We believe that tapping into the strengths, talents, and energy of local people strengthens projects and shows that your work holds genuine importance for the community. It is one of the key things we look for when making funding decisions.

Read on as we explore how you can involve your community in your project plans and evidence this when applying to our small grants programme National Lottery Awards for All. 

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What does “your community” mean?  

In most cases, it refers to people living in your local area. However, it could also include a community with a common interest or focussed on a common issue, such as the LGBTQ+ community, people with dementia, or young carers.  

How should we involve our community in planning and running our work? 

The approach depends on what works for you and your community. Some stay connected through surveys, open days, steering groups, or involving community members in leadership roles. Others have informal chats in person or on social media. The key is showing that your project is based on your community’s views, with room for their suggestions over time.  

Do we need to involve the community in planning the specific thing we are asking you to fund?  

In most cases, yes. Your application should explain how the community has been involved in planning and delivering the funded activities. For instance, if you’re running healthy eating classes, share how you consulted with families to determine interest and delivery methods.  

Is it okay if we only involve the community in the planning process? 

Community involvement should be an ongoing process throughout your project. You can maintain ongoing engagement with the community through regular updates, feedback sessions and by involving them in the decision-making process. By having transparent communication, you can foster trust which can in turn ensure ongoing community engagement. 

What if we just need to fix the village hall roof or buy a new piece of equipment?  

While we don’t expect you to consult on every detail, you should explain why fixing the roof or acquiring equipment is a high priority for your community. Highlight if your committee includes diverse community members or if the issue is frequently discussed at meetings and open days. This applies to any seemingly isolated project – make sure to justify its importance to your community and explain how you know this.  

How can we ensure a diverse range of voices within the community are involved? 

You can actively address diversity and including by making deliberate efforts to involve underrepresented groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers or people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

You can ensure these groups have opportunities to contribute and make your project inclusive and accessible by doing things like:

• reaching out to community members through diverse communication channels
• hosting inclusive community meetings.
• partnering with other community organisations that work with these underrepresented groups.
• forming an advisory group that represent different demographics within your community.

What if we don’t or can’t work with the wider community? 

When you are delivering projects that deal with more sensitive issues such as counselling or working with vulnerable groups, we realise that it can be difficult to work with your community in the widest sense. 

However, for the majority of groups we are keen to see how you will involve and be open to input from the wider community, not just the people currently involved in your activities (although their views are important too). Because of this, projects that only benefit your organisation’s existing users or members are typically less likely to be funded. 

Do you fund schools and nurseries? 

We receive lots of applications from schools and nurseries, but we are unlikely to fund work that only benefits school pupils or staff, such as requests for improvements to their outdoor areas and playgrounds. These requests are often unsuccessful, mainly because it is difficult to demonstrate the wider community benefit and involvement that we are looking for – especially where the work will only benefit pupils. 

So, while we can still consider funding school ground improvements, we are unlikely to do so unless you can show that they are a priority for your wider community and will be available for other people to use. 

Have any other questions? 

If you’re part of a uniformed group, a school or nursery or aren’t sure if you can involve your community, you can take a look our other blogs:

• Our top three tips for school-based projects
• Involving your community: schools, uniformed groups and sensitive work

If you aren’t sure, just get in touch. We are more than happy to discuss your project idea before you apply. 

You can call us on 0300 123 7110 from 9-5 Monday to Friday, or email on advicescotland@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk, and we’ll get you in touch with the right person.