Our commitment to being a Flexible Funder

IVAR calls on funders to adopt simpler, more flexible practices that make life easier for those they fund. Their ambition is to see these commitments become standard practice in the sector.

Here we outline how we're applying each of these eight commitments to our working practices across Foundation Scotland.

Don't waste time

• We will continue to provide step by step fund guidance and eligibility criteria, including clear priorities, information about previous awards, FAQs and top tips for applicants.
• We encourage enquiries and provide tailored support to applicants, dealing efficiently with your enquiry.
• For larger applications, we will sometimes request an initial expression of interest and, only based on that invite, a full application.
• We'll use one-to-one assessment calls with applicants to gather further relevant information where appropriate.
• We will harness technology to make application and grant management (e.g., online applications and monitoring reports) as efficient as possible for all stakeholders.

Ask the relevant questions

• We'll ensure we only ask applicants for information relevant to making a funding decision on their application and throughout the grant process.
• Our guidance will be easily accessible and written in plain English, avoiding the use of industry jargon.
• We'll provide assessment reports to decision-makers that are clear, focused and only contain appropriate & relevant information.
• We'll ensure we are proportionate in the monitoring information requested.

Accept risk

• When considering risk, we will seek to understand the full context surrounding projects, for example, the negative impact of the pandemic on the financial position of many organisations.
• We commit to developing different approaches to fund distribution, ensuring that the risk to all our customers is balanced.
• We will continue to trust grantees to deliver contracted projects.
• We commit to continually reviewing our approach to risk.

Act with urgency

• Continue to provide reasonable timescales for all award decisions and ensure both our deadlines and your expectations are met.
• Ensuring adequate resource is available to enable timeliness and flexibility in grantmaking and fund distribution.
• Act with urgency when circumstances warrant [e.g. for specific emergency response funds].

Be Open

• We commit to providing clear feedback on unsuccessful applications, which is practicable, specific and supportive.
• We'll continue to provide transparency via our website on what to expect during our application processes, how we make decisions, and what we expect from grantees.
• We publish all our awards on our website and 360Giving.
• We'll continue to explore new ways to disseminate information on grants made and evidence of our funds' impact.
• We'll consider ways to involve third parties in reviewing our outward-facing communications and grantmaking practices.

Enable flexibility

• We are exploring opportunities for unrestricted grants with the many donors and panels we support, developing guidance and criteria for offering this.
• Continue to respond positively to requests for flexibility in the use of grant awards where changes are reasonable given project circumstances and remain within the original grant purpose.
• Explore steps that can be taken to guard against over-reliance on grant funding and encourage opportunities for self-generated income. Target grants to enable expansion of self-generated income where appropriate/ the opportunity exists.
• Regularly monitor and review fund aims with donors and advisory panels to ensure purposes are still relevant to beneficiary communities.
• Monitor impact to capture longer-term social and environmental change, as well as short-term indicators.
• We are exploring alternative ways of distributing funds beyond open grantmaking, tailored to local contexts and in partnership with donors, advisory panels or other stakeholders.

Communicate with purpose

• We commit to building relationships that are constructive and supportive.
• We work towards aligning our grant and loan-making with our overall vision/mission and environmental, social justice and ethical goals.
• We'll engage with grantees about impact in a meaningful and supportive way, requesting proportionate information that the Foundation will use.
• We welcome conversations with other funders about shared grantmaking processes.

Be proportionate

• We'll review our application materials and processes annually to ensure any information requested is relevant and proportionate to the funding request.
• We will ensure grant conditions are meaningful (i.e. actually manage risk), achievable, written in plain English and proportionate to the grant size.
• We support grantees in meeting those conditions, signposting them where possible to other sources of help.