Test News post

Most funding processes follow a familiar pattern. A small group holds the power, evaluating applications and making decisions while applicants wait at a distance. Even when everyone has good intentions, the structure itself concentrates this power in ways that are hard to shift. Over the past three years, Propel has been deliberately testing alternative ways of assessing applications and making funding decisions, with the aim of redistributing where influence sits within those processes.

Call to action

H3 – Collective decision-making

On paper, the new approach for applying for a long-term grant was straightforward. Organisations submitted a short expression of interest and, if successful, a full application followed. So far, so familiar. What changed was not the application stages themselves, but who shaped the criteria, who assessed applications, and how final decisions were made.

Propel brought together grantees at an away day in 2024, and workshopped what a ‘good long-term systems change grant’ looked like. This feedback from grantees was then translated into the criteria for the Propel long-term grants. In practical terms, this meant that assessment criteria reflected grantees’ own definitions of sustainability, leadership, and systems impact, rather than being imposed.

Three people then assessed each expression of interest:

• A current funder – the idea being that they have been supporting and advocating for the applicant throughout their current grant.
• A long-term funder – a funder who will be investing in Propel’s long-term grants. These assessors are experienced in systems change.
• An equity partner or young assessor – Youth-focused applicants were assessed by a young person from the GLA’s team of Young Assessors, whilst equity partners (a group of partners from infrastructure organisations, involved in Propel from the beginning) bring their lived experience to assessing community involvement.

H4 Subheading numbered list

1. A current funder – the idea being that they have been supporting and advocating for the applicant throughout their current grant.
2. A long-term funder – a funder who will be investing in Propel’s long-term grants. These assessors are experienced in systems change.
3. An equity partner or young assessor – Youth-focused applicants were assessed by a young person from the GLA’s team of Young Assessors, whilst equity partners (a group of partners from infrastructure organisations, involved in Propel from the beginning) bring their lived experience to assessing community involvement.

H3 – Collective decision-making

On paper, the new approach for applying for a long-term grant was straightforward. Organisations submitted a short expression of interest and, if successful, a full application followed. So far, so familiar. What changed was not the application stages themselves, but who shaped the criteria, who assessed applications, and how final decisions were made.

Propel brought together grantees at an away day in 2024, and workshopped what a ‘good long-term systems change grant’ looked like. This feedback from grantees was then translated into the criteria for the Propel long-term grants. In practical terms, this meant that assessment criteria reflected grantees’ own definitions of sustainability, leadership, and systems impact, rather than being imposed.

Three people then assessed each expression of interest:

• A current funder – the idea being that they have been supporting and advocating for the applicant throughout their current grant.
• A long-term funder – a funder who will be investing in Propel’s long-term grants. These assessors are experienced in systems change.
• An equity partner or young assessor – Youth-focused applicants were assessed by a young person from the GLA’s team of Young Assessors, whilst equity partners (a group of partners from infrastructure organisations, involved in Propel from the beginning) bring their lived experience.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis eleifend consectetur mollis. Nullam feugiat velit vel turpis faucibus, a pulvinar erat varius. Vestibulum lorem massa, euismod vitae interdum sed, lacinia nec arcu. Vivamus quam est, luctus eu augue quis, maximus placerat magna. In egestas fermentum magna id pretium. Vivamus et felis fringilla, porttitor nisl at, lacinia elit. Sed in mattis neque, sed condimentum odio. Cras eget urna metus. Nunc ultricies massa nunc, non imperdiet metus tempus a. Proin a justo sodales, placerat ex ac, euismod lorem.

Nulla sit amet malesuada massa. Morbi egestas dolor et purus molestie egestas. Duis sollicitudin lacinia est. Integer nisl augue, rutrum nec vulputate eget, lobortis dignissim massa. Cras imperdiet nisl nec nisl mollis tincidunt. Nam quis blandit felis. Curabitur volutpat tristique dignissim. Pellentesque magna justo, convallis sodales orci ac, tincidunt efficitur elit. Pellentesque eu ullamcorper sapien, et convallis arcu.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse condimentum efficitur purus eget posuere. Curabitur quis imperdiet urna, non tincidunt augue. Duis risus lectus, semper ac volutpat vel, ultrices ac felis. Fusce pulvinar nisl arcu, a tristique dui mollis vitae. Nam eleifend libero quis placerat efficitur. Morbi eros justo, cursus at porttitor eget, condimentum sit amet lacus. Aliquam viverra lectus erat, ut egestas erat aliquet vel. Mauris maximus commodo ullamcorper. Sed sollicitudin, dui quis finibus scelerisque, dui velit aliquam magna, vel faucibus purus est eu velit.

Mauris et orci non risus aliquam porttitor. Fusce congue pretium aliquam. Nullam accumsan, diam sed ornare elementum, ipsum diam consectetur massa, sit amet lacinia ligula sapien eu risus. Aliquam eu rutrum nisi. Fusce ante diam, faucibus quis posuere vel, vehicula maximus tellus. Curabitur in bibendum orci, eget feugiat est. Morbi ullamcorper sem nec leo dapibus dignissim. Praesent eget elementum arcu. Nullam facilisis fermentum mi vel placerat. Sed fringilla fringilla metus sed ultrices. Sed augue lectus, facilisis id interdum ac, facilisis nec diam. Curabitur vel tincidunt odio.

