{"id":78,"date":"2025-07-24T15:26:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=78"},"modified":"2025-07-29T15:10:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T15:10:46","slug":"overall-guidance-on-decision-making","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/overall-guidance-on-decision-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Overall guidance on decision making"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your fund closes and you\u2019ve received applications from community groups, it\u2019s time to move on to the decision-making stage. This process ensures your funding goes to the projects that best meet your goals and deliver positive impact in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article outlines the options available to you and provides practical guidance on choosing the right approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choosing a decision-making approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can use one or a combination of the following options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Scoring projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scoring is an effective way to evaluate applications in a consistent and structured way. Each application is reviewed and scored using a set of criteria, ideally by more than one person for fairness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We recommend using the following core criteria for every fund:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Community need<\/strong>: There is a clear understanding of why the community needs this project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community impact<\/strong>: The project will have a significant positive impact and there\u2019s clarity on how this will be measured<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Attainability<\/strong>: The goals are achievable within the proposed timeframe and budget<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Effective use of funding<\/strong>: The funding will be used for a tangible, impactful outcome<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also include optional, fund-specific criteria, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus<\/strong>: The project clearly aligns with the fund\u2019s purpose<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inclusivity<\/strong>: The project supports or increases access for underrepresented communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Participation \/ accessibility<\/strong>: The project offers public benefit and isn\u2019t restricted to a select group<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each criterion is scored on a scale of 1 to 5, helping you to compare and prioritise projects effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>For more help, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/guidance-on-scoring-projects\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/guidance-on-scoring-projects\/\">guide to scoring projects<\/a> or speak with your Customer Success Manager.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Judging Panels<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A judging panel can bring diverse perspectives and help build stakeholder engagement. Panels typically include internal colleagues, community representatives, and\/or subject-matter experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Plan panel sessions in advance to ensure availability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the same shortlisting criteria above to score projects<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aim for no more than 6 panel members to keep discussions manageable<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ActionFunder can facilitate your panel to ensure a smooth and impartial process<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>For more help, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/guidance-on-panels\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/guidance-on-panels\/\">guide to judging panels<\/a> or speak with your Customer Success Manager.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Voting Tool<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to involve your employees, customers, or other stakeholders in the decision-making process? Our voting tool enables democratic input into where your funding goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use voting after the shortlisting stage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set a custom deadline and number of votes per participant<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share a link with your audience or use it live during in-person events<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This tool is a great way to build excitement and engagement, and it adds a layer of transparency to your fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>For more help, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/guidance-on-using-the-voting-tool\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/help\/guidance-on-using-the-voting-tool\/\">guidance on using the voting tool<\/a> or speak with your Customer Success Manager.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Document your decisions: Keep a simple record of why certain projects were chosen to support transparency and reporting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep it proportionate: Tailor your process to match the size and complexity of the fund.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Need help? Your Customer Success Manager can support with panel planning, scoring templates, or voting setup.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next Steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019ve selected the projects you\u2019d like to fund:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log on to the platform and click \u2018offer funding\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We\u2019ll notify all successful applicants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once the successful non-profits have accepted the funding invite, we will complete our due diligence process before making payment (please note, non-profits do have the option to reject the funding invite if they would like)<br><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Still have questions? Contact your Customer Success Manager or reach us at customersuccess@actionfunder.org &#8211; we\u2019re here to help.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once your fund closes and you\u2019ve received applications from community groups, it\u2019s time to move on to the decision-making stage. This process ensures your funding goes to the projects that best meet your goals and deliver positive impact in the community. This article outlines the options available to you and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[28],"ht-kb-tag":[],"class_list":["post-78","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-decision-making-tools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/78","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ht_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/78\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-category?post=78"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.actionfunder.org\/funders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-tag?post=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}