FAQs for grant holders - 2016-2020 strategy

Payment Release and Reporting

I’m not sure when my next payment is due. Can you let me know?

We will e-mail the project contact person we hold on our records around 2 months before the date your next payment is due, to remind you of this and the paperwork/information we need for its release. Please tell us about any changes to contact details as they occur so that we can ensure we send reminder e-mails to the right person.

I can’t find my Outcomes & Activities form from last year. Could you send me a copy?

We have changed our reporting requirements following the launch of our new Strategy in September 2020. This means that you no longer need to report to us on your Outcomes & Activities.

If you do want to refer to these for your own monitoring and evaluation purposes, you can find them either in your Condition of Award (attached to your award email – these relate to your first year of funding), or in your most recent End of Year Report, for subsequent years.

Why have you changed your reporting requirements and what does this mean for me?

In September 2020, we launched our new strategy, which focuses on helping to improve the lives of people and communities with experience of poverty, trauma or both. It may be that your work now has a different focus than ours and, whilst we are still interested in your organisation and its activities, we don’t want to ask you to provide additional information that we won’t use. We are therefore no longer asking grant holders who were funded under our 2016-20 strategy to complete our online End of Year/Grant Report, or to report to us on their outcomes and activities. Instead, we are asking for a simple, brief update, details of which you can find in our Reporting guidance. We know that your time is valuable and trust that you will put our funds to good use for the benefit of the people you support. If you do feel that your work, or elements of it, align with our new strategy, you can send us a more detailed end of year summary if you wish to, however, please note that this is optional.

My next payment is due soon but I won’t be able to send my paperwork in time. Is this OK?

We will not be able to release your next payment until we have received and accepted your end of year paperwork or completed your end of year phone call (if applicable). If you think there will be a long delay before you can provide the information we’ve asked for, i.e. more than a few weeks, please tell us in advance and explain the reason(s) for this. Please note that overdue paperwork may affect the release of future payments.

My organisation has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you be flexible in how we use our award or how we report to you?

The Robertson Trust recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented an extraordinary challenge to many of our funded organisations and we want to support you during this difficult time. If your organisation continues to be affected by the pandemic, please be assured that:

• We won’t ask you to return any unspent funds to us, for example, if your project or services can’t be delivered or have to be postponed. We would be grateful if you would let us know of any changes or underspend as part of your update.
• If you are in receipt of a restricted revenue award from the Trust which you now need to use in a different way as a result of the pandemic, we may be able to consider a change in how you use this. Please contact us at funding@therobertsontrust.org.uk or call us on 0141 353 4321 to discuss.
• If you have a pledged revenue or capital award from the Trust which has not yet been released, we are happy to extend our pledge beyond our standard 12-month period, if your project is delayed.

We have also changed our reporting requirements, meaning that you no longer need to complete our online End of Year/End of Grant report. Instead, we would ask you to send an email to funding@therobertsontrust.org.uk providing:

• A brief update which states whether:

1. You were able to deliver the planned project/services;
2. You have spent our funds;
3. There have been any significant changes during the funding period of which you need to make us aware.

You only need to provide a short response to each question.

• Your organisation’s most recent signed, independently examined/audited accounts. You only need to send us these if you have further grant payments due. There is no need to send your accounts when your grant comes to an end.

Applying again

I already have a grant from The Robertson Trust. Can I apply for more funding?

You can only hold one revenue grant from us at a time. You can reapply for further revenue funding once your existing grant ends and you’ve sent us your end of grant report or update (if applicable).

It is possible to hold a revenue grant and a capital grant from us at the same time. If you have a revenue grant already and need capital funding for a vehicle or community building, or, if you have a capital grant and need revenue funding, please use our Funding Checker to see which of our funds you might be able to access.

My grant from The Robertson Trust has recently come to an end. When can I reapply?

You can reapply for funding once your existing grant ends and you’ve sent us your end of grant report or update (if applicable).

I recently applied to The Robertson Trust but was unsuccessful. Can I reapply?

In your decision email, we asked that you consider the reason(s) why we were unable to support your request and wait 12 months from the date of this email before reapplying.

I received a six-month Funding Extension due to COVID-19. Do I have to wait until this ends before I can reapply?

No, you can reapply at any time, as long as your original grant period has come to an end and you have sent us your end of grant report or update.

Other questions

We’ve had some funding from you and I’d like to publicise/acknowledge the Trust’s support. How do I do this?

We have developed a Communications Toolkit which provides useful tips and practical advice for raising the profile of your organisation and also includes details of how to refer to the Trust in your communications. See the page Talking about your funding.

Another funder/auditor has asked for written confirmation of your support. Can you provide this?

Our award e-mail and Condition of Award is confirmation of our funding and should be used for this purpose. If you no longer have your award e-mail, please let us know and we will re-send you a copy.

We have our annual conference/AGM/event coming up and would like to invite someone from the Trust. Who should we contact?

We are unfortunately not often able to attend annual conferences or AGMs. You can send invitations for events relevant to the work we have funded, or are funding, either directly to your Funding Officer or to funding@therobertsontrust.org.uk however please bear in mind that we may not be able to attend.