Grant Writing Toolkit FAQs

This guidance is simple, straightforward and practical. It assumes you are busy, stressed and need clear tasks that don't take too long to do. Videos are mostly 3-5 mins with the odd one up to 10 mins, with 9 or 10 in a Module. They include short exercises you do during the videos. A Module should take around 60mins to complete, plus 10 to 30 mins of homework. Doing the Modules in order will get you the best results.

1. Is It Fundable? Assessing if your activity idea has the 3 keys all projects need to be fundable. Eight 3-5min videos + 10-20mins of follow up actions.
2. Find Funders. Find someone to fund your project. Add more funds to your list + then use it to plan/track your work. Six 3-7 min videos + 10-30mins of follow up actions.
3. Prioritise & Target aka How To Make A Strategy. Make a 6-12 month grant submissions strategy + use it to inform your planning. Ten 3-7 min videos + 30-60mins of follow up actions for each of two Sessions.
4. Timelining. The best way to stop firefighting + improve success rates - this exercise is the foundation of a successful bid. Nine 3-7mins videos + 10-30mins of follow up actions.
5. Budgeting. How to cover core costs, get your ask right + pay everyone properly. Nine 3-7min videos + 10-30 mins of follow up actions.

A more detailed list is available on About The Grant Writing Toolkit.

There are two routes through the Toolkit: STRATEGY and BID WRITING. The Tools are designed to be worked through in order each time you need to use them. 

The STRATEGY route is for when you have when you multiple projects to fundraise for and want a workplan that tells you which bids to write and when. You do all five Modules in order including 3. Prioritise & Target. This covers the three keys to fundability, finding funders and building a strategy from your funder database. Then you can set up a simple planning cycle with How To Documents on Running A Monthly Fundraising Meeting from the Resource Library and start BID WRITING.

The BID WRITING route is for when you have a fundable bid to a specific funder that you want to draft. You do 1. Is It Fundable. If you need to identify a funder you do 2. Fund Funders, then 4. Timelining and 5. Budgeting, covering the three keys to fundability, timelining your project and creating a robust budget. You can then improve your draft using the How To Documents on Outcomes & Indicators and Evidence of Need from the Resource Library.

There are 5 video modules, with approx 60min of content and 20-30mins of homework each so around 7.5hrs total. Making the grant-writing strategy and work-plan described in the Strategy modules (Find Funders 2^nd half and Prioritise & Target) will also require a couple of separate 1-2 hour work sessions, making a total including all modules of 9.5hrs to 11.5hrs.

- “this is all I’m doing!” - you can complete the whole Toolkit in two days

- “this is my main focus” – you can do it over a week

- “there’s a lot else on my plate” – I recommend allowing yourself 7 weeks, one for each Module and one each for strategy work and the first monthly work-plan.

The tools are designed to be used each time you make a strategy, a work-plan or an individual bid. The intention is that you dip in regularly to use the tools needed at the time.

When I am working with clients I suggest they allow themselves 6-12 months to get used to using the tools and fully embed them in their way of working. However every part of every module will improve the quality of your bids, so use them at the pace and in the way that benefits you.

Your subscription is straightforward to cancel and you can sign up for as many or as few months as you need, when you need them.

What’s special about Truffle Pig training is that I share how I do grant-writing while balancing tons of other responsibilities. Most advice assumes fundraising is your main paid job, where you have a team and lots of time for planning. The reality for many of us on the frontlines of charity, community and social enterprise work is that we have to fire bids out the door while juggling a ton of other things and everyone else in our organisation is also overstretched (if we have colleagues at all).

Every exercise that you can complete and every Module you can implement will improve the quality of your bids and reduce your stress levels. I use the exercises, tools and templates with all the fundraising campaigns I run and all the bids I write.

This training was created to support people who had never had to write a grant application before. If you are a total beginner give yourself more time to work through and reach out if you are stuck with something. If it is your first time I recommend doing The Easiest Way To Find Funders in the Find Funders module to get a bid to write and skipping Prioritise & Target. You can come back to those modules when you have a few bids submitted.

The Toolkit is also popular with those who have fundraising as part of their wider job, volunteer Board members and experienced full-time professional fundraisers who need to refresh their skills or start a new strategy.

The training is for anyone. Lots of individual practitioners, freelance fundraisers, producers or project managers use and love the Toolkit. However the Find Funders and Prioritise & Target modules are for projects being delivered by groups or organisations as there are very few funders who will support activities being delivered by an individual. The rest of the modules and materials are useful for writing any bid.

International organisations have used the Toolkit, in fact its very first outing was at The American Youth Circus Educators Conference in Montreal ("The most useful session of the conference" - AYCO member).

Some sections of Find Funders and Prioritise & Target will not be relevant outside the UK and the specific funders in the Funder List templates will be not relevant outside the UK. However the processes in these modules can be carried out for any country and the rest of the modules and materials are useful for writing any bid.

I occasionally run a live online version with weekly Zoom calls and am planning to trial an in-person bootcamp near Glasgow, Scotland later in 2025. These will be announced to free and paid subscribers first.

The Toolkit is priced to be as accessible as possible. However if it’s not a good fit for you, you can contact us within the first 7 days of your membership and we will cancel and refund your first month. The highest level Paid subscription has this built in as a free trial. If you are having trouble accessing any materials please let us know on support@trufflepig.org.uk.

Staff from 100+ organisations that have taken the live Toolkit programmes think so.

"One of the most useful things I have ever done." Jade, Articulate Cultural Trust

"I've shared my learnings with my small team and it has really transformed the way we are thinking about projects, funding and generally everything!" Sally, Youth Theatre

"Youse are the BEST fundraisers I've ever seen." Robert, Baltic Street Adventure Playground

“This clarified so much that I've felt hazy about when trying to write grants. Really enjoyed it and felt inspired.” Lauren, Rhyze Mushrooms CIC

"Really impressed! Very logical, lots of practical examples and had a tangible impact on our successful applications. Simply put I wish I had done one of Phyllis's courses 10 years ago!” Simon, Open Door

Subscribing for free gets you my newsletter posts - probably fortnightly, telling you what funds are open that I am applying to that week, plus advice on how to improve your bids.

It also gets you access to Free Lessons - short videos and articles addressing the most common questions I get asked. When a new Free Lesson is added you will receive a notification.

Start your free subscription right away by signing up here.

All paid subscriptions get access to all the resources on the site and any new resources that I create and add. This includes the core 5 Modules of the Grant Writing Toolkit, plus additional Modules, templates, successful bids and how-to documents in the Resource Library section.

If there is something you want to see added to the Resource Library you can send a request. You'll receive an update when any new Resource is uploaded.

You will also receive the newsletter posts. Some newsletter will include an "Ask Me Anything" call out. Paid subscribers can then email in fundraising questions and I will pick one or two to be answered in the following newsletter post.

Start your paid subscription today by signing up here.

Nothing except the discount available on any live activities or 1-2-1 services. The different levels are intended to operate as basic Pay What You Can. The parameters are suggestions but you can pick the tier that fits your circumstances.

You can cancel your Free and Paid subscriptions in your member profile. If you are having trouble cancelling email support@trufflepig.org.uk with notice to cancel before the 28th of the month.