Grants & Fundraising Volunteer - Help Us Stop Bootstrapping and Actually Fund This Thing

We're building tech to predict employee burnout. We're bootstrapping painfully. Need someone who knows UK grants and has fundraising contacts to help us actually fund this.

The Situation

We're building a platform that predicts employee burnout 2-4 weeks before it happens. We have psychologists, tech people, and a working plan. What we don't have is money.

We're bootstrapping. Every penny is coming from the founders. We need someone who can help us find UK grants, foundations, and funding sources so we can:

• Hire developers properly (not Upwork disasters)
• Pay for proper infrastructure
• Move faster than our current painful pace
• Actually pay people who deserve to be paid

What We Need You To Do

Find money. Simple as that.

Specifically:

• Research UK grants for mental health tech, employee wellbeing, innovation, social enterprise
• Write grant applications that don't sound like AI wrote them
• Identify foundations that fund this kind of thing
• Use your network to open doors we can't open ourselves
• Advise on fundraising strategy - what's realistic for a pre-revenue startup

Current State:

• MVP launching December 2025 (yes, this year)
• Pre-revenue but have pilot companies interested
• Strong team (psychologists, AI/ML, CTO, UX)
• Evidence-based approach (not wellness fluff)
• Desperate for £20-100K+ to do this properly

Your Tasks

Weeks 1-2: Research & Strategy

• Map UK funding landscape for our sector
• Identify 15-20 realistic grant opportunities
• Prioritize by fit, timing, amount
• Create application timeline

Weeks 3-6: Write & Submit

• Draft grant applications (we'll help with technical content)
• Tailor each one (no copy-paste jobs)
• Submit before deadlines
• Follow up where needed

Weeks 7-12: Network & Cultivate

• Connect us with foundation contacts
• Attend relevant funding events (if any)
• Build relationships for future rounds
• Advise on corporate partnerships

Time commitment: 3 hrs/day first month (heavy research/writing), then 2 hrs/day ongoing

Why This Role Matters

Right now we're:

• Trying to find developers we can afford
• Using AI coding tools because we can't hire proper devs
• Moving slower than we should
• Stressing about infrastructure costs

With proper funding we could:

• Hire a full-stack developer (£40-60K would change everything)
• Pay for proper hosting and tools
• Run a real pilot with multiple companies
• Pay our psychologists for their time
• Move from "painful bootstrap" to "actual startup"

Your work could literally determine whether this launches properly or limps along.

Who We're Looking For

Someone who:

• Knows UK funding - grants, foundations, social enterprise funding
• Can write - applications that get approved, not rejected
• Has contacts - someone at a foundation might actually take your call
• Gets startups - understands we're scrappy and pre-revenue
• Cares about mental health - this isn't just a box-ticking exercise

Experience we actually need:

• 3+ years in grant writing or fundraising (charity or social enterprise)
• Track record of successful applications (tell us what you've won)
• Understanding of UK funding landscape
• Can write persuasively without corporate waffle
• Comfortable with tech/innovation projects (or willing to learn)

Bonus points:

• Experience with Innovate UK, UKRI, Wellcome Trust, mental health funders
• Network in impact investing or social finance
• Previous startup fundraising experience
• Understanding of NHS/health sector funding

What You Get

Be honest about what we can offer:

• Equity: If you help us raise significant funds (£50K+), we'll discuss equity
• Commission: Could arrange success-based payment (e.g., 5-10% of funds raised)
• Experience: Real fundraising experience you can put on your CV
• References: If you're good, we'll recommend you everywhere
• Network: Connect with our team and pilot companies
• Impact: Help us actually fund mental health prevention (not just talk about it)

This could be paid eventually. Right now we need someone who believes in the mission enough to help us get the resources to make it happen.

The Team

You'd work with:

• Founder (that's me (Don Diffang)- doing everything, need help with funding)
• Chief Behavioral Psychologist (evidence base for grants)
• Occupational Psychologist (workplace wellbeing expertise)
• CTO (technical bits for applications)
• Business Development person (partnerships)

Small team. No bureaucracy. Everyone's hands-on.

Timeline

November-December: Heavy research and first wave of applications January-February: Ongoing applications and relationship building March onwards: Either you've helped us raise money or we're still bootstrapping

Flexible hours. Most work is solo (research/writing) with weekly check-ins.

Success Looks Like

Minimum viable success:

• 10-15 applications submitted to relevant funders
• Clear funding pipeline for next 6-12 months
• Connections made with 3-5 foundations/funders
• At least 2-3 applications that have a real shot

Actual success:

• £20-50K raised in next 3-6 months
• £50-100K+ raised in next year
• Sustainable funding strategy in place
• Relationships built for future rounds

Dream scenario:

• Major grant or investment secured
• You becoming our part-time paid fundraising lead
• Proper funding to launch and scale

Why Not Paid?

Because we don't have money. That's literally why we need you.

If we had £50K lying around, we wouldn't be posting volunteer roles - we'd be hiring developers.

But: if you help us raise funds, we'll pay you from those funds (success fee or salary). And equity is definitely on the table for someone who helps us break out of bootstrap mode.

What We Promise

We won't:

• Waste your time on applications that have no chance
• Give you fluffy "brand guidelines" instead of real content
• Micromanage your writing
• Disappear when you need information

We will:

• Be realistic about our chances
• Provide all technical/impact content you need
• Respond fast to questions
• Give you credit when grants succeed
• Discuss equity/payment when funding comes in

Current Funding Landscape (What We Know)

We've identified a few areas but need expert help:

• Innovate UK: Smart Grants for innovation (maybe?)
• UKRI: Mental health research angle
• Wellcome Trust: Mental health innovation
• Big Lottery/National Lottery: Community wellbeing
• Health Foundation: Workplace health
• Mental Health Foundation: Prevention focus
• Social investment: If we structure right
• Corporate foundations: Companies with wellbeing focus

But we don't know:

• Which ones we're actually eligible for
• How to position ourselves (charity? social enterprise? tech startup?)
• What our chances realistically are
• Who to talk to
• How to write applications that work

That's where you come in.

To Apply

Tell us:

1. Your track record (be specific)
   • What grants have you won?
   • How much money have you raised?
   • What sectors/causes?
2. Your knowledge of UK funding
   • Which funders would you target first for us?
   • Why?
3. Your network
   • Any contacts at foundations/funding bodies?
   • Any that might be relevant to mental health/wellbeing tech?
4. Your availability
   • Can you commit 2-3 hrs/day for 8-12 weeks starting now?
   • Would you want equity vs. success fee vs. future salary?
5. One question for us

Attach your CV with fundraising successes highlighted.

P.S. If you've raised money before and you're between roles or have spare time, this could be perfect. Help us get off the ground properly and we'll remember it (with equity and paid work when we can).