There’s a lot to think about and gather together so it’s vital that if you have not started already, you must prepare now for the deadline. As the focus of the Perpetual Trustees IMPACT Philanthropy Application Program is largely on organisational performance and capability, this application is a little different from some others that may have greater focus on the project.
To help ensure you are getting the best and most relevant information together for your application we’ve gathered some of our top-level feedback and tips:
- Make sure you’re using the current application form! The questions do change, so it’s vital that you collate your responses according to the current form.
- Keep in mind that Perpetual invests in organisations who display strong leadership and business planning capacity. How can you demonstrate this?
- Check that your mission statement is worded consistently across your communications (website, social media, published documents etc) and your Perpetual application.
- KPIS – KPI questions are typically not well answered in Perpetual Applications – here’s a quick guide:
Key Performance indicators need to be specific
That means they should have numbers like % increases. If you’re struggling to formulate KPIs – think SMART:
How well is your organisation tracking against its Mission? (Effectiveness).
This question relates to how well your organisation is achieving its mission.
This is more outcomes related, often captured by qualitative AND quantitative data. That is, how are you measuring the changes your organisation is affecting?
They may include things like:
- Increased participation, awareness etc.
- Changes in behavior, understanding, attitudes
- Improvements in conditions
- Systemic changes
The question about Efficiency requires an answer about how well you are using your resources (whether that’s staff, finances etc). Efficiencies generally relate to the quantifiables that may include things like:
- Growth / reductions in income and expenses
- Diversification / growth of revenue streams
- Staff retention
- Number of occasions of service delivery to target group / cause
- Other operating efficiencies including clear policy and processes across all areas of the business etc.
How are you performing against your KPIs?
You are required to give EVIDENCE of how your organisation is performing against all the KPIs you provide. So your responses must provide evidence via presentation of data and evaluation results. i.e. figures, percentage growth / decline, details of progress, any qualitative results / feedback etc.
You need information on your benchmarks to show how you’re tracking against previous years in terms of your KPIs– a $ increase from what? A % increase from what? In what space of time? If you have not performed well on your KPIs, give explanations why not. You will need both qualitative and quantitative data and evidence to demonstrate performance.
- Make sure you’re providing the right level of information. While high level information is great, you do need to have specifics. It’s not enough to say you have experienced an increase in income, but rather that your income has increased X% from $Y in 2015/2016 to $Z in 2019/2020.
- Your answer to ‘what actions needs to be undertaken for the activity?’ needs to show how you will spend the $$ and what will need to happen so your project can be completed, not what the project will do for beneficiaries.
- External challenges facing your organisation should not solely be “competition for funding”. Be specific about the issues specifically affecting your particular sector. For example, policy changes, sectoral impacts etc ie. the introduction of NDIS will present challenges for disability organisations.
Organisational and Project Risks
You’re going to need information on the risks affecting not just the project but your organisation as a whole. All organisations face risks. Perpetual wants to know that you have identified the real risks to your organisation’s operations and longevity and what plans you have in place to reduce the impact of these risks. You must highlight at least three risks and mitigation strategies in your answer.
Likewise, with the question asking for the project’s risks. All projects have risks. Perpetual wants to know that you understand what might go wrong and that you have contingency plans in place.
- The project you are requesting funds for should align with the strategic objectives you’ve outlined for the next 12 months (earlier in the application).
- Ensure the response to the question relating to the need and rationale for the project gives concrete evidence that demonstrates exactly why this project is necessary. This might be statistics (reference your sources), ABS data, your own evaluation in the field etc.
Outcomes and Output are often confused in grant application, resulting in an application where output answers are provided where information on outcomes should be.
Outputs – the direct deliverables ie. activities run, instances of program delivery, purchases of equipment, capital works etc.
Outcomes – the changes or benefits that happen as a result of those outputs.
When the application asks you to outline project outcomes, these are the changes that will occur through delivery of the activities and project outputs.
This is a two-part question which also asks how you will measure these outcomes. Make sure you answer both parts!
- Make sure your project doesn’t start before the Perpetual grant distribution date.
- Budget – The amount being requested should be an accurate figure that correlates exactly with the figures within your budget that is provided later in the form. Ensure figures are based on real quotes and exact wage rates etc.
As with all grant budgets, income and expenditure columns must be equal.
You can preview the application form on the Perpetual website, where you will also find the Perpetual webinar recording of application tips.
If you need additional help whilst preparing and writing your application, check out our Advanced Webinar on Evaluation and Social Impact – it may just provide the knowledge and inspiration you need!