Apply for Funding

How will my application be evaluated?
Applications are evaluated with respect to the following funding criteria:

Projects are in alignment with the FTF core development principles of sustainability, effectiveness, collaboration and transparency. Go to the How We Work – Improved Development tab on the FTF website for more details about the core development principles.
Projects provide measurable value to the recipient community, while minimizing unintended negative consequences.
Projects build on existing projects or roundtable participants core competencies and deliver tangible results within specified timelines.
Projects strive towards long term outcomes beyond the scope and tenure of FTF’s involvement to build capacity and infrastructure.
Projects demonstrate grassroots driven initiatives with demonstrated local ownership.
The organization and the individual project team members have the required skills and experience to successfully deliver the project.
The project budget and schedule is realistic for the initiative and represents fair value for the funding provided.
The organization has a strong plan with measurable outputs and outcomes, to monitor the project, evaluate success, and document lessons learned.
The organization has a strong exit plan and the project will survive, thrive and continue to grow after the organization has completed the project.

What is the process?
FTF has a two phase application process that is administered by the FTF Projects Team. Phase 1 is to confirm that the project is in alignment with the FTF core development principles before moving on to Phase 2, the evaluation of the more detailed project plan. Phase 1 and Phase 2 are illustrated in the attached flow charts. Ultimately, funding must be approved by the FTF Board of Directors.

How long does it take?
As a volunteer organization, FTF is unable to commit to specific timelines for review of funding applications. We make our best efforts to review your applications efficiently as possible and will maintain communication with you throughout the process. We strive for the following:

To confirm back to you as to the receipt and completeness of your initial application within a few days.
To notify you as to whether or not your project is in alignment with the FTF core development principles within one to two weeks, and if so, invite you to submit a more detailed project plan for Phase 2 of the application process.
To complete the evaluation of Phase 2 applications within four weeks; however, this is dependent on the timing of FTF Projects Team meetings (once every second month), the timing of FTF Board meetings (every month), and how quickly you are able to respond to questions and requests for additional information.

How do I start?
To start Phase 1, prepare a short letter on your organization’s letterhead and attach it as a Word or PDF document in a cover email to ftf.projects@figtreefoundation.com. The letter must include:

1. Primary Information:

Your organization’s legal name.
Your organization’s Charitable Registration Number.
Name, email and phone number of the contact person for the project.
Project name.
Project Location (community, region/state/province, country – include GPS coordinates or pin drop screen image on Google maps).
Project duration and timeline.
Amount of funding requested and total project budget.

2. Need, Outputs and Outcomes (short answers please):

Why is this project needed, and how was this need expressed to you?
What are the intended outputs (things that are created, built or put in place) and outcomes (the resulting changes and benefits)?
How will you measure the outputs and outcomes to see that they are achieved?

3. Alignment with FTF Core Development Principles:

Provide a brief description of how your project satisfies the four FTF core development principles of sustainability, effectiveness, collaboration and transparency.

What happens next?
The FTF Projects Team will review the short letter you provided in Phase 1, and if your project aligns with the FTF Core Development Principles, you will be invited to submit a more detailed project plan to start Phase 2 of the application process. A template for the detailed project plan will be provided to you at that time, and generally it includes:

Details about the experience of your organization, your individual team members and your partner organizations/collaborators.
Details about consultation with the community/beneficiaries and how the need was assessed.
Assessment of unintended consequences, constraints and risks and how these will be managed or mitigated.
Specific details on the intended outputs and outcomes and how these will be measured, including baseline information that will be used for comparison.
Roles and responsibilities of individual team members.
Detailed budget, schedule, milestones and cash flow.
Exit strategy and plan for ongoing monitoring and reporting.

Can I get some help?
Yes! Preparing an application and a detailed project plan may look complicated but it’s not. If you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, ask your Roundtable Liaison to put you in touch with the FTF Projects Team. While we won’t guarantee that our help will ensure your project is funded, we may be able to help make the process more efficient.