Assessing the 58 expressions of interest (EOI) received in response to our 2016 grant application round proved to be a challenging task, but also one filled with inspiration. The breadth of topics and thought behind the various projects supporting women and girls, both here and overseas, was very impressive.
Having already received a selection of EOIs to review ahead of the assessment workshop, members of the grants subcommittee came together for an afternoon to work in pairs and then as a group to compare results and reach an overall score. The organisations shortlisted at EOI stage will now be invited to submit full, detailed grant applications in Stage 2 of our grant process.
The grants subcommittee will reconvene at the end of October to review the full applications and make a recommendation to the Advisory Board as to which organisations will be presented to 100 Women members for voting. All members will be invited to vote for their preferred projects to collectively decide on the final grant recipients.
The 2016 finalists will be announced at the end of November and more details will be available shortly. Online voting for members will open in early December.
Although assessment of the grant applications is already underway, it’s still not too late to donate – the larger our funding pool the more organisations we will be able to assist. This is your opportunity to become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of many women and girls. Find out more by visiting our membership page.
Being tasked with deciding which causes to support is far from easy. Assessing the EOIs raised many questions regarding the sustainability and impact of the projects to ensure our members’ donations achieve maximum benefit for the women and girls involved. Certainly the vast range of experience and backgrounds of those on the grants subcommittee helped considerably in ensuring the decision making process was in safe hands.
Helen Axton
Grants Subcommittee
