Application Question 6 - How Does Your Project Meet Our Criteria?

One of the most important questions on any application forms relates to how you project meets the funders criteria.

Funders will almost always ask how your project fits with their policy or criteria. How you answer this is fundamental to the success of any application. Your aim in answering should be to convince the funder that you meet their criteria and are a priority application. This is best done by directly addressing their criteria in your answers. You ought to explain how your aims will help the funder meet their aims; how your priorities are their priorities without deviating from your own project's desired outcomes.

If you find that you have to change your project's aims and objectives so much to meet the funders criteria that it is barely recognisable, then it is worth asking yourselves is it worthwhile making the application at all. You may get funding for work that isn't a priority for your organisation. This is known as "mission-drift" and is symptomatic of an organisation which is "funding-led" and not strategically addressing in primary aims and objectives.

Define and communicate the reasoning or rationale behind your proposed project. Why do you think it will be successful? Is it based on another group's project? Are you replicating a successful model? If so, let the funder know. If the project has been successful for one group, the chances are it will be successful for you too and the funder will be more receptive to it. Your proposed project is therefore a safer risk. If it is a totally new approach, then explain why you think it will work, start it out as a 'pilot' project and again some funders will welcome such innovation.