Grant Application and Management Process
The ABC Foundation grantmaking process is conducted through an open call for applications, followed by the evaluation of projects by an independent Selection Committee. Projects are selected on the basis of their alignment with the program objectives, the applicant's implementation capacity, and a realistic budget.
After approval, the grant contract is signed and the project implementation is monitored throughout the implementation period. The grantee is obliged to submit narrative and financial reports according to the terms of the contract. The grant is closed after the objectives have been met and the final reports have been submitted.
a) Announcement of the program to the public, institutions, associations, groups, individuals who may be interested in applying;
b) Collection and follow-up of submitted proposals;
c) Their evaluation by the relevant and independent Selection Committee;
d) Notifying applicants of the decision of this Commission;
e) Its approval and signing of the Grant contract between the ABC Foundation and the winning applicant;
f) Grant Monitoring.
Grant eligibility criteria
- Alignment of application activities with the stated objectives of the ABC Foundation program;
- The implementing capacity of the organization/association/entity, previous experiences with donors;
- Drafting a realistic and accurate budget related to the activities proposed in the application;
- Setting a limit of no more than 15% – 20% of the approved budget for each grant, as administrative costs of the applicant;
- Willingness to co-finance and the level of this co-financing by the applicant in the proposed project;
- Other criteria may be adjusted during the process depending on the cases presented.
Selection and Process Development
The preliminary selection of applications is made by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committees will be composed of experts from various fields according to the cases submitted for review.
GRANT PAYMENTS
The basic criteria that determine how Grants are paid are:
- Amount of the approved grant;
- Time of grant implementation;
- The financial capabilities of the grantee;
- Receiving interim reports within the planned deadlines;
- Forecast for the purchase of goods or services from third parties.
MODIFICATIONS of the Grant received
Modifications include changes to the terms and conditions of a grant as set out in its contract.
REPORTS of Grantees
The grantee must report on the grant received in accordance with the terms of the contract. All written reports, whether interim or final, must be written on the official letterhead (with letterhead/logo) of the grantee and addressed to the grantor.
Narrative report (click for narrative report template)
The narrative report prepared by the grantee must:
- Confirm receipt of funds, timing and amount of grant.
- Confirm that the grantee has used the funds for the original purpose in accordance with the grant contract.
- Describe the development and implementation of the project and the impact it provides.
- Describe the progress made towards the nonprofit's objectives.
- Include supporting documentation (such as photos, various recordings of activities, etc.).
- To be signed by a person in a management position of the grantee entity.
Financial report (click for financial report template)
The financial report prepared by the grantee must:
- Describe the expenses in accordance with the original budget, reflecting the requested and actual expenses.
- Describe each piece of equipment purchased.
- Record any unspent funds (which must be returned or for which an extension of the use period is requested).
- To be signed by a person in a management position.
mONITORING of the process
The grantor, ABC Foundation, will monitor the grants awarded during the project implementation process in order to assess the grantee's ability to achieve the grant's purpose, the overall effectiveness of the project, and ensure the proper use of the Foundation's funds.
Through visits to the project site, continuous communication through meetings, telephone, e-mails, and grantee reports, the grantee's ability to achieve the project proposal objective is monitored.
CLOSING of Grants
The grant may be closed after the grantee has submitted final financial and narrative reports that meet the relevant project reporting and implementation criteria. Several cases of Grant closure may arise;
- Closing when the Grantee has achieved the objective;
- Closure when the Grantee has not achieved the objective or has not spent all funds;
- Closure when the Grantee has not implemented the terms of the grant contract – blacklisting.
1. Closing when the Grantee has achieved the objective
If the grantee has achieved the objective and his reports are satisfactory, ABC documents their receipt and prepares its “evaluation report.” The grant will be closed after ABC has received the financial and narrative reports and has assessed that the entire grant has been properly implemented.
2. Closure when the Grantee has not achieved the objective or has not spent all funds
If the grantee has not been able to meet the objective or spend all of the awarded funds, ABC documents receipt of the report and contacts the grantee for further clarification. If appropriate, ABC should work with the grantee to establish new grant terms or reporting requirements, or arrange for the return of unspent funds.
- Has used the grant partially or fully for electoral and/or political propaganda;
- Has used the grant partially or completely for illegal activities provided for by Albanian legislation;
- Has used the grant for purposes not foreseen in the contract;
- It has not reported on part or all of the grant received.
