Bidding for grant funds: How magazines and media organisations can succeed

Grant funding and how to access it is the focus of this episode of the Making Money From Magazines podcast. Host Nikki Simpson talks to Rhiannon Davies, founder of Greater Govanhill Magazine, about the importance of funding in community journalism and how they’ve made successful bids. They also talk about the diverse revenue streams that support Rhiannon’s work with Greater Govanhill and the impact their projects have for their community and its marginalized voices. Rhiannon shares success stories from funding applications, the challenges faced in securing funding, and the collaborative nature of their initiatives. Rhiannon also offers guidance on how funding bids can work for media organisations and how the thinking needs to be about outcomes and impacts for potential funders rather than the publication you produce. She also outlines her future aspirations for expanding community media efforts beyond Govanhill. Takeaways Resilience is key when facing funding application rejections. Understanding funders' language helps align projects with their goals. Funding is crucial for sustaining community journalism projects. Diverse revenue streams including advertising, membership, and consultancy are important. Success stories highlight the impact of funded projects on individuals. Collaboration with other organizations enhances project and funding outcomes. Community engagement is important for meaningful journalism. Greater Govanhill aims to change the narrative about its community. Future plans include supporting other communities in media initiatives. Listening to community needs is vital for effective media projects. Sound Bites "How do you find funding and win it?" "We teach journalism skills to marginalized voices." "We won an award for our radio show project." "Collaboration is built into what we do." KEYWORDS funding, funding applications, community journalism, social enterprise, Greater Govanhill, solutions journalism, media impact, community engagement, social impact, local media Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Greater Govanhill and Its Purpose 02:51 The Role of Funding in Community Journalism 06:12 Diverse Funding Streams and Their Impact 09:01 Success Stories from Funding Applications 11:50 Community Engagement and Collaborative Projects 15:13 Challenges and Strategies in Securing Funding 18:06 Future Aspirations for Greater Govanhill