Nonprofit organisations and the use of EU Grants, a video from Funding Master.
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Hi, and welcome to Funding Master.
In this video, we want to talk about why, and how, nonprofit organisations
can use EU funding in a more strategic manner.
Nonprofits provide a wide range of services to the community, especially vulnerable groups.
They are incredibly important and constitute a large sector and employer.
Many nonprofits get involved with EU projects but on an ad hoc basis.
At Funding Master, we believe that taking a more strategic approach could benefit nonprofit organisations
to deliver key development goals.
In this video, we want to discuss how nonprofits can strategically use EU funding
to better deliver their missions and create new solutions for their communities.
Nonprofit organisations.
Across Europe, there are millions of nonprofit organisations 15 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,180 delivering important services to their communities.
Their structures differ from country to country but they are non-governmental bodies,
with a primarily social mission, usually community owned.
They are known as associations, co-operatives, community groups, NGOs, charities or social en-terprises.
However, no matter what they are called, or how they are structured, they provide a wide range of services,
and opportunities, to communities and vulnerable groups.
From running community centres, childcare, healthcare, social services, estate management, community enterprise centres,
education and schooling, recycling and environmental services, social housing, elderly support services,
meals on wheels, the list of essential services provided by nonprofits goes on and on.
Nonprofits also provide training and employment opportunities for many vulnerable groups.
They are an essential progression route for many vulnerable groups into training, education and employment.
NGO’s also provide essential and life changing services in developing countries.
Nonprofits make a massive, generally unseen and silent, contribution to European society on a daily basis.
Nonprofits and EU grants
Many nonprofits do engage in EU funding, but a large proportion do not.
This is a shame, as EU funding programmes could be providing nonprofits,
with a rich source of collaboration and funding, to support new and innovative services and programmes.
Nonprofits are listed as potential participants in most EU rpogrammes.
Let us remember how EU grants work.
The EU funding programs, are aimed at supporting innovative solutions across a range of EU priority areas.
Interreg is the programme for cross-territorial cooperation and has a strong focus on areas of interest to nonprofits.
Horizon covers research and development, including societal challenges.
LIFE covers environmental projects and climate change.
Erasmus covers youth, education, adult and vocational training.
Creative Europe covers culture and media, including the arts.
All of these are directly related to the work of nonprofits.
So, what would a Strategic approach to EU funding for nonprofits look like?
Every nonprofit can identify a new issue, a new target group, or a new challenge,
that their service or communities of interest faces.
Every nonprofit is looking for ways to address these challenges.
On the other hand, there are EU grants to fund, or co-fund, solutions to new issues, or new approaches, to many of these challenges.
Bringing these together in a strategic funding plan can allow nonprofits
develop innovative solutions and approaches to address identified challenges.
But, it is not just the additional EU funding that is beneficial.
EU programmes are collaborative projects.
Nonprofits can work with municipalities, third-level institutions, businesses,
other third-sector organisations, experts and their general populace to develop innovative solutions.
EU funded projects allows you to collaborate with people with important experience, expertise and different outlooks and approaches.
These projects create stronger links with important municipalities and other public bodies.
They also extend the organisations profile at a European level.
How could this work?
If you have an important environmental challenge then a LIFE project
could allow you to work with other partners, with experience of doing something similar.
Experts can be brought in to the project.
The project has its own identity, staff, and can be branded as a new initiative,
to allow for new engagement with the community.
If you have a new social innovation initiative, then through Interreg you can access expertise
and learn from others, who have done similar projects in the past.
Through Erasmus, innovative youth, educational or training programmes can be developed.
Same for economic development projects, cultural, tourism and arts projects.
If done properly, all innovative actions could leverage the funding, expertise and reputational benefits of an EU funding project.
Funding Master, and its key people, have worked in, and alongside, nonprofits for many years.
We have the ability to help nonprofits, develop a strategic approach to EU funding,
tailored to their specific needs, culture and challenges.
We would love the opportunity to talk to your organization, to develop an impactful EU funding strategy
and help you deliver better your social mission.
Funding Master works with clients to develop, write and submit funding applications.
You can find out more about us at our website, www.fundingmaster.eu.
You can follow us on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Please contact us if you have any questions relating to our work or this video.
Thank you for taking the time to view this video.
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