Making your Application: Four main parts
So, you've written or emailed a charity to request forms, and they've replied back, and invited you to apply. You've got an application form, and some instructions. Great- now you are ready to begin your application! There are four main parts to the application (outlined below) and so make sure you have a good read of this section, and the following two sections on Personal Statements and Financial Statements to properly understand each. If you follow a few important ground rules carefully, you will have at least a reasonable chance of success.
Now, the key thing to remember is that applying to a charity is entirely different from applying to scholarships, research councils, universities, or other 'academic' sources. Charities are run by members of the general public, and so are usually not particularly interested in the finer points of your PhD on mammalian neurology, or the political history of 18th century Berkshire! Rather, they are interested in you: why you have a deficit in your funding package, and how your Masters, PhD, PGCE etc will help you get a job. Depending on their criteria, they also often more interested in who you are: your background, nationality, religion, gender, where you live, or what your parents did for a living! All this means your approach has got to be different: so read this section carefully!
Charity applications usually consist of four main sections: the application form, your personal statement, your financial statement, and references. In this section we talk about your application strategy generally. In the next two, however, we shine the spotlight on the two most important individual parts: your Personal Statement and Financial Statement.
1. Application Form
Forms vary in length, but you will soon find that charity application forms are short and simple. Usually, they are no more than four pages- often less. Always fill in each section very carefully, and pay special attention to all the instructions they give you. Unless they say otherwise, you can assume that it is permissible to attach extra sheets to your application. You can use fully include your CV, an additional information sheet to expand on any sections of the form where there is insufficient space for your answer.
2. Personal Statement
This is the most important part of your application, and should be between 500-800 words in length. In it, you need to make your case convincingly- say why you are a deserving applicant, why you have a shortage of funds, and how your course will benefit you, and society in general. We talk all about this in the next section - on Personal Statements.
3. Financial Statement
All charities will ask you to submit a financial statement alongside your personal statement. It's the second most important part of your application. The idea of a financial statement with a postgraduate funding application seems odd to most students. But this is one of the crucial ways charities are different to public scholarships- i.e. they care about your financial circumstances. This might be how much extra money you need for your fees and maintenance for a given academic year, or how much a conference or research trip will cost. We talk all about this in the Financial Statements section.
4. References
Most charities will want one reference, very occasionally two. One should probably be from your current or prospective supervisor or course leader, but might conceivably be from other academics or perhaps ex-employers. It obviously helps enormously if your referee is familiar with your studies and is sympathetic to your financial situation. You may well apply to a lot of charities, and so may need a lot of references! While an individually addressed reference from your supervisor to each charity is always best, your referee may find it easier simply to write you a generic open reference to 'Dear Sir/Madam' with his or her contact details attached. This is fine, as charities very seldom, if ever, require confidential sealed references.
What happens next?
Once you've sent off your application in the post, cross your fingers! Most charities make their decision within 1-2 months, so they are very fast. If you gain an award, remember you can almost always reapply in subsequent years. Although it is not guaranteed, your chances of gaining it again in the next academic year with a very similar application are extremely good. If you are rejected, that is obviously disappointing, but there are still some things you can do to see whether or not that charity is worth applying to again, and to improve your chances in you do. Check out the 'rejection' section in the PDF below.
In terms of the grants themselves, most charities will simply write you a personal cheque. Some may make it out to your university. In that case, just give it to your departmental administrator and s/he will be able to process it, and arrange for the money to be knocked off your fees, or debited direct to your bank account.
Prize Draw for Grant Winners: Finally, remember that if you have won at least one grant from an alternative funding source, be sure to let us know as you will be entered into our annual Prize Draw, which features a top prize of £500 and three prizes of £100!
