What is the aim of the ServiceNow Community Improvement Fund?

The aim of the Community Improvement Fund, supported by ServiceNow, is to support existing groups and organisations in Ireland, to either start a new project from a selection of available projects or to expand an existing project, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life for communities and having a positve environmental impact. Applicants choose the project they want to start based on their community’s needs, from a portfolio of ideas on the ChangeX site, or alternatively submit an existing project, once it meets the criteria outlined in the following section. Once the applicant has completed the application process, is approved and allocated funding, they will be asked to complete a 30 Day Challenge on the ChangeX website. Upon completion, ChangeX will provide funding, information guides and support to give the applicant the best chance of success. In addition, once the applicant has demonstrated the impact the new project is having in their community, they will receive a further installment of funding to support the maintenance of the project. All projects should be managed in an inclusive and welcoming manner and any events organised as part of your project should comply with any relevant public health guidance.

Criteria

The following criteria must be met by all applicants:

• The project must address the theme of decarbonisation (NOTE: the portfolio ideas on the ChangeX site align with this theme)

• Projects must take place in Ireland. 

• Applicant must be a school or a registered non-profit organisation eligible to receive grant funding (relevant documentation demonstrating this will need to be provided).

• Projects should involve an opportunity for ServiceNow employees to engage in the activation or implementation of the project on a voluntary basis.

• Applicants (organisation representative making the application) must be at least 18 years old or have the permission of a guardian to apply for funding.

Opening date

The challenge opens for applications on 1 September 2023. Registrations for all projects will close on 6 October 2023.

Applicants will be notified by 27 October 2023 as to whether they have been allocated funding (and can therefore progress with the 30 Day Challenge) or whether they have been unsuccessful.

What can the funding be used for?

Funding can be used to cover direct costs relating to the set-up or maintenance of the new or existing project. For example, funds can be used for space rental, insurance fees, seeds and planting materials, tools, training fees; pretty much any materials you might need for a project that benefits your community.

ChangeX shall not be held liable to reimburse any costs that are incurred by applicants, prior to the release of funds by ChangeX. In exceptional circumstances, applicants may seek written approval from ChangeX to incur costs ahead of the release of funds. Written approval will be granted at the sole discretion of ChangeX. Payments will only be made if ChangeX finds that all relevant requirements are met.

Any potential tax consequences, reporting requirements, and consents from third parties are solely the responsibility and liability of the recipient of the funding.

What can the funding not be used for?

Funds may not be used to promote or engage in criminal acts of violence, terrorism, hate crimes, the destruction of any state, or discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, religion, military and veteran status, disability, sex, age, gender identity or sexual orientation, or support of any entity that engages in these activities.

The fund cannot be used to cover costs of work that has already been carried out and can’t be used for anything that is not related to the setup and maintenance of the new or existing community project. It cannot be used to cover the promotion of religious causes, non-charitable activities, sponsorship or fundraising events. Funds cannot be used entirely for payment to group members for their work on the project.

Reporting Requirements and Funding

In return for any funding you may receive, you are required to share the outcomes of your new project with ChangeX and ServiceNow.

The funding allocated to your new project is divided into two stages. The first payment (70-80% of total funding amount) can be accessed upon successful completion of a 30 Day Challenge on the ChangeX website. Once your application has been approved and you have been allocated funding, the 30 Day Challenge will require that you share a team photo and provide an update on the project after being notified of your successful grant application and before receiving the first payment.

The second payment (20-30% of total funding amount) will be issued to you after you have completed an impact survey demonstrating the outcomes of your project. The impact survey will be accessible to complete on your page on the ChangeX platform from three months after you applied to start the project. You will be sent email reminders about completing this survey and will have up to six months after you originally applied to complete it. You will be asked to answer questions such as the number of beneficiaries impacted by your project, as well as specific questions related to the idea you have started. At this stage, you will also be asked to share photos that show your project is up and running and having an impact. These photos should show your group in action and should ideally be taken at any significant events, for example: planting events, trainings, workshops or planning meetings and should include as many of your organising group and beneficiaries as possible.

