In this area of the website you will find resources that will guide you through types of funding you may find useful for your community radio station.
Members of Craol have access to copies of successful funding applications, tools for managing funding, guides, and much more – Join here
At the outset, it is important to distinguish between money that you get for who you are and money you get from what you do.
One of the reasons to draw the difference between these two types is that Money for who you are tends to dry up in time. There are only so many times you can go to the well. A notable and hugely important exception is the Community Services Programme. These are ‘Grants’.
Money for doing something should not be viewed as ‘Grants’. You work hard for this money. Indeed many commercial companies build a successful businesses in doing similar activities. Your organization (often competitively) secures the contract based on Quantified Outcomes and/or Track Record.. The more results you can show, the easier it is to get further contracts.
Understanding the difference will make planning a long-term future for the station a lot easier. It also allows for better shared understanding between the board and the station manager of the Finances.
Revenue types: There can be two distinct types of revenue your community radio station may have access to. To read a description of these please click here.
Commissioned Programming: Commissioned programmes are where your organisation receives a contract to deliver X number of programmes on a particular topic for Y amount of money. To find out more please click here.
Commercial Revenue: Compared to commercial stations, advertising and sponsorship revenue for Community Stations is a drop in the ocean. However at a community level, such revenue provides vital discretionary cash that is not tied to any grant funding while supporting the local economy. For more information on commercial revenue please click here.
Fundraising for your Community Radio Station: Fundraising is appealing directly to members of our community to financially support the station. Every community station fundraises to some extent. For more information on this please click here.
Membership Schemes: It may be worthwhile to look into the possibility of setting up a membership or “friends of” scheme in your community radio station. To find out more about these schemes please click here.
CRAOL Training: Delivering FETAC Accredited Training using CRAOL Registered trainers can be an excellent revenue earner for Community stations as well as an excellent way to train volunteers to a recognised standard. For more information on this please click here.
Other Funding for your Community Radio Station /CSP Programme: Other organisations and funding schemes exist which act as support mechanisms for the community radio sector. To find out more on these please click here.
