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Maximising the social harvest through managing funding burden
A PRESENTATION TO THE COMBINED COMMUNITY TRUSTS CONFERENCE
B Y K A TE F R Y K B E R G , TH I N K TA N K C O N S U L T I N G A N D I A I N H I N E S , J R M C K E N Z I E TR U S T
1 3 A P R I L 2 0 1 6
24/04/2016 1
Outline
What is funding burden?
Grantee experience of funding burden
Funder inquiry into funding burden - J R McKenzie
Practical suggestions for finding the sweet spot
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Cultivating the seeds of change
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Enough
info
Seeking the sweet spot…
ReasonableTime
Funding Burden – Definitions
Funding Burden:Time and costs spent applying for and
reporting on grants
Net Grant:Money received minus funding burden
Net Funding:Total money provided by a funder minus
funding burden for all applicants
5
Grantee experiences of funding burden
6
• “Untenable hours and stress. You get jaded, disillusioned – it’s
head-bashing stuff”
• “Reporting requirements meant we spent 300k on a database
and 1000+ hours implementing it”
• “We spent about 1 – 2 days per week for three years before we
were finally awarded our multi-year funding”
• “My team spent about 800 hours after the grant was received
meeting the funder’s demands”
• “They invited funding applications of up to $100,000 – but
didn’t tell us that the grant pool was little more than 200k”
Examples of funding burden
7
• “Untenable hours and stress. You get jaded, disillusioned – it’s
head-bashing stuff”Funding
Burden
• “Reporting requirements meant we spent 300k on a database
and 1000+ hours implementing it”
• “We spent about 1 – 2 days per week for three years before we
were finally awarded our multi-year funding”20%
• “My team spent about 800 hours after the grant was received
meeting the funder’s demands”53%
• “They invited funding applications of up to $100,000 – but
didn’t tell us that the grant pool was little more than 200k”100%
The result?
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Sometimes our processes reduce the very impact we seek to support
Information
Outlineapplication
Fullapplication
Shortlisting
Visit
Assessment Decision
promotion
Outlineapplication
Fullapplication
Shortlisting
Visit
Assessment Decision
Outlineapplication
Fullapplication
Visit
246
9
number
hours
19
39
Big
grants: 14
Funding efficiency (net funding as % of total) 93%
Total funding given 2,758,000
Cost of ‘songs’ 146,400
Cost of ‘operas’ 49,500
Net funding to community 2,562,100
• It excludes their reporting costs
• It excludes all of our costs
Is 93% a pass mark?
• Overall JRMT has “one of the better
processes”
What have we done?
Improved info for applicants (again!)
Reduced size of Outline Application
Reviewed the Full Application
We now ask for feedback in application
forms
How to find the sweet spot
16
Be curious Try filling out our own forms
Ongoing learning and improvement
Gather information Ask for feedback and time taken in our forms
Commission applicant surveys
Ask for applicant input on changes we make
Double check what our decision makers really need
How to find the sweet spot continued
17
Prune our processesPrepare the soil – be clear what we want to fund,
and how much is on offer
Weed out questions you don’t actually use
Thin the seedlings with two-step processes and/or processes proportional to what is on offer
Ongoing care and attention – multi-year funding is better for grantees and funders
Propagate processes – align application forms and share reporting with other funders
