Source funding and generate income
Every community woodland group needs funding to bring people and place together.
Actively engaging people within a wood needs funding – whether it is to mend fences, buy tools, provide safety equipment or get raw materials for repairs – to name some. Things like insurance or permissions also need money. Funding may be local donations through to major grant applications to undertake significant projects, such as creating new access or re-planting a felled area.
Woodlands can also be a workplace to develop enterprises and make products that can be traded to support future woodland management.
Business planning
Funding providers want to know how and when money will be spent and expect results – this forms a business plan. When considering a social enterprise, this is also vital.
- Publications –
- Cooperatives UK Guide: ‘Simply Finance – Guide to Finance for Community Groups’
- Cash Online Guide: ‘Community Money Matters – Guide to Financial Management and Accounting for Community Groups’
- Business Wales Resources: ‘Preparing a Business plan’
- Woodland Trust & Europe Economics Publication: ‘ The Economic Benefits of Woodland, 2015’
- Experience –
- Useful contacts –
Setting up a social enterprise
Woodlands can be a workplace to develop enterprises and make products that can be traded to support future woodland management.
- Publications –
- Welsh Government Report: ‘Role of Social Enterprises in the Welsh Economy’
- Shared Assets Report: ‘Woodland Social Enterprise in Wales Data Baseline Report 2014’
- Shared Assets Publications: Community land use and social enterprise – Various
- Land Partnership Handbook: ‘Using Land to unlock Innovation’
- Forest Research: ‘Woodland -related social enterprise – enabling factors and barriers to success’
- Llais y Goedwig & Golygfa Gwydyr Community Woodland publication: ‘Community Woodland Management and Social Enterprise – Reflections by Golygfa Gwydyr on an eight month Nature Fund project in Llanwrst’
- Experience –
- Llais y Goedwig Case Study: ‘Towards Sustainability – Considering Social Enterprise’
- Cwm Tawel Woodland Social Enterprise Film clip: ‘An introduction to Cwm Tawel Social Enterprise’
- Hill Holt Wood Blog: ‘Hill Holt Wood Social Enterprise’
- WiseWoods Wales
- Green Aspirations Scotland
- Aigas Community Forest
- Useful contacts –
Sustainable funding
Funders want to see how contributions support the future of a community woodland group, and volunteer inputs ‘in kind’ can demonstrate sustainability.
- Publications –
- Experience –
- Useful contacts –
Funding opportunities
There are a wide range of potential funding sources – so look to match up your aspirations with stated funder objectives when searching the funding databases and platforms available.
Latest Natural Resources Wales Funding update May 2016
Funding search database and guidance from Community Foundation Wales
Funding Search database from Wales Council for Voluntary Action – GRANTnet
Funding ideas from the Institute of Fundraising – Finding Funding
Online funding resource for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises – Funding Central
Online crowdfunding platform that brings communities together and allows individuals to pledge on projects they believe in – Crowdfunder
