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projects which would mainly benefit individuals or organisations which would not be eligible to apply to us themselves;
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projects which duplicate an existing application (or part of one) which you have sent us; and
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projects which do not meet the aims and priorities of our grants programmes.
Large projects: If the total cost of your project is $75,000 Usd or more, we encourage you to provide a business plan with detailed financial projections as part of your application. You should provide a business plan even if you are asking for less than $75,000 Usd but with any match funding the whole project costs more than this.
In certain circumstances we may ask organisations whose project costs are less than $75,000 Usd to also provide a business plan.
The business plan should relate to the project rather than to your organisation.
What is a business plan?: A business plan is a document which explains:
- why a project is needed;
- how a project will work;
- how a project will be managed;
- what the beneficiaries will gain;
- how you will measure achievements;
- what the project will cost and how you will fund it; and
- why your organisation should do the project.
We ask these questions on the application form, but a business plan should cover these areas in more detail.
A business plan is likely to include:
- a one-page summary;
- your organisation’s aims and objectives and how the project fits into these;
- a description of the project to be delivered;
- an analysis of the need, with figures of service users;
- a survey of similar or related services or projects provided by other organisations;
- the project’s aims and objectives;
- a work plan for year one including objectives, method of achievement, and a target to be achieved within a set timetable;
- details of how you will monitor your achievements;
- a project management structure;
- a budget and cash flow forecast for each year;
- a fundraising plan with important dates;
- a marketing plan with important dates;
- a summary of your organisation’s track record of delivering similar projects; and
- staff requirements, including the skills of main people involved in the project.
