The Funding Network's Selection Committee chooses between 4-10 exceptional projects from all the projects members put forward ('sponsor'). The Selection Committee is made up of between 4 and 6 members including at least one Director, and any member can join.

The presentations are followed by an open pledging session in which attendees can pledge money towards some, all or none of the projects that have been presented. Therefore the amount the project receives depends on what participants give. The Funding Network administers the pledges and collects Gift Aid where appropriate, paying a single cheque out to each charity approximately 4 weeks after the Funding Event.

Sponsoring a project - some guidelines
One of the most unusual and exciting aspects of The Funding Network is that all our projects come from members, who are encouraged to sponsor social change projects they know about and wish to attract support for. We work in this way to encourage members' involvement in the social change work going on around them, and also because we do not have an administrative structure equipped to process unsolicited applications. Members may sponsor up to 2 projects for any one Funding Event.

What is involved in being a sponsor?

1. Sponsors must be an active member of The Funding Network having supported one of our events as a donor. Individual membership is £75 pa and corporate membership is £200 ps and pledges at events start at £100. To find out more about membership click here.
2. Finding a project that will suit The Funding Network (see below) for which you are willing to pledge a minimum of £250 if it is selected. This £250 is intended as a 'bona fide' - an indication that you are confident the project is sound and would spend the money wisely. If you don't know the organisation well, you should assure yourself of this by reading their Annual Report or latest accounts.
3. Deciding whether you would like the project to be presented by a representative from the organisation or if you're happy to present the project yourself.
4. Giving the project advice (how much is up to you) on writing a two-page application, contact our Co-ordinator for the 2 page application guidelines.
5. Sponsors are excluded from being on the selection committee considering their project.

The closing date for the application will be announced well before each Funding Event, but it is generally six weeks before the Funding Event. Applications can only be received electronically. Please ensure that the version you submit by email is the final one to reduce administrative costs.

Our Coordinator can confirm the submission date or help with any other enquiries:

Email: info@thefundingnetwork.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7243 0667

Since there are only a specified number slots at any given Funding Event, we advise against promising a project/organisation it will get a chance to present. If your project doesn't get a slot the first time you can resubmit the same project a second time. Note however, that if their project is selected, we can coach them on presentation skills if they so wish. Finally, as the amount raised depends on attendance and enthusiasm at the event, we suggest you encourage the project to think in terms of £5,000, whilst understanding that it may not get the full amount.

What kind of projects will the selection committee favour? The Funding Network focuses on social change projects, namely projects that address the root causes of an issue, or pioneer new ways of tackling problems, and that actively promote transformation or change. The Funding Network recognises that many such projects have difficulty finding support. Unlike many funding bodies, we will fund core costs such as salaries and overheads. Although we are not restricting applications to projects of less than a certain size, we suggest you sponsor small and medium-size organisations for whom £5,000 would be a useful contribution. We will endeavour to cover a range of issues at each Funding Event. As we are a registered charity, our projects must either have charitable status or a purpose which is charitable under UK law. We welcome projects which will benefit both the UK and overseas.

At some Funding Events we may have space for a presentation by an organisation that does not have charitable status but is working towards social change. In this case those attending who pledge will do so directly to the organisation and not through The Funding Network.

What about conflicts of interest? Sponsors may not be in the paid employ (including consultancy) of a project they sponsor, although members can invite another member to sponsor a project they work for. Other kinds of personal connection with projects, such as trustee/mentor/volunteer relationships, are fine. Members are asked to clarify their relationship to the project when the two page application is submitted.

The selection process? Each project submits - at most - a two page application. There are often between 20 and 30 projects put forward and before the committee meets some due diligence is carried out: checking the annual reports and (particularly where a new charity is applying) talking to the staff to clarify status and viability. This information is added to the application and shared before the meeting. The Funding Network is risk orientated, and recently created organisations always receive a fair hearing. Committee members first rank the applications, the rankings are merged and the top 10 - 15 discussed when the committee meets. We know that passion and great presentations make a huge difference to the success of our events, so we arrange a conference call on the evening the committee meets. Each short-listed charity has an opportunity to make their pitch very succinctly, and committee members have a chance to ask questions directly before making their decision. 4 - 10 will be chosen. In making their selection the committee also aims to select a variety of causes for any one event, to reflect the variety of interests of our members. In the case of a themed event (in September 2007 the focus was the environment) projects selected will all be within the theme chosen. If you'd like to join the next selection committee (info@thefundingnetwork.org.uk) we'd love to hear from any Funding Network member. We exclude sponsors from the meetings where the cause they are promoting is being considered. Meetings are informal and held on a weekday evening in London at one of the member's homes.

Sponsoring a project is very rewarding. We hope you will try it!