Evaluation is a way for organisations to assess the difference their work has made, learn valuable lessons and increase impact. We use your evaluation reports to understand how your project is going, whether you need any additional support, to learn ourselves and to share learning with others.
Note: This guidance is for grants awarded after June 2024. Grants awarded before this date should follow our old reporting process, which you can learn about here (note: clicking this link will download a .docx file).
Organisations that reflect and learn from their work do better, and we want to support you to be able to do that. We also really value and use the reports you send us. They help us understand how our funds are being used, and identify learning for ourselves or others doing similar work.
We’ve developed a very simple format and template for planning your monitoring and evaluation. You’ll use this template to send in reports. You’ll find all the details on the process for reporting on your grant on this page, and all the relevant documents to download at the end (skip to the documents).
Step 1: Meeting your grant manager
After you’ve been awarded funding you’ll meet with your grant manager. They’ll talk to you about your work, as well as any support you might want or need around planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning.
They’ll also talk to you about our very simple evaluation plan, called the framework for change, and what you might like to include. Your framework for change will include 3-5 changes, depending on what kind of work you’re doing and how long for. These changes will set out the impact you want to see from your work.
Step 2: Making a plan – your “Framework for Change”
After meeting your grant manager and within the first six months of your grant starting, you’ll need to identify:
- the core changes the funding is working towards
- where you are now
- what you expect to notice as you move towards each of the changes you want to see
Together we’re calling this your ‘framework for change’. You can read a guide and find a template here.
You don’t need to wait six months to send the framework. Three months before its due, we'll send you a link to the online form. If you'd like the link sooner, just let your grant manger know.
The release of your next grant payment is dependent on you submitting this plan so if this is likely to cause you a problem, please contact your grants manager.
Step 3: Reporting
You’ll be asked to make reports that are based on your framework for change. Everyone will need to a make a report at the end of their funding. If your grant is for two years or longer, you’ll also be asked to make an interim report. Your grant manager will let you know which year that will be due, as it depends on how long the grant is for.
You can download a copy of the questions here. When your report is due we’ll email you a link which will take you to the form to fill in.
After you complete your interim report, you’ll also be asked to confirm the last four digits of your organisations bank account, and the names of the signatories at the same time. This means we can release your next payment without asking you for more information.
Help and Support
We want you to be able to make the most of your grant and for monitoring and evaluation to support you. If you want to talk through your framework, or want additional training, support or guidance around the process talk to your grant manager who will be able to help.
Key documents
12 November 2024