The North East & Cumbria Funders Network, facilitated by Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East (VONNE) and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund is planning a regional funders engagement event in the North East later in 2023 and would like to get a range of funders involved.
National funders have often told VONNE that they would like to encourage more applications from organisations in the North East region so in response, we are planning an in-person regional event which will give funders the opportunity to connect and engage with a variety of organisations, with the explicit aim of raising awareness of and building relationships between organisations and national funders.
Rather than a funders fair type format, or a series of presentations from funders on their grants programme, the event will provide an opportunity for national funders to host interactive workshops and conversations with organisations.
These workshops could:
- address issues that funders have identified that organisations need support with to be successful with funding applications such as user participation and co-design, business planning, financial management
- provide an opportunity for funders to engage with organisations to inform their future thinking or intelligence gathering
- enable conversations about barriers to applying to national funders and inform grant making practices
- Any other approaches suggested by funders.
VONNE are keen to co-design the event with funders wishing to be involved and we will hold an online meeting on the 9th February to initiate those conversations.
Interested funders are requested to complete a short survey by Tuesday 17th January (it takes 2 mins) - to note their interest in being involved and their availability to join a meeting on the 9th February – several potential time slots are available.
Please complete the survey via https://form.jotform.com/VONNE945/north-east--cumbria-funders-network