What I’ve learned supporting National Lottery Community Fund

Thinking of applying to the National Lottery Community Fund’s Reaching Communities programme?

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Reaching Communities programme is one of the largest and most significant funding opportunities available to charities and community organisations. It is also highly competitive. Having recently supported a number of organisations through both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the process, I’ve gained valuable insight into what funders appear to be looking for, where applications often fall short and the practical steps that can help organisations develop stronger, more compelling proposals.

One thing that has become increasingly clear is how important it is to understand the National Lottery Community Fund’s wider strategy. The fund is looking to invest in projects that help communities come together, support children and young people, improve health and wellbeing, or make communities more sustainable. The strongest applications must demonstrate a clear link between local need, community involvement and one of these wider outcomes.

One of my biggest reflections is that Stage 1 should no longer be viewed as a simple expression of interest. In my experience, this is where the project is really assessed. Organisations need to invest time in understanding and evidencing the need before thinking about delivery. The fund wants to understand the challenge before it considers the solution

Strong applications are built on a clear understanding of local need, supported by evidence, local insight and the experiences of the people the project aims to support. This may include deprivation data, service gaps, inequalities or emerging local issues. Just as importantly, applicants need to demonstrate how beneficiaries have helped shape the project from the outset.

Community voice matters more than ever. The strongest applications show genuine involvement and co-production, rather than consultation taking place after a project has already been designed. Funders increasingly want to see how people with lived experience have influenced priorities, shaped activities and will remain involved during delivery.

A principle I always use when developing projects is what I call the “golden thread”:

Need → Activities → Outcomes → Impact

Everything should link together logically so assessors can clearly see how activities will address identified needs and create meaningful change. I find that developing a Theory of Change is one of the most effective ways to create this clarity. It helps bring together evidence, stakeholder insight and community voice into a single framework that guides both delivery and evaluation.

If successful at Stage 1, organisations move to Stage 2. This is no longer a traditional application form but an up to 11-page presentation explaining what the funder needs to know.

The focus also changes. Stage 1 is about demonstrating need and explaining why the project matters. Stage 2 is about proving that the organisation can successfully deliver what it has proposed. The need, outcomes and community involvement should already be well established. The second stage is about providing confidence that the project is realistic, achievable and ready to deliver.

Partnership working becomes particularly important here. Funders are looking for more than letters of support. They want to see clear roles, defined responsibilities and evidence that partners have genuinely contributed to the project’s development and delivery.

The budget also needs careful attention. A strong budget tells the same story as the narrative. Every activity should be reflected in the costs, and every cost should have a clear purpose. If volunteers are central to delivery, volunteer expenses should be included. If evaluation is important, allocate resources to support it.

One piece of advice I always give: Every single cost should have a reason.

My approach with clients is about far more than writing funding applications. I work with organisations to strengthen project design, engage beneficiaries, develop theories of change and ensure projects are realistic and deliverable within available capacity and resources.

My biggest learning from supporting applications this year is that the strongest Reaching Communities applications don’t start with a funding form. They start with listening, evidence, co-production and a clear vision for change.

Reaching Communities is a highly competitive fund, so organisations need to invest time in project development before they begin writing an application. There are never any guarantees of success, but organisations that understand the fund’s requirements, involve their communities meaningfully and build a strong evidence base give themselves the best possible chance of securing funding.