CHALLENGE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
What is the aim of the AWS InCommunities Fingal Fund?
The aim of the AWS InCommunities Fingal Fund, sponsored by AWS, is to support existing groups and individuals (once they form a team) based in Fingal, County Dublin, 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. 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 their own project, once it meets the criteria outlined in the following section. Once the applicant has demonstrated their commitment and ability to start or expand the chosen community project by successfully completing a 30 Day Challenge on the ChangeX website, 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 instalment 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:
Opening date
The challenge opens for applications on September 23rd 2022. Registrations for projects will close on November 18th 2022. Applicants will be notified by December 10th 2022 as to whether they have been allocated funding and can progress with the 30 Day Challenge or whether they have been unsuccessful.
What can the funding be used for?
The AWS InCommunities Fingal Fund 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.
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 set up 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 as 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 AWS.
The funding allocated to your new project is divided into two stages. The first payment (70% of total funding amount) can be accessed upon successful completion of a 30 Day Challenge on the ChangeX website. For individuals or organizations who choose to replicate one of the available projects on ChangeX, during the 30 Day Challenge, several steps that demonstrate the commitment and ability of you or your community group to start or expand the project are taken. These include scheduling a support call with a ChangeX team member; setting up a team meeting; sharing a photo of your team meeting and providing a narrative on what you will spend the funding on, your next steps as a group, and how you hope the project will ultimately benefit your community. For individuals or organizations who are selected to receive funding to expand an existing project, the 30 Day Challenge only requires that you share a team photo and provide an update on their project after being notified of their successful grant application and before receiving the first payment.
The second payment (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 organizing 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 installment of funding. If receipts cannot be shown, or the funds are found to have been spent on costs other than those relating to the set-up or maintenance of the new or existing community project, 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 individual is only eligible to submit one replication application and one open grant application to receive funding. Existing community groups can apply for and receive funding to start up to three different portfolio ideas, once each application and the resulting project is submitted and led by a different member of the organisation's team. Projects taking place at the same location must be different and complementary.
Family
Family and close contacts of ChangeX employees or of AWS are not eligible to apply for funding.
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/awsincommunities-fingal-fund, 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 have your own project in your community that you need funding for, 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 generally range from €500 to €5,000 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, there are three available price points, of €1,000, €5,000 and €10,000, or the ability to enter your project's specific budget, depending on need. Once you have completed the application form for either option 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% of your total funding) is unlocked upon completion of the 30 Day Challenge, and the second (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.
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.
Once you have completed your Challenge and entered your bank information ChangeX will review your application to make sure all elements of the Challenge have been completed successfully. ChangeX will reach out for any additional steps or information required and once all requirements have been satisifed, payment will then be made, and the transfer will take an average of 4 working days to reach the applicant’s bank account.
When the final impact survey has been completed (between three and 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.
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, a Zoom call with a member of the ChangeX team (which is a mandatory step in completing the 30 Day Challenge), 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 sponsored by AWS. 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 AWS InCommunities Fingal Fund, run by ChangeX.” OR “The project has been made possible thanks to funding from AWS and support from ChangeX.” On social media, please use the following hashtag when announcing your project: #AWSInCommunities
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the eligibility criteria for the fund?
The following criteria must be met by all applicants:
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
The AWS InCommunities Fingal Fund is open to existing groups and individuals (once they form a team) to start new projects, or expand an existing project, in their community.
Examples of eligible groups include schools, universities, colleges, daycares, churches or other faith-based organisations, hospitals and hospital rehabilitation centers, mental health facilities, community gardens, neighbourhood groups, senior citizen centers, and community centers.
Private businesses or for profit organizations are eligible to apply (for amounts less than €6,000) as long as the funding will be used for a charitable purpose.
What can funds 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 as payment to group members for their work on the project.
Could a grant be used for a set of ongoing events/projects?
Yes, a series of events or multiple projects can be submitted under the same open grant application. However, the open grants are a one-time funding opportunity therefore all costs for ongoing events or projects should be considered in the funding amount applied for.
Are the grants renewable?
This fund is a pilot in Fingal. We hope to continue the fund annually if there is enough interest and need.
Can a minor apply for a grant?
Applicants should be at least 18 years old to apply but teams can include minors to carry out the project.
Can funds be used for capital projects like building improvements?
Yes, as long as they fit under one of the eligible themes.
Who will be reviewing applications and allocating funding?
ChangeX is solely responsible for the management of the fund, including the selection of applicants, starter support, fund distribution and impact tracking.
What criteria will be used to evaluate applications?
ChangeX uses three main criteria in an equally weighted scoring system to evaluate all applications - 1) Overall strength of application, 2) How well it speaks to one or more of the themes & 3) The potential social and/or environmental impact of the project.
How long will it take for project applications to be approved?
Applications are due on November 18th, 2022 and decisions will be sent out by December 16th, 2022. Extensions to the deadline may be given at the discretion of ChangeX, which might in turn affect the decision date. Any changes will be communicated with applicants.
Can I turn in my draft for ChangeX to review?
We want to ensure that the application process is fair and therefore can’t offer to review your draft application prior to the application deadline. We would encourage you to seek out mentors or organizations in the community who would be able to help review and provide feedback on your application prior to the deadline.
Terms and Conditions
1. By submitting an application, you are deemed to have read and accepted the fund guidelines and these terms and conditions. ChangeX.org reserves the right to disqualify any entries which do not comply with the Fund Guidelines and Terms and Conditions.
2. In the event that circumstances beyond the reasonable control of ChangeX effect, or could effect, the proper operation of this fund, ChangeX reserves the right to cancel or amend the fund or these terms and conditions at any time but will make every effort to avoid causing undue disappointment to applicants where such action is deemed necessary.
3. If you are a successful fund awardee, you agree that ChangeX and AWS may use your name, image and location for any reasonable and related promotional purposes. You further agree to participate in any reasonable publicity required by ChangeX or AWS.
4. Your fund application and any accompanying material submitted to ChangeX (such as motivation statements, group or impact photos, action plans) will become the property of ChangeX on receipt, and many be used by AWS for any reasonable and related promotional purposes.
5. Parental/guardian consent must be secured before any images of children can be uploaded to ChangeX, and any images uploaded to ChangeX will be presumed by ChangeX to have parental/guardian consent. Individual children should not be identified by name on the ChangeX site.
6. By applying to this fund, you:
1. Agree that any personal information provided by you with the fund application may be held and used only by ChangeX and AWS to administer the fund and for any other purposes to which you have expressly consented;
2. You understand that you may withdraw such consent at any time by contacting ChangeX at [email protected]
3. By applying to the fund, you are deemed to have read, understood and accepted the ChangeX privacy policy, a copy of which can be found at https://www.changex.org/ie/sites/privacy.
7. Insofar as is permitted by law, ChangeX will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate applicants or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking part in the fund except where it is caused by the negligence of ChangeX or its employees.
8. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall operate to limit or exclude its liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence or for fraud (including, but not limited to, fraudulent misrepresentation) or for that which cannot lawfully be excluded.
9. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall impact the awardee’s statutory rights.
10. If any provision of these terms and conditions is held by a competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of these terms and conditions will not be affected and will remain valid.
11. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall confer any rights on any third person owing to the rule of privity of contract.
12. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ireland. Any dispute arising under these terms and conditions (whether such disputes or issues are contractual or non-contractual in nature, such as claims in tort, for breach of statute or regulation or otherwise) shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of Ireland.
