OAA Decision and Grant making policy
a) This grant making policy lays out our aims and principles in awarding grants and also a range of checks applicable on a case for case basis.
b) We can only fund projects and activities that are exclusively charitable and fall within the objects of the charity.
c) Grants will be made based on the funding available and solely on merit.
Funding Criteria.
The charity will consider all applications that fall within our charitable purposes and meet our funding criteria and, for which, the due diligence process has not identified any unacceptable issues.
• Charities– organisations must have a written constitution, with exclusively charitable aims, and be run by a minimum of at least 2 trustees.
In making grants, trustees will comply with Charity Commission guidance, to ensure that it is in the charity’s best interests, check that any money is used as it is expected it to be and the decision recorded in the minutes.
• Other Organisations – in the event that the trustees wished to support an organisation that isn’t a charity, they are aware of and would comply with the Charity Commission’s guidance on doing so.
In particular, they would ensure that the grant is only to further the charity’s purposes, that any funding of support costs would be limited to the specified activities, services or outcomes, that there would be an agreement requiring the above be complied with, that there is no more than incidental personal benefit and that the trustees can demonstrate that the decision is in the charity’s best interests.
Priorities.
The trustees use the following criteria to help them in making decisions on how best to allocate funding;
Those most in need, particularly the poor and the most vulnerable such as children, the elderly, disabled people and those without access to clean water.
Families with children, particularly single parent families and orphans.
Where a small grant might enable a larger project to go ahead, such as meeting ashortfall in funding.
Applications.
We require submissions to be confirmed in writing and for relevant supporting documents, such as a programme plan or budget to be included. Submissions should also include the following:
An explanation as to how our funding criteria and priorities are met.
Information on the charity, NGO or organisation applying.
Project/bid details, such as amounts, numbers, timetable.
Evidence of the need and impact the funding would have.
Safeguarding.
If working with children or vulnerable adults, applications need to include details of the procedures used to ensure they are kept safe from harm and how management ensure these are applied consistently. These must comply with the charity’s safeguarding policy and legislation, and any regulation specific to the activity. In making grants to or working with other organisations we will comply with Charity Commission guidance and will carry out relevant due diligence with regard to governance and safeguarding policy. We will agree the nature of the relationship and the role of each organisation including the arrangements for monitoring and reporting.
Health & Safety at Work (H&SW).
The organisation must have a robust H&SW framework and management oversight, with adequate policies that are consistently applied and training that is undertaken by everyone who needs to and is up-to-date.
Insurance.
Where applicable details of insurances held must be provided, with a certified true copy of the insurance policy.
Property/Assets Created.
Confirmation that any assets, intellectual property or other material of financial value created will not be disposed of without confirmation that any proceeds will be used for an approved charitable purpose and the prior written permission of the trustees. In the event this was not forthcoming, the asset could only be disposed of in accordance with the trustees’ instructions.
Decision-making process.
Applications will be considered and grants awarded entirely at the discretion of the trustees and their decision will be final. The trustees will work to the Charity Commission C27 guidelines on trustee decision-making.
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their bid. Successful applicants will only have funding made available after written agreement to the following terms, conditions and obligations:
That they will confirm receipt;
That the grant will only be spent for the purposes for which it was given;
That any unused portion of the grant will be returned to the charity;
That they will report back on how the grant was spent;
That they will reporting back on the impact the grant had and;
That they will provide any supporting evidence required, such as receipts;
That they will meet any deadlines for doing so.
Data protection.
Applicants’ data will be held in accordance with data protection legislation. It will be held securely, disclosed if subject to an access request, treated as confidential, only used for the purpose for which it has been provided and destroyed, once no longer needed.
Due diligence checks.
The charity will carry out sufficient due diligence on grant applicants to confirm the identity of the applicant and that;
Any funding will be applied in accordance with the charity’s charitable purposes.
Funds will not be knowingly used for illegal purposes, such as money laundering,bribery or financing terrorism.
The applicant does not hold views or have any involvement in activities contraryto the charity’s values and charitable purposes.
Reporting.
All grantees are required to provide a report on how their grant was used and the impact this has had. The content and nature of information to be reported will be appropriate for the size and type of grant awarded. The charity will monitor such reports to not only ensure that grants are being use for the purposes intended, but also to assess the impact grants have made. This learning will be used to inform future decision-making and policy to maximise the charity’s impact.
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