Funding practice guides
Use our guides to help you review your foundation’s current funding practice and plan your next steps.
Overview
Our funding practice guides are available to ACF members only. (Not a member? Join us)
They cover the following topics:
- Choosing funding practices that serve your mission
- Understanding different types of grant funding
- How grant-makers can have an impact beyond funding
- How grant-makers can avoid causing harm
- Reviewing your funding practices
These topics are based on the five pillars of stronger funding practice. We developed the pillars with input from ACF members through our Stronger Foundations programme.
Each guide is regularly reviewed and draws on the latest context and foundation practice. They include practical ideas, examples and recommended resources for getting starting or going deeper into the topic.
What each guide includes
1. Choosing funding practices that serve your mission
A foundation’s mission should guide everything it does. For many foundations, funding others is the main way they pursue their mission. How they go about this has a significant effect on the applicants and grant recipients that foundations depend on to achieve their intended impact.
Our guide to choosing funding practices that serve your mission (member login required) includes:
- Using the funding ‘toolbox’
- Setting or reviewing your funding criteria
- Using evidence and expertise to inform practice
- Designing funding processes
- Considering power dynamics
2. Understanding different types of grant funding
Grants make a unique and essential contribution to civil society, often funding work that would otherwise struggle to attract support. Grants come in many forms. Understanding the pros and cons of each type of grant allows foundations to use them to achieve the greatest impact.
Our guide to understanding different types of grant funding (member login required) includes:
- Unrestricted funding
- Restricted funding
- Short-term and long-term funding
- Funding innovation and enterprise
3. How grant-makers can have an impact beyond funding
Whatever their size or mission, foundations can do more than just give money. Foundations can use non-financial resources, such as networks, expertise and influence, to enhance the impact of their grant-making.
Our guide to how grant-makers can have an impact beyond funding (member login required) includes:
- Relational funding
- Offering ‘funder plus’ support
- Leverage and advocacy
4. How grant-makers can avoid causing harm
Foundations exist to do good. Some people may find it counter-intuitive that funding charitable work could inadvertently cause harm. However, actions can have unintended consequences. Stronger foundations recognise this and take active steps to avoid doing harm. They also acknowledge and make amends when they have caused harm.
Our guide to how grant-makers can avoid causing harm (member login required) includes:
- Understanding your grant-making in context
- Proportionate due diligence and monitoring
5. Reviewing your funding practices
Funding practices are central to a foundation’s impact. Unless these are regularly reviewed, foundations can risk becoming complacent. Needs and expectations can change over time. Long-established ways of working may not be as effective as they could be.
Our guide to reviewing your funding practices (member login required) includes:
- Seeking feedback
- Thinking collaboratively about your funding practices
- Streamlining your processes
Assess your foundation's funding practices
Members can access our Stronger Foundations self-assessment tools (member login required), including a dedicated funding practices tool.
This can help you reflect on your current funding practices and prioritise areas where you might make further progress.
Funding practices: the pillars of stronger foundation practice
Our original report Funding practices: the pillars of stronger foundation practice (published in 2020) is free for all to download.