THINKING AHEAD:
Preparing to write an END-OF-GRANT REPORT
Bid-writing expert Rachel Gordon stresses the importance of writing achievable objectives and evaluating the impact of your project
Y
ou may be writing your grant application, but it is important even at this stage to think seriously
about how you will monitor the progress of your project and report on its achievements or activity. After all, your application includes promises to a funder: you are telling them what you will do and what impact your project will deliver if you are successful in securing funding. The more measurable it is, the more believable your claims will be. Many funders will also expect you to tell them in the application how you will mitigate failure. This will give you an opportunity to demonstrate how well your project has been planned and your commitment to ensuring promises are delivered. Putting in the time now will make things a lot easier when it comes to writing your grant report (and it will help to strengthen your grant application). Remember, once you have received a grant, your relationship with the funder does not end there. So what steps should you take now?
34 SUMMER 2018 FundEd
Check the funder’s reporting requirements Some funders provide guidelines that specify what a grant report should contain. Sometimes they are found within the application guidelines; or alternatively they might be available as separate documents. Read them and make a note of what is required. Typically, a funder will want to know: n Your aims and objectives – what you did to meet these n How many people were involved n The outcomes (or differences) your project delivered n Any unanticipated outcomes n Any unexpected challenges and how you managed them n How you spent the money n What you have learnt n Your future plans for this project (sustainability and legacy). You may wish to tell a funder in
your application about how you will manage your project, track progress, deal with the unexpected and mitigate risk to ensure your project is a success, and this is why you should consider these things now.
Think about the promises you make Your project’s success will be measured against the objectives and expected outcomes you specify in your grant application. When completing these sections, it is crucial that you think carefully about how you will measure the difference your project is making. Are your objectives reasonable and achievable within the timescale of your project? Are your expected outcomes measurable? How will you be able to show the difference your project is making and has made? If you struggle to answer these questions, your objectives may need to be rethought and rewritten.
Specify what information you will need to collect and what methods you will use In your grant application you will have written about the outcomes or differences you expect your project to make. In a grant report, a funder will want to see evidence that you have delivered these outcomes. Firstly, you should think about the specific changes that you will need to observe in order to show that you are making a real difference. This could be changes in participants’ behaviour, skills, attitude, knowledge, relationships
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