Individual funding

Funding can be available for: 

• Talented athletes (often young athletes)
• Coaching
• Providing access to equipment to support disabled people to be active
  Volunteer development and training
• Turning great ideas into reality

There are some helpful tools out there to help you find funding. Some are even free (e.g. GrantsOnline).

Trusts, foundations and other organisations are a good source of grants. Here are a few:

• The RYA Foundation supporting sailing centres, Sailability sites, other charities and foundations who organise the facilities and activities to get on the water. 
• Royal Southern Yacht Club Trust – enable and encourage sailing for all, including through individual grants.
• Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation – Volunteer Instructor Training Grants
• GLL Sport Foundation – the UKS’s largest independent athlete support programme for talented athletes
• SportsAid – national charity supporting international level young athletes and up to 35 for disabled athletes
• Everyone Active Sporting Champions - funding and support for talented athletes from across the UK
• The Dickie Bird Foundation - grants for young disadvantaged people under 16 to participate in sport (travel and coaching not payable).
• Local Authorities – your local authority may provide a bursary to resident athletes and/or coaches and volunteers
• The Princes Trust – helping young people under the age of 25 train and learn with Development Awards
• Caudwell Children Sports Equipment – giving disabled children the chance to achieve their sporting dreams
• Sports Foundation for the disabled - individual funding for people at all levels in sport from grassroots through to elite athletes

Sponsorship

Can you offer something a company, organisation or individual might want to support?

Sponsorship comes in different forms, most commonly financial (cash) and in-kind sponsors (goods or services). In return a sponsor will want some gain or benefit, from goodwill in the local community to guaranteed media exposure.

1. Work out what you have that is unique and of value that a company may wish to be involved in
2. Consider the time you will have to commit to your sponsor
3. Think about what a sponsor might be looking for – naming rights, endorsements, visibility on clothing and equipment, social media content etc.
4. Decide what you have to offer and be honest about what you can deliver – what audiences do you appeal to, what profile can you offer (the sport and you personally), what is the level of local interest
5. Do your research – the right industry, the right brand, the right contact
6. Create a document, make the approach and follow up