How to Give Your Bids the ‘Fundability Factor’
We spend more hours than we’d care to admit at TJB mulling over this one….what really makes a funding bid stand out?
With more applicants, tighter pots, and AI-generated content raising the average quality of bids, it’s never been tougher to grab a funder’s attention. So, how do you make your application rise above the crowd?
Let’s talk about the Fundability Factor!
At its heart, a high quality capital bid boils down to three things:
👉 A clear project
👉 Clear beneficiaries
👉 A clear sense of place – the community your organisation represents
Sounds obvious, right? But in our experience, the most common weakness we see… whether in beginner bids or our even own early drafts, is a lack of specificity.
So here’s how to sharpen your focus and bring your bid to life.
1. Be clear about the project
Focus in on the elements of the project. What’s broken, missing, or limiting your
organisation right now? Then get specific about what you’re planning to change, and exactly what success will look like. Think less “improved kitchen” and more “new (1.5m * 3m) non-slip kitchen flooring to replace (25-year-old) worn surface, such that those with mobility limitations e.g. 5-6 weekly WI attendees, are less vulnerable to trips and falls”.
2. Put your people front and centre
Who benefits? Not in broad strokes – in real life. Tell us about the mums who use the hall for toddler yoga on Mondays, or the 14-year-olds who come in after school for arts & crafts.
Then go one step further: show us how each group benefits from specific parts of the project…make these project-beneficiary connections ‘jump off the page’!
3. Tell a human story
Funders aren’t robots. (At least, not yet…) Real people read your bids…so give them
something that connects.
We often find the magic is in the context; the internal and external environment that shapes your building or organisation. Internally, this might be your village hall’s 100-year history, a volunteer who’s kept the place running for decades, or how the old boiler finally gave up mid-winter. Externally, think hyper-local: demographics, local challenges, community identity that makes you ‘unique’.
Layer these details into your narrative and you create something more than a mere shopping list of costs; you create a story funders want to be part of.
4. Don’t bury the headline
The number one rule: make it obvious how your project aligns with the funder’s goals. Spell it out. Use their language. Quote their criteria. If you can’t show a strong link to what they’re trying to achieve, the chances are your bid’s going nowhere.
So what’s the real ‘Fundability Factor’?
Clarity, specificity, and story (not stats!). It’s not about making your bid more detailed for the sake of it – it’s about making it mean something. Show the reader who you are, what you NEED, who it helps, and why it matters to you – and they’ll be much more likely to say yes.
Want to chat more about funding for your village hall or community building? Get in touch with Chris at hello@tjbcommunity.com or on 07764365256, and we’ll tell you what funding is available to you, and how we at TJB Community can help.
