What does your digital footprint say to a potential funder?
Yesterday, I attended a course on writing grant applications. It was a fascinating day, both for what I learnt and for how much connected with my existing experience.
Before founding Colloco Marketing, I spent 20 years in business development, including preparing applications and proposals for corporate projects. Understanding what a decision-maker needs, building a compelling case and communicating the value of a project have been central to my work for a long time.
The course helped me see how directly those skills translate into grant bid writing. I’ll now be offering this as a service through Colloco, helping organisations explain what they want to achieve, why it matters and why their project deserves support.
One particular discussion also brought us straight back to the work we already do at Colloco: your digital footprint.
The trainer, who has worked alongside people responsible for funding decisions, emphasised the importance of an organisation’s online presence. Your website, your social media, what you say and how active you are all contribute to the picture someone builds of your organisation.
Think about what happens when someone reads an application and then looks you up.
Can they understand what you do?
Can they see the people behind the organisation?
Is there evidence of the work you describe, the communities you support or the difference you are making?
Or do they find an outdated website, unclear information and social channels that tell very little of your story?
An organisation can be doing excellent work without communicating it well. That is something I see regularly in marketing: the quality of the work happening in real life simply isn’t reflected online.
When you are asking someone to invest in your next step, that gap deserves attention.
This doesn’t mean posting every day or having an expensive website. It means making sure the information people find is clear, current and consistent with the organisation you describe in your application.
A useful starting point is to ask:
Does our website clearly explain our purpose and who we help?
Are our contact details, team information and project updates current?
Do we share examples of our work and its impact?
Does our social media reflect an active, engaged organisation?
Does our online presence support the story we are telling potential funders?
A strong online presence cannot replace a well-developed project or an application that meets the funding criteria. But it can help people understand your work and see the evidence behind your words.
For me, this is a natural extension of Colloco’s work: helping organisations communicate their value clearly, whether that is through their website, their marketing or a funding application.
If your organisation is preparing to apply for grant funding and needs support with bid writing or its online presence, I’d welcome a conversation.
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