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Through years of developing contacts with social workers in all of the eight district authorities that cover County Durham and Darlington, we were able to ensure that the right people were advised of the criteria of the fund and how they should apply. Having these contacts ensures we were able to locate and reach the people most in need of support and who are often the most difficult to find. One of the frustrating problems of helping at this level is that many have simply fallen through the net of state provision and Social Services.
Having
these contacts allowed us to mail directly to the children’s homes in
the County and to organisations that have young people in care or care leavers
as their own service users. Networking events also helped to spread the word.
These included funding surgeries for grant recipients and voluntary organisations,
enabling them to find out more about the funds on offer and how they can be
accessed. We also asked to be involved with events that other voluntary organisations
were organising as another way of reaching potential applicants.
Once the research was complete, we were ready to send out targeted letters
to people the Wright Funk Fund could help. Having the information from the
research allowed us to ensure that we targeted families and individuals that
needed support via their social workers, therapists or a support service they
had accessed. In order to make it easier for applicants to apply, we designed
an application form with a supporting reference form, which was sent out with
mailings, publicity materials and on request. The application form serves
as a questionnaire, designed to be easy and straightforward to complete and
asking questions to enable us to make informed decisions during the assessment.
Through our initial efforts we were able to identify 89 new people and organisations and we made approximately 35 phone calls to new and existing networks in the local authority and voluntary sector with information on the Wright Funk Fund and its criteria. We also posted the grant application form to around 50 applicants who had previously applied for grants and who we thought might be eligible for support.
Most applicants to the fund come to us via referrals from Social Services or voluntary organisations. It took a little while for us to generate some good applications that suited the criteria, but once these started to come in the assessments were done in house by the grants team and then emailed over to the donors for their decisions. We had to chase our contacts by telephone, email and follow up letter several times for the applications to start arriving.
Once the applications have been received, we ensure that: the application form has been completed fully by the applicant and that all necessary information is given. The more information we have about an applicant’s case the better our grant assessment. Basic contact information is always required along with details of the applicant’s family background, why they need the grant and why they cannot pay for the request themselves.
This
information is immediately logged onto our grants-tracking database when we
receive the application, which allows us to track how long it takes us to
deal with applications from request to awarding the grant.
Every application from an individual must be supported by a reference from someone with whom they have a professional relationship (e.g. therapist, social worker or schoolteacher). References from family members and friends are not permitted. This helps us to gauge how much the applicant is in need of support and also ensures that all requests for help are valid.
When assessing a grant application from an individual we are looking to find out why they need the grant; this normally involves finding out as much as we can about their family circumstances and financial situation. We are also trying to determine the real difference it would make to the individual to receive funding and how it would improve their quality of life. We will not fund anything that should be funded by the local authority or provided by Social Services. Many applicants are living only on benefits and cannot afford to save or take out loans to cover the costs of their needs. We look for people who are trying to overcome their difficulties by taking personal action either through continuing to work, study or provide exceptional care to dependents with a disability or special needs.
Every
successful individual will either be sent their grant direct or we will pay
a third party direct for the items or activities. Every grant recipient is
sent a progress and monitoring form with their grant cheque and asked to complete
this once they have used their funding. It is sent back to us with receipts
for proof of items purchased, or photographs where activities have taken place.
We also expect to receive feedback and results from the grant, and quite often
receive really touching thank you letters and photographs from people who
want you to know about the real difference receiving a grant has made to them.
Monitoring grants allows us to ensure that grant money is used for the purpose
it is given and recipients are not making fraudulent claims.
If monitoring forms are not received within 3-6 months we will request these from the applicant. Any feedback we receive is passed onto the donor, if required, either on paper or on the fund holder login site on our website.
