Here you can find the updated version of the Community Guidelines (August 2024):

Table of contents
Introduction
Dictionary
Preamble
Values
Mission
Vision
History
1. Membership
1.1. General
1.2. Relationship between members and their organisations
1.3. Expectations
1.4. Other limiting factors
1.5. New members: process and onboarding
1.6. All members: losing membership:
2. FA Community
2.1. General
2.2. Onboarding new members
2.3. Regular interactions between members
2.4. Working groups
2.5. Thematic groups
2.6. Transparency and calendars
3. Systemic change
3.1. General
3.2. Elements of systemic change
3.3. Impact on grant-making
3.4. Systemic change support group
4. Grants
4.1. General
4.2. Types of grants
4.3. General requirements for applications
4.4. Commenting guidelines
4.5. Voting guidelines
5. Assembly
5.1. General
5.2. Participation
5.3. Program and logistics of the Annual Assembly
5.4. Transparency and feedback
6. Facilitation Group, Board, Community Council and Admin support
6.1. Facilitation Group
6.2. Board
6.3. Community Council
6.4. Administrative support person
6.5. Other consultants
7. Communication
7.1. General
7.2. Actors
7.3. Activities
7.4. Form
8. Funds and fundraising
8.1. General
8.2. Fundraising values
8.3. Thematic fundraising
9. Changes to these guidelines

Introduction

These guidelines aim to offer information to any member of FundAction, especially those who are new to the fund. They describe internal roles, external activities, procedures and also expectations that members can have about the fund, the community and other members. They aim to be a framework that allows the whole FundAction community to “be on the same page” and to work together. 

The text was written during the first half of 2020 on the basis of existing scattered documents that had been generated since the beginning of the project, back in 2016. But more importantly, it is based on a broad participatory process that took place in the Spring of 2020, where 50 people selected by lottery participated in 10 debates about specific issues, together with more than 10 people who were already working in specific areas. This means that more than one fifth of the whole membership (250 people at the time) actively contributed to fleshing out these guidelines through discussions and consensus. It has been the broadest participatory process FundAction has engaged until that moment and it has contributed not only to producing this text, but also to reflect and learn collectively about how we want to work together. The guidelines were voted online and adopted by the Annual Assembly in 2020. 

In the first part you will find a short dictionary, FundAction’s preamble and the values, mission and vision that guide the whole project. After that, you will find different sections describing the areas of FundAction’s work. 

In section 1 the membership criteria are described. You will find information about who can become a member, what is the relationship with activists’ groups or organisations, what can members expect and what is expected of members ,how new members can join and are on-boarded and how one can lose its membership (spoiler: it’s very difficult). 

In section 2 there’s a description of how FundAction approaches the issue of community building, in very general terms. Of course in practice, this is a much more complex issue, and things cannot be simply regulated. Nevertheless, here you will find guidance regarding the general approach towards community building, the support to new members, the interaction between all members, the working and thematic groups that members can join, and also the role of transparency and calendars. 

Section 3 addresses the issue of systemic change. FundAction understands the definition of systemic change is a work in progress and has designed some mechanisms to keep those conversations open, such as the support group that intervenes in different processes such as grant-making. 

Grant-making processes are described in section 4: from the types of grants, to the general requirements to apply and the guidelines to comment and vote on proposals. It’s a lot of information, but processes are relatively simple, so don’t panic. Clear structures and rules are key to maintaining healthy participatory decision-making, and of course that’s our aim. 

Then the Annual Assembly. What are the aims, who can participate and how it is organised is the kind of information that you will find in section 5. 

In section 6 there’s a description of the Facilitation Group (FG), the Board, Community Council (CC) and the admin support. You will find details about responsibilities, areas of work, roles, compensation and selection process. 

Section 7 addresses the topic of communication: both external and internal. There’s guidance about who is in charge of this area of work, which activities are usually developed and also how we want them to happen. 

Last but not least, in section 8 you will find FundAction’s guidelines with regards to fund management and fundraising. We want to make sure we deal with this area in a way that is in harmony with our values. There’s also some guidance regarding thematic fundraising, which wasn’t part of our initial framework, but is something that we want to keep on exploring. 

As an Annex, you will find the

Protocol for Conflict Prevention and Transformation. In 2023 an internal conflict led to the resignation of the FG and the creation of a Task Force dedicated to support in building a culture of care in FA. In addition to changing some of the governance elements, this protocol was created to establish the basis for more caring working practices and to detail a process to transform conflict through Restorative Justice. 

These guidelines are always available in the Online Assembly. And yes, this is a lot of information. But there’s several benefits to that, in spite of how much time it may require for you to read them:

• It’s great that FundAction has been able to evolve up to this point, and to create such a sophisticated system of grant-making and community building. 
• We always have the possibility of consulting a specific topic if we want to do something in the fund. No need to figure out who knows what. 
• We can be clear about how things work so we can plan how to act accordingly. For many members, the lack of information has been an obstacle to engage meaningfully with the fund in the past. 
• We are able to know what the current state of many issues are just by referring to the updated version of the guidelines.

Finally, it’s important to mention that any changes to these guidelines will be included through a transparent procedure as well (see section 9). Modifications are proposed by the corresponding group (see each section for more detail), are approved according to different criteria and are updated in this document by the Facilitation Group.   

These guidelines were updated in the following dates:

• March 2023 (during the transition to an autonomous legal entity). Main changes are the following: 
• Introduction of the vision and mission in the text
• Update of the grantmaking processes according to the past rounds
• Update of the FG, staff, and Community Council, according to the new statutes, approved by consultation in August 2022, the consultation on the Community Council, approved in October 2022, and the work of the Transition Working Group
• Update of the membership section, according to the membership proposal passed by consultation in January 2023.
• August 2024
• Update of the FG, Board and CC roles, according to the Governance Framework proposed by the Task Force and approved in March 2024
• Inclusion of the admin role, according to the Governance Framework
• Inclusion of the Protocol for Conflict Prevention and Transformation (currently under review & to be voted on in August-September, 2024).

Dictionary

FundAction (FA): name of the participatory fund and community of activists

FA Community: group of people that includes all the members of the fund

Online Assembly: our digital infrastructure (https://assembly.fundaction.eu/) that includes membership profiles, information and decision-making processes. The assembly is based on the Decidim free software. 

Facilitation Group (FG): Group of 3 people, elected among the FA Community, who facilitate the implementation of the overall strategy of the fund and run the operations together with the support of one admin person. 

Board: Group of 5 people, who are legally responsible for the management of the FundAction Stichting and legally represent the fund. 

Community Council (CC): group of 3 to 9 people, elected among the FA Community, who are in charge of the strategic and financial supervision of the Fundaction Stichting and of supporting the prevention and transformation of conflicts within the community from the point of view of care.

Preamble

The world is changing faster today than at any point in history, and it is impossible to tell how it will look in a decade. The same applies to Europe. 

We face a multitude of crises, from climate change, migration, technological upheaval, xenophobia, racism and rising inequality. The temptation to withdraw and focus inward, the attraction to walls rather than to bridges, to radicalisation and polarisation, and to gated societies has never been so high.

At the same time, we have never had such access to information, connection, and possibilities for organising and mobilising people to make real change before. The time has come to recognise that there can be and that there are alternatives.

Everywhere, people organise, resist oppression and build a renewed horizon of justice, solidarity, of cooperation and of genuine care (for one another, for nature, for our common future). These attempts, as fragile and as scattered as they may sometimes be, are our best hope to eventually break this cycle of hatred and violence, and to steadily engage in the transition towards a just and sustainable future for all.

We believe in people power, in movement building, in organising. We are committed to help people and civil society actors in Europe cooperate in order to [resist] all forms of domination, exploitation and oppression; to [rethink] the way we relate to one another; and to [renew] our societies, our future and the path in between.

[Resist]

For this to happen, we know that we need to break existing power structures and dismantle entrenched privilege and to support increased and greater participation and equal opportunity through large and small acts of resistance to debunk the myth that we can’t change these systems.

[Rethink]

We are committed to strengthen efforts to concretely define our collective path and journey towards this just and sustainable future.

We acknowledge that this includes changing ourselves, the way we organise as well as the way we relate and interact with one another, in order to create collective understanding and ownership of both the "where" (we are going) and the "how" (we get there).