It is very important that you keep all receipts and records of how any funding you might receive is spent as ChangeX will collect and review these receipts before releasing the second instalment of funding. If receipts cannot be shown, if the funds are found to have been spent on costs other than those relating to the set-up or maintenance of the new community project, or if the project has not met the requirements of the initial project plan, no further funds will be allocated to this project and ChangeX reserves the right to retrieve the funds that have already been distributed. The applicant will be indefinitely ineligible to apply for any subsequent grants through ChangeX.

Multiple applications

Each organisation is only eligible to receive funding for one project.

Employees & Family

Employees of ServiceNow are not eligible to apply to receive funding. Family and close relatives of ChangeX employees or of ServiceNow are not eligible to apply for funding. If your organisation has a ServiceNow employee on its board (or anyone who plays a strategic role in managing the organisation), please list the ServiceNow employee in your application form. 

How to apply

Once you have ensured that you meet all of the criteria above, you can go to https://www.changex.org/ie/funds/community-improvement-fund-dublin, and choose one of two routes; either select your preferred idea from the portfolio of proven ideas and register to start it; or alternatively, if you are already working on a project in your community that you want to expand, select the option to submit your own project. The amount of funding available for your project depends on which idea you chose to start. Funding amounts available range up to €37,200 for the proven portfolio ideas (the amount of funding available per idea can be found on the webpage of each idea; funding amounts align with the cost of starting each project). For your own, existing community project, you can apply for up to €40,000, depending on need. Once you have completed the application form for either option and your project has been selected for funding, you will be allocated funding and assigned your own page on the ChangeX platform, where you can complete a number of simple steps to access the allocated funding. You will be able to access the funding in 2 payments; the first payment (70-80% of your total funding) is unlocked upon completion of the 30 Day Challenge, and the second (20-30% of your total funding) once your project outcomes have been demonstrated. If you do not complete the 30 Day Challenge within the allocated time period (30 days from registration), your funding will be reallocated to another group and will not be accessible to you any longer.

Once you have completed your Challenge ,ChangeX will review the documentation you have provided to make sure all elements of the Challenge have been completed successfully and then decide whether funding will be allocated. Payment will then be made, and the transfer will take an average of 4 working days to reach the applicant’s bank account.

In order to receive the funding, you must have a bank account. Once you’ve successfully unlocked your funding, you will be asked to enter your bank details on the ChangeX website to facilitate the bank transfer. In some cases, you will be asked to provide a scanned copy of your driver’s license or passport for additional verification purposes in addition to your bank details. ChangeX will not share or store any applicant banking or driver’s license/passport data; this process will all be managed by Stripe. Stripe’s privacy policy can be viewed here: https://stripe.com/privacy.

When the first impact survey has been completed (approximately six months after the original application was made) it will also be reviewed, to ensure the project is active and the second instalment of funding is necessary. Payment will then be made, and the transfer will take an average of 4 working days to reach the applicant’s bank account.

ChangeX, in partnership with ServiceNow, decides which applicants will be accepted, what the funds can be used for, documentation requirements, and whether the relevant criteria for payment have been met, prior to the approval of a project. ChangeX may request further information and documentation as it reasonably deems necessary, and can set further reasonable requirements or criteria during the application process.

Supports Available

In order to give you the best chance of success to get your new project active, ChangeX will provide you with a number of supports, resources and tools. These include a 5-Step Guide relating to the idea you are starting, a general guide to starting projects in your community, email support, a local webpage to manage your team and previous starter stories to provide information and inspiration.

Accessibility

If you require any additional support to complete the application process or access resources please contact [email protected] and we will do everything in our power to help.

Where is this funding coming from?

This fund is supported by ServiceNow. ChangeX is solely responsible for the management of the fund, including the selection of applicants, starter support, fund distribution and impact tracking.

Sharing your project with media or on social

We encourage you to share news about your community project through your local media or on social media in order to find people to join and support your project, or just to share some positive news with your wider community. When talking to media, we kindly ask you to mention the source of the funding for your project. For example, you can say: “The project received funding through the ServiceNow Community Improvement Fund, run by ChangeX.” OR “The project has been made possible thanks to funding from ServiceNow and support from ChangeX.” On social media, please use the following hashtags when announcing your project: #ServiceNow #ESG