A timeline of a grantmaking process at the Victoria Foundation.
Every year, the Victoria Foundation distributes millions of dollars from donors through an array of grant programs that help charitable organizations do critical work in the capital region and beyond. These programs are based on trust, transparency, and aim to reach as many areas of community wellbeing as possible. Last year, the Foundation distributed over 2,000 grants worth a total of $33 million.
The largest open grant call is the annual Vital Stream of the flagship Community Grants Program, which provides general operating funding to organizations of all kinds.
But what does this granting process actually look like? What makes an application successful? Let’s take a closer look.
Alex, from a fictional non-profit called ‘Byte-Sized Steps,’ wants to apply for a Vital grant to fund an initiative that helps older adults use digital technology safely.
Let’s follow her first application through the process:
1) Late January: Alex reads in the Victoria Foundation’s monthly eNewsletter that the application portal will soon open.
She finds application guidelines on the Foundation’s website and begins planning with her team.
2) Early February: The grant portal opens. Alex spends 2-4 hours completing her application online before the due date. She has questions, so she calls the Foundation for help, relieved the granting team is readily available.After she submits her application, she’s emailed a short feedback survey.
3) Early March: The review process begins. The Foundation’s granting team has wide experience in the charitable sector, so they know the challenges of grant writing. They work together to make the process comfortable and transparent for all applicants. A friendly reviewer follows up with Alex to ask a few extra questions.
4) The granting team reviews the application thoroughly, focusing on the proposal’s strengths. They check that Alex’s organization works to address a strong community need, serves equity-deserving groups, and has good governance and financial management.
5) The granting team consults with subject matter experts – community leaders with strong knowledge of certain issues – for some extra background on the region’s current need. They check how well the application addresses some of the most pressing issues from various reports like the State of the Sector Reports and Victoria’s Vital Signs.
6) There are multiple sources of funding, including the Community Action Funds, that enable grants to be distributed to community organizations through the Vital Stream. The Philanthropic Services team works all year with community donors and fund holders to pool their gifts for greater impact.
7) A Community Engagement Committee of Foundation staff and community members audits a third of the reviews for transparency and accountability.
8) May: The granting team finalizes the assessments. They create a long list of grant recommendations. Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson and the team review the list and ensure donor gifts are matched according to their wishes.
9) June: The Community Engagement Committee reviews and validates the final recommendations.
10) Late June to early July: Success! The Victoria Foundation’s Board of Directors approves the grants and Alex’s application is on the list. She receives an official email announcing that Byte-Sized Steps will be funded in two to three weeks.
11) Mid-July: The grantee list is publicly released, and the community celebrates!
12) August: While the Foundation works hard to help support as many organizations as possible, each year the demand exceeds the available supply of funding. Unsuccessful applicants can schedule calls with the granting team to receive feedback on their applications for next year.
13) Throughout the year, the granting team gathers feedback and builds relationships with dedicated organizations, like Alex’s.
If you’d like to learn more about this or other granting programs, please contact grants@victoriafoundation.bc.ca or call 250-381-5532.
A list of last year’s Community Grant recipients can be found at www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca.