Grant Application Guide

Whether you are applying for a grant for the first time or have applied before, the information in this guide is designed to help you complete the Sovereign Order of St John (SOSJ) grant application as easily as possible.

Each section of the application form has a corresponding explanation in this guide.

We encourage you to refer to this guide prior to completing your application. Each section of the application form has a corresponding explanation in this guide.

The online grant application can be accessed here. We strongly recommend that you complete and submit your application well before the deadline to allow time for any questions you may have and to avoid on-line system delays that can result from a large volume of applications being submitted at the same time.

Be sure to review your entire application before submitting  to ensure all sections of the form have been completed and the budget is entered correctly.

Application Deadlines

Grant applications can be submitted on a quarterly basis on or before March 1, June 1, September 1, or December 1.

For the SOSJ annual hospice palliative care (HPC) Small Grant Program  applications must be submitted by March 1, 4pm PST.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be a registered non-profit society in British Columbia.

Questions and Suggestions

If you have questions, need additional assistance, or have suggestions for improving this guide, please contact us at almoner@sosjvancouver.org.

Grant Request

Indicate the amount of funding you are requesting from SOSJ. Make sure this amount matches the request amount in the budget information section later in the application.

The annual HPC Small Grant Program awards range from $1,000 and $7,500.

Application Deadline

Grant applications can be submitted on or before March 1, June 1, September 1, or December 1.

The annual HPC Small Grant Program applications must be submitted by March 1, 4 pm PST.

Region

Select the region in BC your application will take place in.

Your Contact Information

Provide the contact information of the primary and alternate project lead.

Priority will be given to your application if it meets the following criteria.

Non-profit Society

Provide information regarding your non-profit status, date of registration, and registration number.

Incorporation

Indicate whether your organization is incorporated and if so, indicate the date of incorporation and incorporation number.

Project Goals

Describe how your project will support HPC and enhance a Compassionate Communities framework in your neighbourhood. Consideration will also be given to projects that promote leadership and innovation in HPC in BC.

Fund Administration

Indicate your willingness to distribute funds according to the approved project plan and accept responsibility that all obligations and conditions relating to the grant are met.

Commitment

Demonstrate commitment to the project by contributing human and financial resources. Additionally, support from other funding sources will positively influence project applications.

Project Bias

Requests that could be construed as having political, commercial or inappropriate ethnic or racial bias will not be considered.

Every detail of your project is important to your application.

Project Title

Provide the name of your project. Keep in mind that if your project receives funding, this name will be used in all SOSJ communications and announcements.

Project Dates

Indicate the dates that your project will begin and end. Ideally, projects must start at least two months after the grant application deadline. E.g., If you are applying to the March 1 deadline, your project ideally would start after June 1. If your project is ongoing, you still have to enter an end date, as SOSJ grants are for a maximum of 12 months.

Location(s) of Project Activities

Indicate where your project activities will take place. E.g., in the homes of your clients, or in a hospice facility.

Executive Summary

Write a clear and concise summary of your project. The maximum amount of words allowed in this section is 500, so be brief. Ask yourself, if a person only reads this description, would they be able to understand the intent and scope of the project? You may also include a short description of your organization, but keep in mind the word count.

Project Objectives

Write a brief description about why you are proposing this project, and how you identified the needs. Also, state how the project will address that need.

Project Participants

Describe who will participate in and/or benefit from the project. E.g., community volunteers, clients facing a serious illness or end-of-life, and the impact to their families.

Audience Age

Select the age category(ies) of program participants—do not include others such as family or community members who are not directly taking part in the project.

Target Audience

Select each demographic that describes your participants.

Project Key Partners/Stakeholders

Indicate key partners or stakeholders that will directly support the project.

Project Categories/Themes

Select all the categories your project will impact.  Keep in mind that selecting many or all will not improve the chances of your application being approved and that accurately describing your project is important for the review process.

Activities and Timeline

This section is to show us how, and in what time frame, you plan to meet your objectives. Indicate the key or primary types of activities only. E.g., health promotion, research, program development, program delivery, recruitment and training of volunteers, etc. Keep your descriptions brief. You may include activities that are ongoing, but you will still have to select the month(s) you expect the activities to occur.

How you measure and track the impact of your project is critical to its success.

Number of People

Provide a realistic estimate of the number of people that will participate and/or benefit from the project. While many people may indirectly benefit, count only those that will directly participate or benefit from the project (e.g., number of clients). Count people only once—if a project is held weekly and there are the same 12 participants each week, 12 would be the number provided.

Outcomes

Based on the category/theme you selected earlier, a number of possible ‘Results Statements’ will appear. Select each statement that describes a result your project plans on achieving. Keep in mind that you will have to report on how you achieved each statement you select in your Final Report.

Metrics

Provide details about how you will gather, analyze, and report on information about what will be achieved by this project. This may include surveys, tracking participants, interviews, etc.

Recognition of SOSJ’s contribution is a selection criteria.

As part of the vetting process for grant applications, one of the selection criteria is recognition of SOSJ’s contribution to the project. E.g., news release and donor plaque/signage.

In-kind support indicates that there is community support for your project, so this is an important part of your application.

When entering budget amounts in this section use round numbers only (no cents/decimals). Review your budget entries carefully to be sure you have included all project related revenue and expenses, and the numbers are entered correctly.

Revenue Sources

Complete a line for each source of revenue for your project. Make sure you include your SOSJ request in this section, and that the dollar amount indicated here matches the grant amount request entered earlier.

Expenses

Provide all estimated expenses for the project. Indicate the expenses that SOSJ is being requested to support, and the amount of the request.

In-kind and Other Contributions

Indicate if you expect any in-kind good and service contributions, and if so, the source, a description of the contribution, and the dollar value.

Volunteers

Indicate if you plan to have volunteers contribute to the project. If so, will they be planning and/or delivering the project? Additionally, indicate how many volunteer hours you will need and describe the work volunteers will carry out.

Financial Statements

Attach last year’s financial statements and send them in with your application. If your previous year’s financial statement is not available, please submit the year prior.

You must confirm your understanding and agree with the declaration before submitting your application.

Declaration

To complete your application, read the applicant declaration carefully and check all that are applicable, print your name and position/title, sign your name, and identify the date.

Submitting Your Application

When you have finished your application, read it over carefully to make sure you have not missed anything. Ensure that you attach last year’s financial statements. If you have any questions, please email them to almoner@sosjvancouver.org.