ActionFunder matches you with funds at two levels. Your organisation profile decides which funds show as eligible on your dashboard. Your project decides which funds you’re actually applied to.
The two work separately. A fund that doesn’t show as eligible can still receive your project, if your project meets the fund’s criteria.
Every fund’s criteria are set by the funder, not by ActionFunder. We match against them exactly as the funder sets them.
1. Your profile: which funds you see as eligible
ActionFunder compares three things in your profile with each live fund:
| Profile detail | What has to match |
|---|---|
| Organisation type | The fund accepts your type of organisation (for example registered charity, community group or social enterprise). |
| Location | Your organisation’s main address is in the fund’s area. |
| Focus areas | You share at least one focus area with the fund. |
When all three match, the fund appears in Eligible funds and on your dashboard under Eligible funding opportunities. We also email you when a new fund like this launches.
When one or more don’t match, the fund appears in Other live funds instead. Click Find out why on the fund to see which details didn’t match. Browsing funds: Eligible, Other live and Past funds
Missing funds you’d expect to see? Check your profile first. Make sure your main address is correct, and add every focus area that describes your activities, not just your headline cause. Setting up your organisation profile
2. Your project: which funds it’s applied to
When you publish a project, ActionFunder checks it against every live Classic fund. Your project is applied to a fund automatically when it matches all of the fund’s criteria:
| Project detail | What has to match |
|---|---|
| Location | Where the project’s main activity takes place is inside the fund’s area. |
| Grant size | The amount you ask for is no more than the fund’s individual grant limit, and no less than its minimum if it has one. The fund must also have enough money left to cover it. |
| Focus area | At least one of your project’s focus areas is one the fund covers. |
| Beneficiary type | The people your project benefits (Who will benefit from this project?) include a group the fund wants to reach. |
| Organisation type | The fund accepts your type of organisation. This is the type on your organisation profile. |
| Pitch format | If the fund only accepts video pitches, your project needs a video pitch. |
This happens even if the fund sits in Other live funds. So it’s worth looking there too, and shaping a project around a fund that fits your work. The exception is organisation type: if a fund doesn’t accept your type of organisation, none of your projects can be applied to it.
One project can be applied to several funds at once. You don’t have to create a separate project for each fund.
You’ll see Applied to and the number of funds on your project, and each fund is listed under Manage > Funding Applications. Tracking your applications
When matching doesn’t happen automatically
- Draft projects aren’t matched. Publish your project to start matching.
- Active Apply funds never take projects automatically. You apply from the fund page with Apply now. How to apply to an Active Apply fund
- Private funds are invite-only. You apply through a private link. Types of funds: Classic, Active Apply and Private
Editing a project changes its matches
Any change you make to a live project means it’s matched with funds again when you save it. Changing the location, grant size or focus areas can add new funds or remove existing ones. A fund that no longer matches moves to your Application history as No longer eligible. Application history statuses explained
The Funded projects to be delivered by date on a fund page is a guide for you. It doesn’t stop your project matching.
Why hasn’t my project reached the fund I want?
You can’t choose which Classic fund your project goes to. It’s applied automatically only when it passes every check in the table above. Open the fund page next to your project and work through this list:
- Is your project published? Drafts aren’t matched. If you’ve edited it, click Re-publish project.
- Location: is the project’s main activity inside the fund’s area? (See below.)
- Grant size: is the amount you’re asking for within the fund’s limits?
- Focus area: does at least one of your project’s focus areas match the fund’s?
- Beneficiary type: does Who will benefit from this project? include a group the fund wants to reach?
- Organisation type: does the fund accept your type of organisation?
- Pitch format: if the fund only accepts video pitches, does your project have one?
- Is it an Active Apply fund? These never take projects automatically. Click Apply now on the fund page. How to apply to an Active Apply fund
- Did you withdraw from this fund before? Withdrawing can’t be undone, so that project won’t be applied to the same fund again. Can we apply to the same fund more than once?
If you change your project so it fits, click Re-publish project and it’s checked against live funds again.
“Not eligible because of location”, but you’re in the area?
Two different locations are used:
- Which funds show as eligible uses your organisation’s main address, from your profile.
- Which funds your project is applied to uses the project’s own Location, where its main activity takes place.
So a fund can say your organisation doesn’t match on location while your project is still applied to it, or the other way round. Check that your main address and postcode are right in Settings > Profile, and that the Location in your project’s Key details is where the activity really happens. Then re-publish your project.
Questions?
Our team is around Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Email: hello@actionfunder.org
- Phone: 020 3805 2835