[Renew]

From our perspective, this requires a commitment to go after the root causes of the many crises that we face, and the capacity to go beyond an issue-based approach, in order to trigger broad, systemic change.

Nothing about us without us!

We are committed to "power with" (as opposed to “power over”) - to strengthen and nurture the collective power of those who are directly affected by the issues they organise around.

This funders/activists collaborative is one of our attempts to build resilient communities of actors engaged in progressive transformative change - towards a regenerative economy, in a fair Europe, within a world of solidarity and planetary boundaries.

We recognise that too often, philanthropy can be part of the problem much more than of the solution. Philanthropy can't pretend not to be challenged by the demands for real democracy, for active participation and for accountability (to movements, to activists and to citizens rather than only to financial accountants and tax authorities).

Values

We commit to the following values and rationales inspired by the Jimez Principles for Democratic Organising:

Democracy
The fund: It is made and run in a democratic and participatory way by the community so it is driven and affected by its own decisions.

European context: The legitimacy of the prevailing democratic system has been degrading due to corporate capture of the Nation State and a political elite which has failed to defend or promote people’s rights, which leads to a lack of citizen participation and loss of trust. The best solutions to the crises Europe faces will require the participation and engagement of the public: we believe that the only way to tackle patriarchy and forms of domination and exclusion based on cultural background, race, religion, class, gender, sex, sexuality, education, access and ability is through the active participation and decision-making of all.

Inclusivity
The fund: As much as diversity is championed as the beating heart of the fund and its community, an inclusive mindset is key to achieve this.

European context: Diversity in Europe is under multiple attacks. We defend that diversity has been, and still is, an enriching part of our societies. It is our current reality and as such, a common good for building our future. This won’t happen if we remain passive: we’re committed to be proactive and intentional.

Openness
The fund: The community seeks to expand and renew itself and is open to new people and ideas, but without losing its potential to have meaningful relationships. 

Europe: Europe is not a closed entity - bordered by patrol and control. We see Europe as an evolving community.

Mutual trust and respect
The fund: Trust in other people’s ideas and skills and respect for their viewpoints and actions roots the fund in good human relations and builds great collaboration.

Europe: Social change happens when there are spaces for open conversations and active listening. The platform and fund will create the conditions for these conversations to happen with the goal to regenerate solidarity in Europe and allow communities to discover common ground based on trusting relationships.

Peer-to-Peer
The fund: Learning from and with each other through inspiration by peers / participants without hierarchy between who is learning and teaching. Sharing to avoid replication and making use of existing tools and practices.

Europe: Our ambition is to enhance and develop more collaboration and exchange to promote/highlight the commons at a new scale.

Transparency

The fund: The network and actions supported by the fund will be made visible to contribute to a great participatory engagement and public accountability.

Europe: We intend to promote and demand transparency as a first step towards more accountability. We mean our own accountability as well as of those who have and may continue to have power over our lives. We want to transform that power into a collective power, founded on community and common ground.

Autonomy

The fund: Participants will decide about funding autonomously from funders.

Europe: Nothing about us will happen without us!

Systemic Change

The fund: Members of FA are activists promoting systemic change in their daily activities, and the grants will fund activities that also fit this framework. 

Europe: The fund is committed to changing the system by addressing the root causes of problems, and not simply their consequences. We want to connect with each other and to change Europe together. 

Mission

FundAction is an activist-led participatory grantmaking fund. Our mission is to shift decision-making power over funding from funders to affected communities and activists working on the frontlines. FundAction brings together a growing community of grassroots activists working in movements across 29 countries in Europe on a diverse range of issues. They decide together what gets funded. All FundAction members share a commitment to deep transformative change in their daily work and to care practices within the fund.

We work to facilitate movements’ daily work on transformative change by:

• Facilitating access to flexible and low-bureaucracy funding 
• Replacing the standard model of competition over funding with the FundAction model which offers a democratic platform for exchange, collaboration and sharing of resources. 

On the level of funders and people of wealth, we work to facilitate transformative change by sharing our lived experience of participatory grantmaking and by inviting funders to join the journey, shift power and become catalysts of this much needed change in philanthropy.

Vision

FundAction brings together funders and activists around a shared vision for deep transformative change.

We envision for more funders and people of wealth to endorse FundAction’s mission and vision and to play an active role in shifting the power by putting their trust in the people with lived experience and by supporting FundAction.

We envision for FundAction to further develop as a financially stable and thriving participatory grantmaking fund, that facilitates unrestricted and long term funding to movements. As such, movements can focus their energies, expertise and organisation power on the actual work of creating transformative change. They are joined, supported and advised by funders and people of wealth who trust them and who share their values and vision for change.

We envision for the FundAction platform to nourish and facilitate collaborations, exchanges and connections among the growing community of grassroots activists and movements across Europe. We wish to bridge the gap between funders and activists, and to effectively connect needs with resources through this evolving participatory model of fair redistribution of power and wealth. 

As an ultimate goal, FundAction envisions a just and equitable world and a healthy planet, where both philanthropy and social movements become redundant.

With open hearts and with our will tuned together we can embody this vision into life.

History

FundAction was co-designed by activists and founded in 2016 as a result of longer term engagement of movements and activists by a group of members of the EDGE Funders Alliance, namely OSIFE, the European Cultural Foundation, the Guerrilla Foundation and Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind (FPH). The fund was legally sponsored by EDGE Funders Alliance until 2022, when it started transitioning to an autonomous legal entity based in the Netherlands. The new statutes were approved in August 2022 and the German organisation Änderwerk is the fiscal sponsor until the transition period is finalised.

1. Membership 

1.1. General

FA is an experiment in participatory grantmaking for which we are looking for people who are not afraid to take action and who drive positive social change in Europe.

FA is open to accept:

• Emerging and experienced activists
• Professionals and volunteers
• People who are actively involved in progressive social movements
• People at the grassroots level and/or in an organising capacity
• People in a networking, interlinking or resource capacity
• People interested at a personal level (it doesn’t matter where you actually work)

FA aims at keeping a stable and sustainable number of members, between 200 and 300. The idea is to have a community where people can establish meaningful relationships and work together. At the same time, inactive members will be asked to take a step back after some time (see the procedure in section 1.6) and the community will be constantly renewed. 

1.2. Relationship between members and their organisations

FA members act as individuals on the platform, not as representatives of an organisation/movement/platform/collective. But what does it mean?

• If for example you work for an NGO or political party, you can still be a FA member and seek funding for the grassroots group or social movement that you are engaged with as a private individual.
• But it’s not enough to just work for a foundation, NGO or political party. To join FA, you should be actively engaged in its activities at an individual level. 
• There can be more than one member of each organisation in FA (ideally, not more than two per organisation) 

Members participate as individuals, although FA encourages collective learning in order to support organisations to become more democratic and to focus on systemic change. 

1.3. Expectations 

Discussions on community participation have been at the heart of debates in FundAction. The importance and urgency of resolving community participation got particularly re-activated by the outcomes of FundAction’s Five Year Review, which confirmed that inside the FundAction community, a small core group of members is actively participating and many members are inactive. 

There is an understanding that the reasons for becoming and staying a member might vary, and different forms (and levels) of engagement should be promoted and embraced. Moreover, in FundAction, engagement is always encouraged by positive incentives, and not driven by sanctions. 

It is important to define minimum and different levels of engagement in the community so members are clear from the beginning BUT this works in two directions. Community members need positive incentives (as in any community). It needs to be clear to people what they will get out of their commitment.

OVERVIEW OF LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT (including minimum requirements)

Minimum participation expected from FundAction members (in order for FundAction to fulfill its core functions)

1) Members fill in and update their profile on the online platform (this includes subscribing to the values, mission and vision of FundAction). Members will be invited once a year to check their profiles and update as necessary.

We can’t build a community if we don’t know who is there ;)

2) Members take part in a P2P panel when they are invited

- If the membership develops as planned, this means that every member gets invited to a P2P panel every 5 years

- People receive compensation (500eur) and they receive details on the time and commitment expected from them

- We are people, not robots: Compelling reasons as to why a member cannot sit on a P2P panel in a particular period (personal/work reasons) will be accepted and the person will be invited in a next round

- In case a member does not respond at all to a P2P panel invitation, a series of reminders will be sent. If the person does not respond after 6 months, they will be considered as having left the community. (Again, if after that period, that person contacts FundAction with compelling reasons as to why they could not respond, these reasons will be considered)

New members must participate in at least one induction meeting (as decided at the 2021 Annual Assembly)

FundAction core functions (minimum that FundAction must deliver to members)

1) Live its core values: democracy, inclusivity, openness, peer-to-peer working, transparency, trust, respect and autonomy. Our values determine how we run our processes and how we decide and engage with one another in the FundAction community. 

2) Fulfil its mission and vision: 

• facilitate unrestricted, long term funding for FundAction community members
• replace competition over funding with collaboration and exchange between FundAction community members.
• promote participatory grantmaking
• work to grow FundAction so more and more funding can become available.

3) Be a safe space for learning and innovation, in community
Possible levels of engagement/participation by FundAction members (from low to high)

• Apply for grants
• Reach out and network with other FundAction members
• Invite new members when an invitation round opens
• Participate in Annual Assembly and other (online and in-person) meetings to connect and strengthen the community
• Contribute to sustain and develop the FundAction community by taking on specific tasks
• Contribute to sustain and develop the FundAction community by joining a Working Group
• Contribute to sustain and develop the FundAction community by joining the Facilitation Group, Community Council

Possible levels of functions/services from FundAction to community members

• Pay for the work of people who work/take on tasks for FundAction on a regular basis
• Cover attendance costs to Annual Assembly and in-person meetings
• Assign budgets to Working Groups
• Facilitate community exchange by putting basic infrastructure in place: online platform which meets user needs, calendar, online meetings for exchange and sharing

Participation as a funder member:

• Provide unrestricted, long term funding
• Promote FundAction with other funders
• Give advice/input from a funders’ perspective

1.4. Other limiting factors

Please be aware that, currently, members need to have a sufficient level of English in order to be able to participate in discussions, vote on proposals and apply for a grant - but you don’t need to be perfectly fluent.

Members of FA are expected to be working towards systemic change and not simply doing charity. For more information about how this requirement is implemented see section 3. 

Members are able to participate as long as they have filled in their profile on the online platform. Members are invited to update their profile once a year. 

FA is working towards also being able to directly fund non-charitable entities or individuals. For the time being, if you are not a registered non-profit in your country, you can apply if you have a fiscal sponsor (a registered non-profit) who is able to receive and manage the funds on your behalf, or you can contact the FG so we can figure out other options.

FundAction currently gives funds to groups based in Europe, in all countries where members are active.

1.5. New members: process and onboarding

New members are invited by current members of FA through the invitation functionality of the Online Assembly. The FG is in charge of activating this possibility, to communicate invite rounds to the members and of suggesting criteria for the new invitations, with the aim of strengthening diversity in the community. In addition, the FG is in charge of proactively looking for activists that have not been invited because they don’t belong to the current activist networks.  

When joining the platform, new members:

• Receive an email with instructions about how to create an account
• Must complete their Online Assembly profile providing as much detail as possible
• Are given access to these Community Guidelines, so they can get an overview of how the fund works 
• Must attend at least one online induction meeting (see section 2.2)

New members can also be invited if they express their intention to join the fund.

1.6. All members: losing membership:

In order to stay a member of FA, activists are asked to fill in and update their profile and contact information, which includes agreeing to the minimum levels of engagement (see table above): 1) Subscribe to FA’s mission/vision/values, 2) Agree to take part in a P2P panel when invited at reasonable intervals, 3) Agree to take part in an induction session (for new members). 

People who do not commit to these minimum requirements cannot activate their membership profile on the Online Assembly. Members who are no longer committed to these minimum requirements will eventually have their profile deactivated, which means they effectively lose their membership. 

As mentioned above, we are people not robots! In case of participation in a P2P panel: compelling reasons as to why a member cannot sit on a P2P panel in a particular period (personal/work reasons) will be accepted and the person will be invited to a next round In case a member does not respond at all to a P2P panel invitation, a series of reminders will be sent. If the person does not respond after 6 months, they will be considered as having left the community. If after that period the person contacts FA with compelling reasons as to why they could not respond, these reasons will be considered and the member invited back. 

2. FA Community 

2.1. General

The FA Community is the body that includes all the members of the fund. The fund is self-governed by the Community, which means that this body is the basic decision-making organ (see more about decision-making in section 5)

Building a strong community of activists is one of the key aims of FA, and in order to achieve that, the key element is to build meaningful relationships between the members. 

This is important, at least, for the following reasons:

• To support each other’s work on the ground
• To take care of each other
• To have more participatory grant-making processes
• To incentivise new forms of collaboration between members
• To share knowledge 
• To help all the members own and shape FA together
• To build trust between members
• To understand the different needs and aims of members 
• To have people who can support all the tasks related to the fund 
• To distribute power among members

These are the general principles for community building in FA:

• Face-to-face interactions: we prefer these kinds of encounters when possible (even online)
• Care: this is also a community of care. FA is a place where all activists can find support
• Collaboration: we build a community by working together and connecting our projects
• Decentralisation: communities need people who know each other. Smaller groups can make that easier
• Meaningful relationships: when possible we incentivise the creation of sustainable and meaningful bonds between our members
• Systemic change: if we want to achieve systemic change out there, we also need to constantly nurture new ways of working together, taking care of each other and supporting each other’s work
• Democracy: we want to support activists, but also their organisations, so they can become more democratic.

FA is not only a grant-making platform and it dedicates part of its resources to community building activities. 

2.2. Onboarding new members

In order to help new activists feel part of the community, induction online sessions are organised every time new members join. 

The aim of these sessions is to allow new members to: 

• Get to know some members “in person”, so that FA is not simply an online platform to them. 
• Receive information about the different possibilities of engagement (working and thematic groups, debates, FG, grant-making, annual assembly, etc.)
• Ask questions, share ideas
• Receive clear contacting information in relation to the different areas of work 

2.3. Regular interactions between members

Seeing humans behind the Online Assembly is important. In order to keep the community alive, online meetings are encouraged for every activity where this is possible (instead of messages or processes in the online assembly). In terms of format, all the sessions need to be facilitated (participants can decide who facilitates during the same session or ask the FG for support) and they need to be a safe space for everyone. Members are encouraged to take part with both audio and video, if possible. The FG can share the FA zoom account with the groups of members that need it for their meetings. 

Members of the FA community are invited to attend informative online meetings These informative sessions are organised at least once a year, but ideally more often.

In these sessions, the members:

• Receive relevant updates about the fund, activities, the working groups, etc. and are encouraged to engage in them
• Are able to ask questions
• Have a space to express their needs in terms of engagement with the community.

At least once a year the FG invites all members to update their profile and contact information in the Online Assembly. This is important in order for people to be able to meet and contact each other. 

Every FA (new) member gets invited to a Telegram group where they can participate. The person responsible for (internal) communications is in charge of facilitating the communication channel. 

Annual Assemblies are a place to get together, meet each other and also nurture relationships. For more information, see section 5.

2.4. Working groups

The main aim of having working groups is to decentralise FundAction’s activities into smaller collectives and to empower the community. In addition, an important goal is to allow members to meet and connect with each other. 

Creation of a new group:

• By any member or group of members who have the aim of focusing on a specific area of FA’s internal activities 
• The FG receives the proposal of a new group (contact@fundaction.eu) 
• The FG assigns one of its members to give support. The task of this support person is to coordinate the tasks of the working group with the general activities of the community.

The role of each working group is to:

• Support the strategic direction by contributing with ideas
• Organise activities and tasks in each area
• Create recommendations on each specific domain
• Organise activities for the Annual Assembly

The tasks and organising structure of each working group are decided by its members. Each group has a space in the Online Assembly where it is expected to publish all relevant information about its work. 

These are the existing working groups:

• Storytelling/communication
• Grantmaking/Process design
• Fundraising 
• Community building
• Care

This list is regularly updated by the FG. If a working group is not active for more than one year, the FG will do its best to reactivate it in the cases of groups that have specific roles, according to these guidelines (storytelling, process design, fundraising, community building and care). In the other cases, the FG can decide to close the group. 

The groups receive funds for their tasks in order to support coordination, activities, projects, etc. 

Groups are always open for new members to join. They make available contact information through their space in the Online Assembly and they regularly invite FA members to join their activities. 

2.5. Thematic groups

**Currently not implemented**

The aim of the thematic groups is to create spaces for activists with an interest in a specific area or topic to connect, learn from each other and generate new activities and projects. 

Creation of a new group:

• By any member or group of members who have the aim of focusing on a specific topic, connected to their interests or activities in a specific area
• The FG receives the proposals and offers support to their members, if necessary. 

The tasks and organising structure of each thematic group are decided by its members.

The groups receive funds for their tasks in order to support coordination, activities, projects, etc. 

Thematic groups are able to plan in-person meetings with the support of the FG. 

These groups are expected to have a say in thematic fundraising and thematic calls, not to lobby for their topic, but to identify neglected issues, find transversal topics that affect other thematic groups, etc. 

Thematic groups are expected to plan activities for the Annual Assembly.

Groups are always open for new members to join. They make available contact information through their space in the Online Assembly and they regularly invite FA members to join their activities. 

2.6. Transparency and calendars

Transparency and clear communication are also key in order to build a community and to engage members with the activities of FA. The community must have access to all necessary information

On the Online Assembly, members can consult a calendar, which gets regularly updated, of all the activities happening in the FA community, (ie grant rounds, consultations, working groups and the thematic groups, any special events, the annual assembly and the informative/induction sessions). All the groups are encouraged to have a regular schedule for their meetings, ideally for the next six months, so that people can plan ahead when and where to participate.

3. Systemic change

3.1. General

FA is an unusual initiative for some of the funders and activists involved in that it explicitly states that it aims for systemic change. But not everyone in this community understands what systems thinking or systems change activism are, and why they represent a different way of thinking about activism and funding. In addition, there are some disagreements about what should be the specific focus of systemic change. 

The fact that FA is a participatory fund, in addition to a community of activists, is itself a key element in this approach. Nevertheless, systemic change is expected to have an impact on the following areas:

• Who can become a member of the community
• The way the community operates
• The kind of funding that FA can receive
• The projects that can receive funding through participatory processes
• The communication (with an aim of disseminating the approach) 
• The strategic projects of the fund
• The design of grant-making processes

FA understands that defining the concept of systemic change is an ongoing task and a learning process. The main aim is to define what systemic change means for each activist, and not to have a general definition set in stone. 

3.2. Elements of systemic change

Some of the elements of systemic change identified so far are:

• The emphasis on processes, not only on results
• The importance of connections between actions and collectives
• The relevance of systemic thinking
• The connection between processes and the concrete realities of people
• Addressing the causes of injustice and not only fixing things for the system to continue
• Intervening strategically
• The relevance of the cultural and discursive dimension of action
• Care as a practice 
• Shifting and distributing power
• Going from the local to the global dimension of action

3.3. Impact on grant-making

FA understands that a project proposal can receive a grant if it meets the following conditions: 

• Have an analysis of a system of oppression or exploitation that goes beyond simple “us vs. them” narratives
• Have an analysis grounded in the lived experience of those most directly affected
• An approach that addresses root causes / promising leverage points that have the potential to tip/change a system
• Exposes old patterns and/or create new patterns as alternatives to the old system
• Strive for a reframing of our narrative and imagination towards our values, especially those of equity, democracy and sustainability

3.4. Systemic change support group

**Currently not implemented - under review, to be discussed among Care working group**

In order to develop our understanding of systemic change and to open conversations around the topic, a systemic change support group is in charge of organising meetings with members in specific moments.

The members of the group can rotate and they are selected by the systemic change working group and the FG in the way they see fit. 

The support group has the following role:

• Have an online conversation with new members about how they see their work from the point of view of systemic change
• Have an online conversation with all potential applicants to Rethink, Renew and Thematic Grants in order to discuss how their specific project is addressing systemic change

Although the group can block members or proposals if their activities are too far from the systemic change framework, it engages in this task, not as a systemic change police, but with the aim of opening conversations that help FA grow.  

The specific aims of these two kinds of online meeting are:

• To learn collectively
• To develop further FA’s understanding of what Systemic Change means
• To support organisations in their development of their own strategies, within the framework of systemic change
• To look at what activists are actually doing and why

The support group always considers the ultimate strategic goal of fostering systemic change together, as FA. When engaging in these activities, the group takes into account the different realities in which activists work, the different vocabularies they use, the different strategies, etc. The group never decides to block a new member or a proposal merely based on written content only (especially not websites, which might be designed in order to address different kinds of publics). The group pays attention to the strategic impact on systemic change of activities that do not produce systemic change directly, but do so in an indirect way (e.g. by creating new networks, etc.).

4. Grants

4.1. General

FA’s grant-making processes take place mainly in the

Online Assembly, where calls are announced, proposals are presented, applications are processed and results are published. 

In grantmaking FA wants to prioritise groups or work that would struggle to get funding elsewhere. Although there isn’t lots of money for progressive activities in Europe, there is even less money for travel and other costs to support activist groups to meet and work with each other. 

FA is looking for work that creates systemic change in society by addressing the causes of injustice and promoting a better vision of the future. As such, we are not funding ‘traditional’ charity work, e.g. work that aims to (for example) improve health and wellbeing, relieve financial hardship or unemployment, conserve the environment or advance education and training. Bear in mind FA’s focus on ‘activism’. A rough idea is that we want to avoid supporting anything that may get funding from a corporate foundation (like a bank).

Finally, we aim to keep the grantmaking procedures as simple and participatory as possible. 

4.2. Types of grants

There are three types of general grants (Rethink, Renew and Resist), in addition to thematic grants and the General support grants.

Rethink grants are for members of the FA platform to undertake exchange and capacity building activities. The aim is to support the building of a pan-European network and community of activists and the emphasis is on supporting the ecosystem via opportunities for collaboration, rather than for specific projects. Maximum amount per project is 5.000 Euros.

Renew grants aim to fund projects working towards systemic change. Applicants should aim to tackle root causes via relevant leverage points with the aim of tipping a system. They shall oppose old patterns while actively contributing to new ones. The maximum amount per project is 20.000 Euros.

Resist grants are for rapid response urgent action. These shall be focused on grassroots/vulnerable/minority groups who are directly affected by a situation. The grant aims allow them to quickly mobilise and react to recent political developments or unforeseen events. The maximum amount per project is 2000 Euros.

Thematic grants have the aim of supporting a specific topic that is strategic for FA, either because it is a cross-cutting issue or because it is an issue that requires more attention. The amount depends on the available funding. 

Application to grants is open to any FA member, and in the case of Resist grants, applicants can also apply on behalf of non-members. 

Rethink grant

Description 

Rethink aims to support the building of a pan-European network and community offering funds for collaboration, exchange and capacity building through study visits, meetings for collaboration, training, translation, research, mentoring, etc. Rethink grants are an opportunity to build connections and capacity across our network. The emphasis is on supporting the ecosystem via opportunities for collaboration, rather than for specific projects. 

Applicants should involve other activists in the proposal, especially other FA members. 

Steps

Presentation of proposals

• Members apply by submitting a proposal in the online assembly
• Projects can request up to 5.000 Euros 
• Applicants should meet the general requirements (see section 4.3) of proposals and answer a set of questions in the application form
• Members can present only one proposal in each call

Commenting

• All members have the opportunity to comment on proposals according to the commenting guidelines (see section 4.4)

Voting
**Currently under review, led by Grantmaking/processes Working Group**

• All members can vote for up to 5 proposals. In order for the votes to be counted, all of them need to be used
• Members are asked to follow the voting guidelines (see section 4.5)
• Votes are hidden during the voting phase. They are published just after 
• The 10 proposals with the most votes will be funded. If there is a tie, the FG will look at the categories and countries of the proposals and try to find a balance, and if this is not possible, decide by lottery. This decision will be as open and transparent as possible
• If the 10 most voted proposals do not consume all the available budget, it is possible to allocate the remaining to the proposal that is in position 11.

Results

• Results of the call for applications are published in the Online Assembly and also through direct contact with the successful applicants.

Execution, reporting and communication

• FA takes care of the paperwork related to the grant. Grantees can reach out to contact@fundaction.eu with any requests/questions about any changes in the proposed activities, deadlines and any support they might need
• Each grantee needs to report back to FA after the activities have finished, although the format requirements are very flexible 
• FA uses the information about the projects for external communication (website, blog, twitter, etc.), with the previous explicit authorisation of the grantees.

Renew grant

Description

This grant is aimed at funding projects that generate systemic change by addressing the causes of injustice and promoting a better vision of the future. As such, it is not directed towards funding "traditional" charity work. Renew grants are also not funding activities that are merely aimed at strengthening organisations and networks, because this is what the Rethink grants are for (e.g.: study visits, training, translations, meetings for collaboration, research, etc.)

Steps

Presentation of proposals

• Members apply by submitting a proposal in the Online Assembly
• Projects can request up to 20.000 Euros 
• Applicants should meet the general requirements (see section 4.3) of proposals and answer a set of questions in the application form
• Members can present only one proposal in each call

Commenting 

• All members have the opportunity to comment on proposals according to the commenting guidelines (section 4.4).

Voting
**Currently under review, led by Grantmaking/processes Working Group**

• All members can vote for up to 5 proposals. All votes need to be used, in order for them to be counted.
• Members are asked to follow the general voting guidelines (section 4.5), but also these specific criteria. Members are encouraged to vote for proposals that: 
• Have a complex analysis of a system of oppression or exploitation that goes beyond simple "us vs. them" narratives
• Have grounded their analysis in the lived experience of those most directly affected
• Develop an approach that addresses root causes / promising leverage points that have the potential to tip/change a system
• Aim to expose old patterns and/or create new patterns to the old system 
• Strive for a reframing of our narrative and imagination towards our values, especially those of equity, sustainability and democracy
• Votes are hidden during the voting phase. They are published immediately afterwards 
• The shortlisted proposals (10-12 proposals with the most votes) make it into the next round where they are reviewed by a P2P panel. If there are several proposals with the same amount of votes on the 10th rank, up to two more proposals may be included. Should this affect more than 12 proposals, the FG rolls a dice to decide which ones make it into the next round.

P2P panel 

• Selection
• The panel is composed of five members of the FA community selected by lottery
• Before the panel is confirmed, the members need to express: 
• That they are available to do the task
• That there is no conflict of interest with the proposals that are being evaluated (applicants also need to confirm that they don’t have a conflict of interest with the panel members)
• Process
• Each member of the panel receives the contact information of the other members and the group works autonomously
• The FG gives support to the whole process, and they do not have a right to vote in any internal decisions unless FG members have randomly been selected as panel members and accept the nomination.
• The panel sets up online interviews with each applicant in order to learn more about their projects. The questions are prepared by the panel 
• The guidelines for evaluating the proposals are based on the values of FA: 
• promoting systemic change vs charity/service providing
• projects that are self-led and need FA funding because access to funding elsewhere might be difficult
• not predominantly white-men led hetero-normative projects
• with a knowledge sharing component, documentation & collaboration
• taking into account emergency and good contextual moment
• in a wide range of topics and geographical diversity 
• The panel is free to develop these criteria further and to determine the specific criteria on which the decision will be based 
• The panel also takes into account the comments in every proposal under analysis 
• Ideally, the final decision is based on deliberation and consensus. The panel can decide to use other supporting decision-making mechanisms. Secret voting or scoring is also encouraged in order to avoid group-conditioned decisions 
• Panel members receive compensation for their time and efforts.

Results

• Results of the call for applications are published in the online assembly 
• The P2P panel gives feedback to all the 10 applicants, not only to justify the decision but also to help improve the projects.

Execution, reporting and communication

• FA takes care of the paperwork related to the grant. Grantees can reach out to contact@fundaction.eu with any requests/questions about any changes in the proposed activities and deadlines; and any support they might need
• Each grantee needs to report back to FA after the activities have finished, although the format requirements are very flexible 
• FA uses the information about the projects for external communication (website, blog, twitter, etc.), with the previous explicit authorisation of the grantees. 

Resist grant

Description

• These grants are aimed at supporting grassroots and activist groups directly affected by issues caused by unforeseeable crises. They are intended to react quickly to political developments and unforeseen events in their area and assist in strengthening the FA community. 
• Resist offers funding for timely and specific outcomes taking place within three months, as part of a longer-term goal to achieve systems change. Proposals must be presented by people most affected by the issues (user-led organising). The organisation applying must focus on root-cause issues, with a strong vision for systemic change. 

The funding can support a specific event or activity that is challenging unjust uses of power, such as a particular strategic moment for influencing policy or garnering media interest. It can also be used in situations of an emergency response in times of crisis, to prevent harm to individuals and enable sustainability.

Ineligible activities including general travel (for example, to conferences), seed funding to help support a new idea, or normal activities that are part of a larger initiative (Rethink and Renew grants may be able to support these activities for FA members).

Steps

Presentation of proposals

• Any member of FA can apply for a grant, or they can also do it on behalf of non-members
• Each proposal can apply for up to 2000 euros
• Proposals are submitted through the Online Assembly
• Proposals need to meet the general requirements (see section 4.3) 
• Proposals need to meet the specific criteria of the grant:
• The budget of the organisation should not exceed €50k/year.
• In the case of applicants using a fiscal sponsor with a bigger budget, the project is still eligible, but applicants need to explain the use of the grant in their application. Additionally, if they are successful, they will be asked to create and attach the memorandum of understanding between the two parties.

Review of applications 

• The Facilitation Group reviews if the submitted proposals meet the eligibility criteria - as soon as possible and within a week

Results

• If the proposal fulfils all the criteria, applicants are asked to submit additional documentation for due diligence.
• If a proposal does not pass the review criteria, a standard email is sent via the platform saying ‘you did not meet the criteria’ with a message to explain which criteria were not fulfilled
• Accepted proposals are posted to the whole membership but not beyond FA’s internal community.

Execution, reporting and communication

• FA takes care of the paperwork related to the grant, decides about any changes in the proposed activities and deadlines, and supports the different projects
• Accepted proposals are paid ASAP and latest within 2 weeks 
• FundAction shares externally only the information authorised by grantees, on the website, twitter, blog etc.  

Thematic grants

Description

These grants are opened depending on the available funding. Their aim is to address cross-cutting issues or topics that do not receive enough attention in ordinary FA calls. The topics are decided by the fundraising group together with the FG and (if possible), the thematic groups. 

Steps

The steps of the thematic grants are the same as in the case of Renew grants, although the FG together with the Process Design working group can decide to simplify it if the available budget is much smaller. 

General support grants

* Currently not being implemented. Can be restarted by the Grantmaking Working Group together with the Fundraising Working Group in case of need.

Description

The aim of the General support grant is to support organisations that work on systemic change and improve their capacities. 

This grant provides selected organisations with the opportunity to invest resources into workforce, infrastructure, fundraising, media presence, some important outstanding work and anything else that could support and advance the important work done by the group. There are no specific preferences on our side (other than usual restrictions on what money can be spent). As always, we are not funding “traditional” charity work. We’re also not funding specific projects (this is what our Renew grants are for), study visits and exchanges (Rethink) and ad-hoc support (Resist). We are looking to support the work of organisations in the most meaningful way. Any member can apply for funding on behalf of any organisation by uploading their proposal on the platform. The application must respond to a set of questions and include an estimated budget up to 40.000 euros. The volume of the grant will be considered in relation to the existing financial record of the organisation that is applying. The total sum that will be distributed in the first call is 180.000 euros.

Steps

General support grant call is designed as a TWO-STEP PROCESS. 

First, proposals are presented on the platform to the community, in a short and clear statement, the work of the organisation and expected aims of utilising core support. All FA members can provide comments, specific inputs and support, while those who applied should answer any clarification or conceptual question from the P2P panel or other members. Based on all this, the first P2P panel (which is made up of 2 FG members and 3 randomly selected FA members) chooses 10 applicants that go to the next round. The second P2P panel (which is made up of 5 randomly selected FA members and assisted by non-voting FG member) will require additional documentation and conduct interviews with 10 finalists and choose which ones will get the support. 

In order to apply:

• The organisation must formally exist for one year
• Ratio of the smallest and biggest salary (if there are salaries) in the organisation cannot be bigger than 1:2
• Yearly budget (the average of the last three years) should not be over 150.000 euros
• Even though you apply as an individual member, institutional support can only be received by registered and recognized non-profit organisations (with their own solvent bank accounts) on whose behalf you submitted the application

4.3. General requirements for applications

FA is working towards also being able to directly fund non-charitable entities or individuals. For the time being, if you are not a registered non-profit in your country, you can apply if you have a fiscal sponsor (a registered non-profit) who is able to receive and manage the funds on your behalf, or you can contact the FG so we can figure out other options.

Eligible countries to receive grants are the countries where members are active. 

Also for legal reasons, projects cannot be based on lobbying activities. 

Applicants in any call for applications need to do three things: 

1. Agree that they fulfil FA’s eligibility criteria and that they able to provide fuller information if they are shortlisted (document here)
2. Agree that they and all involved in the proposal subscribe to FA’s values
3. Present a proposal that addresses the questions of the specific call on the online assembly.

By submitting a proposal FA will understand that applicants comply with 1. and 2.

The different grants include additional specific criteria.

4.4. Commenting guidelines

Apart from the Resist grants, members are asked to comment bearing in mind that FA aims at funding projects that address the causes of injustice (systemic change), and not to merely alleviate their consequences (charity). 

When commenting on other people’s proposals, each person is invited to consider the following criteria:

Giving feedback

• Please give as much feedback as possible, and do not be afraid to ask questions
• Please write constructive criticism as well as positive comments
• Remember that your feedback will be viewed by members and applicants, so try to be clear, helpful and polite
• Comments can be marked as positive, negative or neutral.

Fair reviewing

• Read as many applications as possible, leave as much feedback or questions as possible, and read other people’s comments
• Try considering the content of proposals and not the way they are presented (remember that many of the activists don't have English as their native language).

Conflict of interest

• Please declare any 'conflict of interest' (where you could directly benefit from a project being funded, for example, if you are an employee at the organisation)
• However, if you know a group or have worked with them in the past, you are welcome to comment and vote for them as long as you declare your relationship and feel you can comment without bias.

Confidentiality

• Please do not share the applications, or any details of them, with people outside the membership.

Discrimination

• If any comments are submitted which discriminate against any person or group based on gender, sexual orientation, ability, class, religion, race and ethnicity or any other factor, these should be flagged. The FG will resolve what to do with the case, according to the terms and conditions. 

We’re a community, not a corporation!

• Think about the world we want to see, rather than numbers and other ‘success’ indicators
• Be nice and take care of each other, people!

4.5. Voting guidelines 

**Currently under review in the grantmaking/process WG**

In the case of the Rethink and the Renew grants, members have the opportunity to vote for five proposals they think should get funded. The criteria are simple:

• Read through the description of the proposals, comments, questions, and answers from applicants and decide which you think would be best to fund, bearing in mind limited resources.
• Try to vote for proposals fairly and reasonably. Just vote for those that you think fit the criteria best.
• Don't just vote for your friends’ proposals without reading the rest of them! Try to read all the proposals before voting, giving extra attention to the ones from people you don’t know. 
• You need to use all your votes in order for them to be counted.
• Go beyond the title! People have been working on these ideas, as well as responding to questions. Check out the comments when you vote.
• Votes are private (nobody will know who you voted for.) The results (number of votes) will become visible after the voting period.

5. Assembly

5.1. General

The FA Community is the main and highest decision-making body of FA, and as such its role is to:

• Define the strategy of the fund
• Make key decisions connected to the functioning of the fund and the community

The Community can make decisions online (through the Online Assembly) or offline (Annual Assembly). The decisions are formally adopted by the Board of the FundAction Stichting. 

The FA Community organises an in-person meeting (ideally) every year, with the aim of gathering all members. This Annual Assembly has the following functions (in addition to the general role of the FA community mentioned above):

• Be a safe space for discussion, decision-making and brainstorming new FA projects
• Update the community on key issues that have not been covered by the informative sessions (section 1.6) or that need to be discussed further
• Connect members and generate new interactions, new joint activities, etc.
• Build trust among members
• Have a dialogue with funders, give feedback, etc. 
• Offer a caring and resting space for activists

In particular, one of the aims of the Annual Assembly is to become a space for new projects and groups to start. Mechanisms are put into place in order to support the sustainability of these groups and projects. 

The Annual Assembly can take place online if circumstances make it necessary. If that is the case, all the functions and roles need to be contemplated. 

5.2. Participation 

All FA members are entitled to participate in the FA Community and in making decisions. 

Any FA member can participate in the Annual Assembly, and funders are invited to participate, too. The FG can decide to restrict the number of participants according to the logistical capacity of each annual event. The criteria usually include diversity in terms of countries, background of the participants, levels of engagement, etc. 

Personal situations should not be an obstacle to participation in either the Community or the Annual Assembly and there are measures to ensure:

• The inclusion of people with disabilities
• The inclusion of people with care responsibilities 
• The inclusion of people who cannot attend the in-person gathering by sharing information online, promoting participation through online tools, etc.

Annual Assemblies are a safe space and participation rules are established at the beginning, and also before every session, so as to allow members to fully engage. Mechanisms are put into place in order to make power relations visible and to facilitate the meaningful participation of all members. 

Both in online and offline cases, decision-making is based on deliberation and equal participation in voting. Members unable to attend in-person assemblies are included through online channels, whenever possible. 

5.3. Program and logistics of the Annual Assembly

FA organises the Annual Assembly in collaboration with different people:

• A facilitation team selected by the FG. This team:
• Prepares the program and activities together with the FG 
• Makes sure that the aims of the assembly are achieved
• Develops and implement the decision-making and community building methodologies
• A person in charge of the logistics of the assembly. This person:
• Is the connection with the local accommodation, transport and food
• Takes care of the logistics before, during and after the assembly
• Is in charge of helping solve any unexpected problems
• A special working group (permanent or created each year)

The activities of the Annual Assembly are prepared and implemented together with the working groups and the thematic groups. 

In case the Annual Assembly needs to happen online, the Annual Assembly Working Group decides how to adapt to the situation and in collaboration with the facilitation team plans activities that can help achieve the aims of the event as best as possible. 

5.4. Transparency and feedback

• All the activities and decisions of the FA Community or the Annual Assembly need to be recorded or registered in some way
• The results of the debates, activities and decision-making procedures are shared with the whole community
• In the case of the Annual Assembly, if possible, feedback to the Community will be given during the event in order to allow for the participation of those not able to attend.

6. Facilitation Group, Board, Community Council and Admin support

6.1. Facilitation Group

General

The Facilitation Group is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the overall strategy of FundAction (as decided by the FA Community) and of running the daily operations of the fund, together with the admin support person. The FG consists of 3-5 members. Each person stays in this role for a maximum of three years, rotating at least one person each year. 

The FG makes decisions by looking for consensus through debate, but accepting majority voting when there is no agreement. The FG is a collective organ that holds collective responsibility for its tasks and decisions. 

Tasks

The tasks of the FG members are the following:

• Facilitating the implementation of the overall strategy of FundAction (decided by the FundAction community) and running the daily operations of the fund, combining decision-making with executive tasks
• Leading one/two specific working areas the corresponding Working Groups (at least two people are in charge of each area, one leading, one supporting):
• Grantmaking/processes – Keep our grantmaking activities on track, work on how to improve our grantmaking processes, new ideas for grants,…
• Community Building – Keep our community building activities on track, with existing members and around new members. Work on community engagement and what it means to build a diverse FundAction community. 
• Fundraising – Keep our fundraising activities on track. Strategise and reach out to funders so we can further grow the funds we have for grantmaking. 
• Communications – Keep our communications and outreach activities on track. Work on everything connected to our image, in the community and outside. Who do we focus on, how do we want to be understood? 
• Care - Build a community based on care. Work on attuning formal rules but also informal practices with care and organising training+activities in this area for the whole community.
• Coordination (with no related WG) - Includes facilitating communication and coordination within the FA ecosystem, facilitate coordination of the cross-cutting processes such as evaluations, annual reports, care process, Annual Assembly and more, keeping track of timelines, deadlines, and tasks, and working closely with the admin person
• Hire staff/contractors for specifically burdensome tasks (this task is then formalised by the Board)
• Engaging fully as a member, e.g. participating on the platform, scoring applications, supporting community engagement.
• Preparing the annual budget and the annual report, to be formally presented by the Board. 
• Organising the Annual Assembly, together with hired consultants and a specific working group
• Report to the Funders every quarter (working group)
• Addressing the challenges that the foundation might face and propose courses of action.

Commitment and compensation

Each member of the FG receives 2000 euros monthly for 8 full working days/month (according to FA compensation scale). Work is distributed evenly between the members. If the general workload becomes a problem at any point, this needs to be addressed collectively by the FG, according to the rules that appear in the Protocol for Conflict Prevention and Transformation. The FG uses funds to hire special support if necessary. 

At least one day per week is dedicated to synchronous work for all FG members + Admin support person. Thursdays is the shared working day by default, but it can be changed by consensus between FG+admin.

Selection Process

Step 1: Nomination

Members of FA can nominate themselves or nominate another person (up to 3) through a process in the online assembly. Members of previous FGs can also apply after two years of leaving the position. 

In the application for the position, candidates should demonstrate their concrete availability for this job and candidates who already have a full time job will not be considered. The availability needs to include at least one full working day where all members can work together. 

Step 2: Selection panel

The panel is composed of one leaving member of the previous FG (with voting rights) plus one member of the CC (no voting rights) plus five randomly selected members from the whole community (with voting rights). Members receive compensation of 500 euros to be part of the panel, for 2 days of work. Conflict of interest is checked with panel members and also with applicants. 

Step 3: Selection of FG members

Once the selection panel is formed and the list of candidates is closed, the panel chooses as many people as necessary to replace the FG members that are leaving. The panel also makes a ranked list of additional members, in case that the chosen ones are not able to assume the role or leave it in the year after the selection. 

The panel interviews applicants and makes decisions by consensus. The FG prepares a set of panel guidelines that can guide the process. 

These are principles that guide the decision of the panel:

• Trust: the information shared by the candidates should be taken seriously
• Expertise: the panel chooses people with the required skills and availability, remembering that some of these skills can be acquired through the work itself
• Diversity: balance between different criteria should be the aim, especially gender and geography. White cis-males have to represent less than 50% of the organ
• Transparency: the criteria for the decision must be written down and shared with the FG
• Division of labour: the people chosen should ideally be able to cover the tasks of the FG members that are leaving

Before the applicants join their role, they hold a meeting together with other FG members, to check compatibility and facilitate future joint work. In case a problem is spotted, the panel is asked to review the decision. 

The final decision is formally approved by the Board, to comply with the Statutes of the Stichting.

Step 4: Onboarding

New FG members receive the support from the ones leaving. During the onboarding process, all members receive training about positive working practices, including issues such as care, non-violent communication, etc. These trainings are organised by the Care Working Group. 

6.2. Board

General

The Board is the formal executive organ of Fundaction Stichting. It’s composed of 3-5 members, and it’s in charge of the management and legal representation of the Foundation. For legal purposes, the organ includes at least one person who resides in the Netherlands. 

The board has no 'boss'. It is managed via mutual trust, openness and reciprocity. Members are accountable to each other in an act of practical solidarity. They are also formally accountable to the Community Council.

Tasks

The Board has the following tasks:

• Formal management of the foundation. According to the Policy Plan, key decisions are “informed” by the opinion of the community through online processes in the Annual Assembly, and formally adopted by the Board. 
• Resolution to enter into agreements to acquire, dispose of or encumber registered property with approval of the supervisory board
• Representation of the foundation (but can give this power to someone else)
• Formally accepting new community members (following the invites processes explained in these Community Guidelines)
• Formally, preparing the annual balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure (drafted by the FG) and send it to CC for approval. 

The members of the Board are assigned, at least, the following formal roles:

• Chairperson
• Treasurer
• Secretary

The legal responsibility of the board should be connected with the possibility to have a say in decision-making processes that affect these areas. Safeguards are developed in the Protocol for Conflict Prevention and Transformation (see Annex to these Guidelines).

Key decisions made by the Board are recorded in writing, with the support of the admin person. 

In all decisions and activities beyond their mandate, board members’ views are given equal consideration as the ones held by the rest of the members. A member of the CC shall never perform board duties and vice versa. Members of the board can participate like all members in any other FA activity, including applying for grants, taking part in Working Groups, being part of p2p panels, being hired for specific tasks, etc. 

Commitment and compensation

• The members of the board receive 100 euros per meeting (preparing + attending)
• They are entitled to reimbursement of other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties 

Selection process

**To be decided in 2024**

6.3. Community Council

General

The Community Council (Supervisory Board according to the statutes) has been introduced to help safeguard the legal integrity of the foundation. According to the statutes, the role of the CC is to supervise the tasks and activities of the Board. The community has also added a new important role related to care and conflict transformation. The organ is composed of 3 (in 2023) to 9 members (in 2025) of the FA Community. 

Tasks

According to the statutes: 

• To supervise the policy and strategy of the Board and the general course of events in the foundation and its affiliated organisation. This also includes financial supervision and the exercise of those duties and powers assigned to the supervisory board in the foundation's articles of association.
• The CC may give the Board instructions on the policy direction to be pursued to make sure that the foundation complies with its legal obligations.
• The Board shall provide the CC in good time with the information required for the performance of its duties and powers, including the minutes of Board meetings, as well as all information concerning the foundation's affairs that each member of the CC may request.
• Approving the balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure prepared by the Board (in collaboration with the FG) 
• Ensuring that the legal decisions of the Board is at all times in line with the decisions of the FundAction community (made through the Online Assembly or the Annual Assembly)
• The CC draws up a document every year in which it renders an account in general terms of the supervision it has exercised. 
• Formally appointing, suspending or dismissing Board members, according to the decisions of the community
• Vetting the expenses when deviation is above 5% of the budget 
• Vetting any agreements and partnerships made by the Facilitation Group and formalised by the Board

Additional care-related tasks:

• Addressing emerging conflicts, by being attentive and proactive in spotting potential tensions factors
• Providing strategic advice on specific issues, under request of the FG or any member of the community
• Supporting the interpretation of Assemblies’ decisions or the lack of Assembly decisions on any key topic
• Implementing the Conflict Prevention and Transformation Protocol
• Hire external experts/consultants to support with conflict resolution if such a situation arises
• Receive training on care/feminist practices and collaborate with the Care Working Group

In all decisions and activities beyond their mandate, CC members’ views are given equal consideration as the ones held by the rest of the members. A member of the Community Council shall never perform Board duties and vice versa. They can participate like all members in any other FA activity, including applying for grants, taking part in Working Groups, being part of p2p panels, being hired for specific tasks, etc. 

Commitment and compensation

Membership in the CC is three years, and it cannot be extended. The commitment of each member includes the whole three years. The CC always aims to renew its composition in thirds so that the work of the group can keep its continuity. 

Members dedicate 5 hours a month, to the following activities:

• Monthly meeting with the FG, for updates on strategic aspects of FA (2hrs) 
• Monthly CC meeting (1hrs) 
• Work with the Care WG on mutual learning (1 hrs)

CC members receive a monthly fee of 150 euros for 5 hours of work. They receive extra compensation for additional tasks, such as participating in P2P/selection panels, in-person meetings, etc. 

Selection process

Step 1: Nomination

Members of FA can nominate themselves or other members through a process in the online assembly. 

Candidates fill out a form where they need to share their motivation to be part of the CC and answer questions regarding geographical area and topic of work. They also provide information about their background in relation to care and feminist practices. 

Step 2: Selection

In case 6 or less people are nominated, the three CC members are selected by lottery. In case 6 or more candidates are available, a P2P panel is formed (similar as with the FG selection, but since no interviews are needed, the compensation is adapted to the hours actually dedicated).

Step 3: Onboarding

The new members are formally approved by the CC, according to the statutes. During the onboarding process, all members receive training about positive working practices, including issues such as care, non-violent communication, etc. These trainings are organised by the Care Working Group.

