Charity fundraising

[peterbar]

Hi,not sure if this is the best category to post this, but any help appreciated!
My wife worked for a childrens nursery but it closed after the owners sold off the land for development. Parents have set up a new nursery with the same staff and clients etc but now registered as a charity, and they are applying for grants to help buy or build a permanent building to house them.
Can anyone recommend places that may offer them a grant / donation?
Thanks in advance.

[bednobs]

have they tried the lottery grants? The problem is that i would imagine that if it's "just" a nursery (as opposed to, for example, a special needs nursey that is not provided, but needed in the local area) then why would anyone want to donate? After all, its only going to benefit a small exclusive group of children that go there, and if it's a fee paying nursery, then its only benefitting the children of affluent, middle class families (even more of a no-no in today's p.c. world)

sorry if ive read the situation wrong, but you would be in a better position if you had an issue to hang the appeal on, rather than just the owners were greedy and wanted to sell out for the cash!

[peterbar]

Hi, the original nursery was set up and run by a church for 40 years to provide low cost care for locals rather than extortionate private charges, and the charity is carrying on in the same vein. When the church decided to sell up it left only a handul of expensive private nurseries in the area and nothing affordable for local low wage earners.
There's already alot of local support and donations but no interest from bigger organisations like the lottery, children in need etc.
Hope that explains it a bit more!

[Mrs_Pegasus]

Hi

Firstly bednobs with a generous family tax credit system, nursery fees are beginning to be affordable for more and more people and encouraging parents back to work. I am certainly not middle class!

peterbar, your best bet is to do some research on similar organisations and see how they raise funds. Have you approached local businesses for sponsorship?

If applying for grants, then you need to submit a good business plan and be able to prove your potential i.e. a rural setting would mean providing local child care as opposed to children having to travel to bigger towns and cities for care, or if you are in a low income area this could also attract grants.

There is a wealth of information available on the net, so get googling and see if there are similar projects to you.

Try national childrens charities to see if they can point you iin the right direction.

[dancecaller]

Are you in contact with the PLA. http://www.pre-school.org.uk/
They have fund raising advice on website.
Grant givers seem to like 'things' rather than 'expenses'. When I worked at Playgroup it was easier to get money for toys than staff pay (low, but it took a lot of finding).
You've got quite a mountain to climb, best of luck with it.

[dancecaller]

Ahh, the fundraising on PLA website is funds for them! Look under Services instead.
They often have local advisers, and it says
"Childcare Services
Working with key partners in the early years sector, the Alliance has opened 27 neighbourhood nurseries since 2003, 22 of which are now designated children's centres. We also offer a range of early years and full children's centre management services."
Worth contacting them, they work with parent run groups, membership gives insurance cover, as well as advice.

[dancecaller]

http://www.pre-school.org.uk/resources/trusts. pdf
has advice.

What are you doing meanwhile. Many playgroups used to operate part-time in village halls etc. but all the setting up and putting away is hard work.

I thought I'd already answered this, but it's vanished!

Worth joining the PLA if you are a parent group, they can get insurance, local hwlp and advice etc

[dancecaller]

There is an organisation which specialises in parent-run Preschool provision. They used to be called to Preschool Playgroups association, with an aim of Learning through PLAY. Now its the Preschool Learning Alliance, aiming for LEARNING through play.
I can't post a link, my 3 previous posts have vanished. Could it be because of the initials of this organisation?

[bloomfelt]

Try the co-ops community grants I would think that they would qualify for one.