To make choosing the right projects easier for everyone involved in this process, put together a list of criteria to guide your decision making. For example:
- Focus: is the project aligned with your fund’s objectives?
- Impact: will the project have a positive impact and drive positive change in the local community among the beneficiaries that your fund is targeting?
- Attainability: how achievable are the project’s goals?
- Effective use of funding: is the funding used to reach a tangible goal?
- Scope: is the project stand-alone, or part of a wider project requiring funding from different sources (this should be evident in the ‘solution’ and ‘budget breakdown’)?
Top tip: fund a great project when you see it
ActionFunder is a marketplace where projects are matched with multiple funds, so great projects may be snapped up! If a project on your match list or shortlist accepts funding from another fund they’ll display as ‘unavailable’.
Guidance on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
At ActionFunder, we are committed to engaging and representing diverse communities, both amongst our funders and the non-profits we support, to help build a more inclusive society. We strongly encourage you to consider Equity, Diversity and Inclusion when choosing your shortlist and deciding which projects to fund. Where to start?
- When reviewing projects: make a note of projects aiming to support underrepresented communities. Underrepresented refers here to a person or group of people who are insufficiently or inadequately represented, as detailed in the UK’s Equality Act. This can refer to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion or belief, and sexual identity.
- When shortlisting projects: bear in mind the six areas of diversity listed above, and try to ensure your shortlist is composed of a well balanced list of projects.