Show me, don't tell me - seven big cliches to avoid when writing a funding application, and how to do it

You've just finished drafting an important funding application and you're confident that it sounds clear, compelling and unique.

Now, imagine that it'll be the 25th application that the funder has read that day. Many of them relate to the same community or cause area. All have been written by people working in the same sector, where organisations often use the same language to describe their work day in, day out.

Still confident?

I spend a lot of time reviewing draft funding applications written by charities and social enterprises, and it's amazing how often the same phrases crop up. Our work is innovative, high-impact, urgently needed. We have strong leadership, we're financially well-run, we're responsive and shaped by lived experience. Etc etc etc.

And it's hard to be critical, because often these things are true for the organisation that we're working with. The problem is that most organisations naturally want to say the same thing, whether they can back it up or not (and let’s face it - this is partly because funders often repeat the same words too, and are pretty unoriginal about what they’re looking for).

So the same words and phrases pop up again and again in funding applications, until they essentially become meaningless. Your application might not be inaccurate or untruthful, it’s just the victim of over-used language that doesn't really earn anyone any credit these days.

I often find myself giving similar feedback on draft applications: “I’m sure this is true, but can you actually demonstrate how?”

Showing - as opposed to telling - is often key to writing a more impactful funding application. Can you find more authentic, original ways of saying what everyone else is saying, and demonstrating that they’re true?

​​I’ve shared some of the most common fundraising application cliches below, with some tips on how to avoid them:

Don't tell me that your work is innovative

​Show me which aspects of your work are genuinely unique and ground-breaking:

• What prompted you to try something radically different?
• Was this based on any particular insight or expertise that your organisation has?
• Why aren’t other organisations already doing things in a similar way?
• What makes you confident that this very different way of doing things will work?

Often, when organisations describe their work as innovative, they just mean that it’s a bit different and better than other services available locally, or they’re not personally aware of anyone else following the same approach. So do your research, and ideally steer clear of using the word ‘innovative’ at all. Seriously. This one was the inspiration for the whole blog.

Don’t tell me that your work is co-produced or shaped by lived experience

​Show me your track record of involving people who use your services, and people with lived experience, in designing your activities, in genuine and meaningful ways:

• How many of your staff team and frontline workers have lived experience, and how do they use this to make your work more impactful?
• Do you ensure that a certain minimum percentage of your management team and trustees have lived experience, or are you working towards this?
• How have you gathered and acted on feedback previously to improve your activities (give concrete examples)?
• What mechanisms do you have in place (e.g. annual evaluation days, steering groups) to guarantee that you’ll continue to listen to and act on people’s views in future?

Don’t tell me that your organisation has been running since 1963 and has a long track record of successful service delivery

​Show me what makes your organisation particularly well-placed to achieve future impact and be a “safe pair of hands” for a funder:

• Share headline impact data and inspirational stories and quotes from people whose lives you have changed - this is far more impressive than the number of years you’ve been around
• A long track record can be a positive for future service delivery - if you’ve built trust with your community, key local partnerships, and knowledge of how to bring about meaningful change - but only if you explain this

It’s remarkable how many funding applications open with the year the organisation was founded and a brief origin story. In reality, this will always be infinitely more interesting to you than to a funder concerned with future impact.

Don’t tell me that your work is high-impact

​Show me the power and scale of your organisation’s impact through:

• Case studies and stories from the people you’ve supported
• Quantitative impact data that shows measurable change
• Social return on investment data that demonstrates the money saved or value unlocked by funding your work

Some organisations can legitimately claim that their impact is particularly significant. This may take a number of different forms: they might directly or indirectly benefit a large number of people, achieve transformational change for a particular group of people with complex needs, or provide unusually good value for money. However, this is only something to focus on if you can genuinely measure and back it up.

Don’t tell me that there’s an urgent need for your work

​Show me what that need actually looks like, and how you know it exists, for example by referencing:

• Data from independent sources e.g. local authority reports, or research papers published by think tanks or national charities
• Testimonials from credible organisations that you're working with in your community
• Quotes and stories from people who are participating in your activities
• Key stats or comments from your own consultation process

Don’t tell me that your organisation has strong leadership

​Show me who is actually involved in running your organisation and why this should give a funder confidence. For example:

• What specialist skills do your leaders bring to your organisation?
• Do they have lived experience, and how do they use this to shape your work?
• Have they previously worked for other specialist and/or well-known organisations in your sector?

Funders will sometimes allow you to include brief bios for key people, or link externally to this information. This is particularly helpful for newer organisations that don’t yet have their own track record of successful service delivery.

Many organisations claim in funding applications that they have strong leadership - but how can you actually demonstrate this, and show that it's relevant to your application?

Don’t tell me that you’re financially well-run

​Show me that you've got the necessary financial expertise and focus by:

• Including a realistic, clearly-explained budget that aligns with your ask and adds up (!)
• Highlighting any funding gap that exists and briefly summarising your plan for addressing it
• Explaining your organisation’s current financial position and how it relates to your carefully-considered reserves policy
• Explaining any potential red flags (e.g. sudden drops or spikes in income) - why they happened and how you’re responding to them
• Providing a brief summary of your fundraising strategy and how you’re working towards greater financial stability

In the current climate, reasonable funders won’t be expecting you to demonstrate sparkling financial results, but they'll be reassured by evidence that you take financial planning seriously and know your way around your numbers.

While word counts in most funding applications are tight, hopefully the above tips will help you to avoid the most common cliches and make a clearer case for why you're a credible organisation, doing compelling work. Good luck!