How We Assess Your Charity Grant Application

Below is a summary of how the assessment process works.

• How the applications are processed
• Criteria used for assessing applications
• When applicants are notified

How applications are processed

1. The Sisters of Charity Foundation accepts and acknowledges receipt of applications, and may seek further information or clarification from the proposer.
2. The relevant committee then considers the proposal and makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors.
3. If the committee believes that a proposal has merit but that management structures are inadequate or further financial information is required, then the proposer may be notified and asked to re-apply when it can satisfy the criteria.
4. The Directors have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that funds dispersed will be managed so as to maximise their benefit to the poor and marginalised in the community. To this end in assessing applications they are vigilant to ensure that structures are in place to provide proper financial accountability and that there is evidence of the ability report on measurable outcomes.
5. As a rule, the Foundation will not include the GST incurred by organisations for purchases or in the provision of services. It is presumed that organisations applying to the Foundation are registered for the GST and are able to reclaim this amount.

Some broad criteria used by the Review Committee to assess applications

1. That the program proposed will impact on the alleviation of poverty, loneliness, suffering, ignorance or oppression in the community.
2. That the program is in keeping with the mission of the Sisters of Charity to serve the poor and marginalised.
3. Evidence of planning:
   • Goals and objectives, content rationale.
   • Sound planning for monitoring, evaluation and outcome performance measures.
   • The sustainability of the project when the Foundation’s funding ends.
4. Measurable benefit:
   • Evidence of realistic, measurable and achievable program goals and outcomes.
   • Extent of community reach of the program and its ability to improve the condition of its target group.
   • Evidence of the extent to which this program is meeting a need not being met through other sources.
5. Capacity of the recipient organisation:
   • To demonstrate its ability to manage the program’s objectives.
   • To prepare and administer a budget for the program and the organisation.
   • To prepare a detailed budget for the specific program.
6. Use of volunteers:
   • The ability of the organisation to incorporate volunteers in the delivery of services.
7. Access to other funds.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation favours projects that:

• restore hope and build dignity
• ‘fall between the cracks’ of other funding sources
• are not associated with well-established organisations with significant reserves and/or are capable of raising their own funds
• are not eligible for funding from government or other sources.

Notification

1. The Committee will review the application within a month of the closing date and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors.
2. Applicants will be notified of the outcome within 10 weeks of the closing date.