GrantCraft Grant fit review Grant Fit Review · USD 39
Three funds assessed. Do not apply to the largest one.
Requirements mapped against what you can actually evidence today, before any writing starts.
You asked which of three funds to apply to. The honest answer is two of them, and the one you were most excited about is the one to skip. The reason is not the quality of your work. It is that the Hartley Trust requires two years of audited accounts and you have one.
Ashcombe is the strongest fit and is open now. Rivermead is a good fit and opens in January, which gives you time to fix the evaluation gap. Hartley requires audited accounts for two consecutive years; you have one, and no amount of good writing changes that. Applying anyway costs you roughly three weeks and a relationship you will want in 2028.
Fit
The three funds against your position
| Ashcombe | Rivermead | Hartley Trust | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our work is in scope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Our area is in scope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Income within their band | Yes, under 500k | Yes | Yes |
| Two years audited accounts | Not required | Not required | Required. You have one |
| Evaluation evidence required | Light | Substantial | Substantial |
| Safeguarding policy current | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Match funding needed | No | 25 percent | 50 percent |
| Deadline | 14 November | 30 January | Closed until 2028 |
| Typical award | USD 15k to 25k | USD 20k to 40k | USD 60k to 150k |
Evidence
What you can prove today
| Evidence | Held? | Used by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution and registration | Yes | All three | Current |
| Latest annual accounts | Yes, one year audited | All three | Second audit completes March 2028 |
| Safeguarding policy | Yes, reviewed Feb 2026 | Ashcombe, Rivermead | Within 12 months, good |
| Trustee list and declarations | Yes | All three | One declaration unsigned, see clause 4 |
| Participant numbers, 3 years | Yes | All three | 1,240 across 38 sessions |
| Participant outcomes | Partial | Rivermead | Attendance yes, change over time no |
| Partner letters of support | One of three | Rivermead | Two more to request |
| Equalities monitoring data | Yes, 2 years | Rivermead | Stronger than most applicants at this size |
| Budget with full cost recovery | No | Rivermead | See clause 4 |
Requirements
Ashcombe, mapped question by question
Ashcombe is the near term application. Eleven questions, 3,400 words total, deadline 14 November.
| Q | Asks for | Words | Can we evidence it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | What the project is | 300 | Yes |
| Q2 | Who benefits and how many | 300 | Yes, 3 years of numbers |
| Q3 | Why this is needed here | 400 | Partly, needs local data |
| Q4 | What you will do, with a timetable | 400 | Yes |
| Q5 | How you will know it worked | 300 | Weak. See clause 4 |
| Q6 | Who is involved and their experience | 300 | Yes |
| Q7 | Budget and value for money | 300 | Yes |
| Q8 | What happens after the funding | 400 | Weak. No plan exists yet |
| Q9 | Partnerships | 200 | Yes, one strong |
| Q10 | Risks and how you manage them | 300 | Yes |
| Q11 | Anything else | 200 | Use for equalities data |
Q8 is the weakest answer and carries real weight with this funder. It is not a writing problem. Somebody at Fern Hollow has to decide what happens to the project in year two, and nobody has.
Gaps
What has to be true before you write
- This week
Get the outstanding trustee declaration signed
One trustee, one signature. It is a validity check on all three funds and it is sitting in a drawer.
- This week
Decide the year two answer for Q8
A board decision, not a drafting task. What happens when the funding ends?
- By 20 October
Pull three years of local need data
For Q3. Census and local authority sources, both free. Roughly half a day.
- By 25 October
Decide how you will measure outcomes
For Q5 now and Rivermead in January. Attendance is not an outcome. A simple before and after question at two sessions is enough.
- By 1 November
Request two more partner letters
For Rivermead. Partners take three weeks to write these, always.
- Before January
Build a budget with full cost recovery
Rivermead requires overheads to be shown. Your current budget shows direct costs only, which understates the ask by around 18 percent.
Not us
What you must decide, not us
- Whether you meet each fund's eligibility criteria. We have mapped them; the declaration on the form is yours and it is a statement of fact by your trustees
- Whether the project described is the project you want to run
- Every number in the budget, and whether the costs are right
- Whether anything in the application affects your charitable objects or your reporting
- Whether to tell Ashcombe you also have an application going to Rivermead. Most funders ask, and the honest answer is always the right one