grant application support faq

So you’d like to apply for a grant and want The Social Change Nest (SCN) to be your fiscal host — what happens next?

As a fiscal host, we offer a grant management service, which means that we sign the grant agreement on your behalf to release the funds and provide any documentation needed. 

Grant Management allows you to:

  • Have access to a Partnership Manager with 1:1 monthly check-ins 
  • Apply for multiple grants at the same time
  • Use SCN company details to access grant funding
  • Have SCN sign grant agreements on your behalf
  • Approve all expenses/ invoices submitted, and instruct them to be paid out by SCN 
  • Save time building your transaction log, showing the spend down of your grant. Your Partnership Manager will assist you with this and take away the administrative burden
  • Provide reporting documentation to your funder that we will provide, showing how you have met the grant parameters

 

We charge a small fee of 7% of the grant amount received for this solution. 

Feeling a little lost?

If you aren’t clear about the services we offer at The Social Change Nest, have no idea what fiscal hosting is or haven’t worked with us before, please feel free to book a virtual coffee with Rufaro.

 

Which grants should you apply for?

As a fiscal host, we do our best to share any grant opportunities with our groups and wider networks. We regularly post these on our LinkedIn page and send them in our newsletter. We also recommend that you do your research to see what you can find that suits your scope, tapping into your network for recommendations. 

When you identify a grant that’s suitable for your group, you should:

  • Read the eligibility criteria carefully; ensure the grant is suitable for your group’s proposed activity/ project.
  • Ensure the funder accepts fiscally hosted groups. We can provide you with resources if a funder isn’t aware of fiscal hosting and would like to know more.
  • Engage with the funder’s grants team to ask questions you may not be clear on; our team at SCN is available and happy to be looped into any conversations you may have with your funders to help clarify the role of a SCN as fiscal host.
  • Check that our incorporation status as a Community Interest Company (CIC) will not be a barrier to entry; some funders will only grant through a registered charity. SCN is a CIC and not a registered charity.

 

What documents does SCN supply for the grant application?

Every funder is different and typically they will state in the application exactly what documentation is required. As your fiscal host, we know that most funders will require us to provide:

  • Our certificate of incorporation: we are the incorporated entity that will receive and ring-fence your grant for your group to spend down. The certificate shows our status as a CIC.
  • Our company accounts:  we can provide all of our accounts as posted on Companies House.
  • Our governance document: explains more about our non-executive director board that keeps SCN accountable.
  • A letter of intent: this letter from SCN will outline the relationship that SCN will hold with your group.

 

Please note: SCN will legally act as an agent on the grant to aid the release of funds and enable you to spend them. Your group will be responsible for the delivery of the grant. We view this as a partnership between SCN and your group, and we will work in collaboration with you at every step of the way.

 

What do we need to know if you are eligible for a grant and have drafted your application?

As your intended fiscal host, we need to know what the grant will be for, the grant amount, and the timeline for the release of funds (if your application is successful). 

 

What happens if your application for a grant is successful?

This is the fun part! Let us know as soon as you get this amazing news, as a few important steps have to happen to get you onboarded:

  • SCN will need to be put in contact with your funder/s to arrange for the grant agreement to be signed.
  • We will draft a terms of service contract to be signed by your group, which will outline the relationship between us and your group/network.
  • Once all the documentation is signed, SCN will facilitate receipt of the funds from the funder and notify your group when this is complete.
  • We will then schedule a handover meeting where you will be introduced to your dedicated Partnership Manager.

Please note: the onboarding process can take up to 4 weeks to complete.

 

Is there anything else to cover?

Once the above is complete and you’ve met your Partnership Manager, your group is all set to focus on what you do best: driving more social impact!