Cras at odio convallis, blandit orci convallis, molestie sem. Mauris non dapibus massa. Vestibulum aliquam viverra rutrum. Sed suscipit sapien at nisi fringilla imperdiet. Mauris eu mauris et nulla sollicitudin sodales. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Aenean fringilla, leo ac tincidunt mollis, dui orci tempor purus, sed tincidunt lorem eros fermentum quam. Nullam ut ipsum maximus, porta elit et, eleifend tortor. Morbi enim lorem, rhoncus vel scelerisque eget, bibendum in orci. Mauris laoreet risus quis sapien lacinia iaculis.

Nullam nec leo dignissim, fermentum libero id, imperdiet ligula. Praesent ultricies placerat orci, ac luctus velit varius ut. Etiam facilisis massa eget massa malesuada bibendum. Vestibulum ac lectus in nunc varius feugiat non a odio. Duis vel facilisis metus. Nulla facilisi. Proin arcu odio, laoreet at hendrerit sed, blandit eget ipsum.

Nunc pulvinar scelerisque sapien nec scelerisque. Duis vel tellus vehicula arcu consectetur elementum at vel mi. Cras id bibendum neque, in posuere metus. Nullam magna ligula, luctus nec velit eget, dignissim pharetra justo. Sed dictum scelerisque nulla nec tristique. Curabitur tincidunt, sem nec vehicula suscipit, nunc est suscipit purus, scelerisque interdum purus ligula non nisl. Etiam eu neque tincidunt, pellentesque nisi nec, vestibulum sem. Pellentesque tincidunt ipsum eu tortor elementum tincidunt. Ut commodo bibendum metus, ac maximus magna bibendum id. Morbi rutrum nisi eu orci tempor, vel malesuada risus feugiat. Nullam ut dictum tellus. Maecenas maximus dolor turpis, vitae tincidunt est aliquet nec. Nam consectetur odio sed nibh lobortis, in sodales nulla egestas. Cras et laoreet mauris. In pretium elementum justo. In tristique tortor placerat mi iaculis, vitae egestas lorem dapibus.

A caption for the image

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse condimentum efficitur purus eget posuere. Curabitur quis imperdiet urna, non tincidunt augue. Duis risus lectus, semper ac volutpat vel, ultrices ac felis. Fusce pulvinar nisl arcu, a tristique dui mollis vitae. Nam eleifend libero quis placerat efficitur. Morbi eros justo, cursus at porttitor eget, condimentum sit amet lacus. Aliquam viverra lectus erat, ut egestas erat aliquet vel. Mauris maximus commodo ullamcorper. Sed sollicitudin, dui quis finibus scelerisque, dui velit aliquam magna, vel faucibus purus est eu velit.

Mauris et orci non risus aliquam porttitor. Fusce congue pretium aliquam. Nullam accumsan, diam sed ornare elementum, ipsum diam consectetur massa, sit amet lacinia ligula sapien eu risus. Aliquam eu rutrum nisi. Fusce ante diam, faucibus quis posuere vel, vehicula maximus tellus. Curabitur in bibendum orci, eget feugiat est. Morbi ullamcorper sem nec leo dapibus dignissim. Praesent eget elementum arcu. Nullam facilisis fermentum mi vel placerat. Sed fringilla fringilla metus sed ultrices. Sed augue lectus, facilisis id interdum ac, facilisis nec diam. Curabitur vel tincidunt odio.

Cras at odio convallis, blandit orci convallis, molestie sem. Mauris non dapibus massa. Vestibulum aliquam viverra rutrum. Sed suscipit sapien at nisi fringilla imperdiet. Mauris eu mauris et nulla sollicitudin sodales. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Aenean fringilla, leo ac tincidunt mollis, dui orci tempor purus, sed tincidunt lorem eros fermentum quam. Nullam ut ipsum maximus, porta elit et, eleifend tortor. Morbi enim lorem, rhoncus vel scelerisque eget, bibendum in orci. Mauris laoreet risus quis sapien lacinia iaculis.

Nullam nec leo dignissim, fermentum libero id, imperdiet ligula. Praesent ultricies placerat orci, ac luctus velit varius ut. Etiam facilisis massa eget massa malesuada bibendum. Vestibulum ac lectus in nunc varius feugiat non a odio. Duis vel facilisis metus. Nulla facilisi. Proin arcu odio, laoreet at hendrerit sed, blandit eget ipsum.

Nunc pulvinar scelerisque sapien nec scelerisque. Duis vel tellus vehicula arcu consectetur elementum at vel mi. Cras id bibendum neque, in posuere metus. Nullam magna ligula, luctus nec velit eget, dignissim pharetra justo. Sed dictum scelerisque nulla nec tristique. Curabitur tincidunt, sem nec vehicula suscipit, nunc est suscipit purus, scelerisque interdum purus ligula non nisl. Etiam eu neque tincidunt, pellentesque nisi nec, vestibulum sem. Pellentesque tincidunt ipsum eu tortor elementum tincidunt. Ut commodo bibendum metus, ac maximus magna bibendum id. Morbi rutrum nisi eu orci tempor, vel malesuada risus feugiat. Nullam ut dictum tellus. Maecenas maximus dolor turpis, vitae tincidunt est aliquet nec. Nam consectetur odio sed nibh lobortis, in sodales nulla egestas. Cras et laoreet mauris. In pretium elementum justo. In tristique tortor placerat mi iaculis, vitae egestas lorem dapibus.