events are the beating heart of what TFN does.
They hold regular events throughout the year, both in-person and online, which connect socially minded donors with small non-profits looking for funding.
What does a live funding event look like?
Have you seen Dragon’s Den? Imagine that, but friendlier and more entertaining.
TFN events typically begin with informal networking, where guests and non-profits can get to know each other over light refreshments.
Once everyone is sitting comfortably, presenters from four pre-nominated charities are given six minutes to pitch for funding in front of 70-100 potential donors.
They can pitch for anything up to £10,000.
At the end of each pitch, the audience has six minutes to ask the presenters questions.
To ensure they get the most out of the experience, presenters take part in a workshop prior to the event, to learn how to bring their work to life through stories, and communicate their organisation’s impact in a short, compelling pitch.
After the Q&A sessions, the presenters leave the room and the audience is led through a fun, auction-style pledging session.
They’re encouraged to pledge donations, time, or pro bono support to the four charities.
‘Matched funding’ is a frequent and often hilarious feature of the pledging sessions, whereby one donor will pledge funds on the condition that it is matched by another pledger (or pledgers) in the room.
At the end of the pledging session, the presenters re-enter the room, and they’re told how much has been raised for their respective causes.
Twelve months after the event, each organisation provides a short report on the impact of the funds raised which is sent to all donors.
Want to find out more about what happens at a live crowdfunding event? Read this.
You can also watch some live pitches on TFN’s YouTube page.
Who attends the events?
The events are open to anyone, but the audience usually comprises of philanthropists, socially minded individuals and businesses.
How much do the events cost?
Virtual events are free to attend. Face-to-face events cost £20 for non TFN members.
Why crowdfunding?
TFN believes that giving should be fun, well informed and engaging.
Live crowdfunding offers people a unique opportunity to pool their time and resources to support small charities driving change, and to meet the inspiring individuals behind those organisations.
In the words of the charity itself, ‘live crowdfunding is about gathering people who are different from each other so that our increasingly siloed lives do not diminish our collective capacity for empathy.
It is our aim to drive social change so that we have healthier, fairer, and more sustainable communities.’
Want to apply for funding?
To apply for support, charities must be sponsored by a TFN member.
If you don’t know any TFN members, you can ask someone in your charity to become a member, with a view to sponsoring your organisation. It can be a trustee, volunteer, or a supporter, as long as it’s somebody who’s not in paid employment.
Individual membership costs £150 per year.
You can find out more about becoming a member here.
Once nominated, charities are invited to apply to pitch for £10,000.
The eligibility criteria, assessment and application process is outlined here.
To see TFN in action, watch this short film or visit their website: thefundingnetwork.org.uk.
Need a pitch-perfect fundraiser to wow the TFN crowd? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.