6.4. Administrative support person

The admin support person is hired by the FG as a consultant and will hold a permanent part-time position. 

Tasks

• Regular online meetings with the Facilitation Group
• Together with the Facilitation Group, organise and keep record of all the information related to FundAction’s work in order to facilitate institutional memory 
• Keep financial oversight and liaise with the bookkeeping firm to facilitate their task
• Process invoices and payments, track expenses, and assist with budget management
• Ensure legal compliance in contracts, grant agreements, etc. (with the support of our trusted law firm)
• Participate in the monthly care meeting with the Facilitation Group (guided by a facilitator) for conflict prevention and healthy working environment
• Produce the financial annual report for funders and members
• Inform and collaborate with the Treasurer of the Board of Directors
• Manage contracts, including drafting and processing
• During grant-making periods, process grants (gather documents from grantees, review them, process grant agreements, making payments) in collaboration with the FG
• Liaise with the Dutch authorities when needed, through our bookkeeping and legal firms

6.5. Other consultants

The FG can decide to hire other consultants to support specific tasks/activities, or to be in charge of more permanent tasks. 

In line with FA’s decentralised, participatory, democratic nature, FundAction seeks to distribute and assign tasks to FA members (preferably), or externally, as needed. FA provides consultancy contracts and compensation for the tasks. 

7. Communication

7.1. General

FA is a space where there’s a lot going on, both as a grant-making platform and as a community. These activities, narratives, knowledge and debates are also useful for a greater audience and communication is a challenge that the fund wants to take seriously. 

Externally, we want to share narratives related to the democratic practices, systemic change and also promote issues related to participatory grantmaking. This is relevant both for fundraising, advocacy (promoting participatory grantmaking practices) and also to have a greater impact as a community of activists. 

Internally, communication is key to supporting community building, participation, collaboration and also participation in grant-making. We want to know what activists are doing, what we are doing together, and be clear about which mechanisms each member has in order to participate in the fund. 

7.2. Actors

FG members are responsible for the communication of FA. They get the support of:

• The communications/
• storytelling working group is in charge of supporting the FG in the domain of external communication of the fund
• The community building working group is in charge of supporting the FG in relation to internal communication

7.3. Activities

External communication activities include:

• The creation of content about (at least):
• FA activities
• FA’s approach towards certain topics that are strategically relevant
• Grantees and grants
• The organisations that members belong to and their activities
• The dissemination of information on social media
• Feeding the blog
• Updates about events and activities

Internal communication includes (at least):

• The regular newsletter
• Organising online meetings
• A Telegram channel
• Facilitating contact between members
• The production of content about:
• Events
• Internal organic processes
• The activities of working and thematic groups
• Grant-making processes and deadlines
• Activities or processes connected to the activities of FA members
• All proposed projects (not only the ones that get the grants)

These two lists can be updated at any time, according to the needs and capacities. 

7.4. Form

The communication, both external and internal aims to be:

• Appealing for people with different kinds of background
• Accessible 
• Diverse in terms of formats

8. Funds and fundraising

8.1. General

Our funds/bank account are currently managed by Änderwerk, until the transition to an autonomous legal entity is completed. This means that:

• They are our fiscal sponsor
• We pay a small fee for their work
• They are the ones in charge of doing all the payments and contracts
• We need to comply with their legal requirements in terms of contracts and payments
• We have total independence regarding the management of the fund, the funding and the community

We think fundraising needs to be done in a way that is compatible with our values. We’re committed to work and liaise with funders who share both our vision of participatory grantmaking and our values and agree on the urgent need to support systemic change. 

We believe in people power, in movement building, and in organising. We know that we need to break existing power structures and dismantle entrenched privilege, also in the fundraising domain. 

We are convinced that we can use FA as a way to have an impact in the way in which philanthropy works. We want to be a source of inspiration for foundations, open new debates, highlight neglected issues, etc. 

The fundraising activities are the responsibility of the FG, together with the fundraising working group. Thematic fundraising is also done with the involvement of thematic groups. 

8.2. Fundraising values 

These are our values, and the implications they have on how we see fundraising:

Democracy: Our funders and donors commit to respect the participatory principle of our fund: decisions (on grants allocation, on priorities, on the future of the fund) are made by activists, not by funders. 

Inclusivity: We won’t work with donors or foundations that are supporting policies and activities that are not contributing to build inclusive societies. We will especially pay attention to their commitments for genuine equality.

Openness: We hope to establish sustainable relations with funders and to count on them to help us diversify the community of funders supporting FA. Our relationship with funders isn’t focused on fundraising only. 

Mutual trust and respect: Social change happens when there are spaces for open conversations and active listening. We’re committed to have honest, direct and open conversations with our funders - yet grounded in a commitment towards care and empathy, and we expect them to do the same with us. 

Peer-to-Peer: We’d like to work with funders who are committed to use FA as an opportunity to open spaces of conversations with activists as well as with their peers within the philanthropic community. 

Transparency: Our reports will be public and shared with our members, but also our funders. We will be transparent as to who gives funding to FA and how much. 

Autonomy: Our funders will commit not to interfere with the grant making process and other decisions made by FA members. 

Systemic change: We want our funders to support systemic change and we are committed to using funding relations with the aim of promoting this view. 

Exclusion criteria: We will reject donations from corporations whose internal environmental and social policies aren’t compatible with our values. We will also reject donations connected to the weapon industry, the tobacco industry, the fossil fuel industry or any other business that harms people and nature. 

8.3. Thematic fundraising

For a while, FA has been opening calls for applications for any issue. Nevertheless, the possibility of having thematic grants based on thematic fundraising has been on the table. In 2020 the first thematic grant was opened. 

Sometimes the fear with thematic grant rounds can be that they push for the framing of a project according to the parameters set by the funder. Nevertheless, we believe there’s also a few pros in the possibility of thematic grants:

• It can allow us to think systemically and cross-disciplinarily about a particular issue
• It can allow us to fund things that are coming up from the membership that may not otherwise get support from the normal grant calls, or from conventional funding streams 
• It can free core funding for community building

In addition, thematic fundraising allows normal foundations (that may struggle to give money to a general fund) to engage with our participatory processes. They can learn and fund beyond their regular outreach, and this also gives FA some operating support.

Some specific guidelines for thematic fundraising are the following:

• Have a strategic conversation about topics when prioritising
• Be proactive, not merely responsive to available funding
• Don’t accept grants from foundations that want to interfere in internal FA procedures, even within the thematic calls
• Look for transversal issues, but also for topics that usually don’t receive support in ordinary grants (renew and rethink)
• Part of the money that goes to projects should be dedicated to help building the FA community around the issue

9. Changes to these guidelines

Changes to the guidelines can be proposed by any member at any time. A member who wants to suggest an amendment needs to address the relevant group, according to the details below. In case the change needs to be adopted by the whole FG Community, the member proposing a modification needs to address the FG. 

Changes in the membership guidelines are decided by the whole FG Community through the Annual Assembly or an online decision-making procedure open to all members. Implementation of this section is in the hands of the Community Building working group, with the support of FG. 

Changes in the community building guidelines are decided by the community building working group. The implementation of this section is in the hands of the community building working group, with the support of the FG/staff. 

Changes to the grantmaking processes are decided by the FG in collaboration with the grantmaking/process working group, and are implemented by the grantmaking/process WG/FG.

Changes to the Annual Assembly are decided by the FG. The implementation is in the hands of the FG with the collaboration of the Annual Assembly working group. 

Any decisions concerning the capacity of the FA Community to make decisions is in the hands of the FA Community as a whole, either in the Annual Assembly or through an online participatory process. 

Changes in the selection method of the FG and the CC and the general tasks are decided by the FA community as a whole, either in the Annual Assembly or an online decision-making procedure open to all members. Changes to the internal functioning of the FG are decided by the FG and reflected, as far as possible in these guidelines.

Changes to the internal functioning of the CC are decided by the CC. Any changes affecting the internal work of the FG or the CC need to follow the statutes of the foundation, the Policy Plan, and the Protocol for Conflict Prevention and Transformation.

Changes in the Communication section are decided by the storytelling working group together with the FG. 

Changes in the Funds and Fundraising section are decided by the Fundraising working group and implemented by the FG.