Community Partners Selection Process
Description
The Community Partners selection and verification process, described below, is both multi-faceted and multi-staged, and it can take up to a year.
The process starts with a formal nomination stage: during this stage, qualified entities make written recommendations to Romanian United Fund (nonprofits cannot nominate themselves).
The second stage is the application stage: during this stage, nonprofits are required to register with Romanian United Fund.
The last stage is the selection stage during which qualified nonprofits are asked to complete a questionnaire asking for typical information required in grant-making and to submit supporting documents (financials, projects, governance). Nonprofits are then ranked based on a balanced evaluation score system and voted by an appointed committee.
Romanian United Fund invests in organizations operating in areas/in accordance with our predefined strategic priorities: Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, Healthcare & Heritage.
Organization Eligibility
- Systemic impact-oriented organizations
- Not bankrupt, payments up to date
- Non-religious, non-political organizations
- At least 2 years old
- In compliance with the due-diligence requirements for USA funds
- Organizations with a clear governance system (independent Board of Directors)
- Highly transparent organizations (yearly reports + financial statements)
- Efficient (operational costs below 25%)
- Organizations respecting a certain set of values (integrity, diversity, excellence)
Cofinancing
- Cofinancing of at least 20% may be required for projects over $50,000
Financeable Activities/Projects
- Urgent/important activities with a major potential impact
- Activities that have a systemic impact on the field in which the organization operates
- Activities that help the grantee develop its own institutional capacity
- Activities that multiply the revenues of the grantee (e.g. financial support for writing projects for accessing other grants)
- Grants to cover a pressing need of the organization
- Financial support for co-financing other projects
Subgrantees
- Projects executed in collaboration with other non-profit organizations are allowed
- The main grantee bears all the reporting and project execution responsibilities
- All subgrantees have to be pre-approved by RUF
NOTE: the above conditions are provided as guidelines, they are non-binding and they are subject to change.
RUF has a responsibility towards its donors to select only the most transparent, impactful, and well-governed nonprofit organizations as partners. Unfortunately, we would not have the ability, nor the capacity to perform due diligence on every nonprofit organization. For this reason, we only process applications for nonprofits that are first nominated (sponsored) by one of our trusted entities.
In order to apply for financial support, nonprofits (NGOs) can be sponsored by one of the following: a peer Grantmaking Foundation, any one of our current Community Partners, an Ambassador, a Founding Angel, or a member of the Board of Advisors or the Board of Directors.
A full list of Nominations will be finalized and published by August 31st, 2020.
- Organizations will receive instructions via email
- Organizations will create a profile on RUF's website
The Community Partners qualification criteria and evaluation grid are designed to be fair and transparent. They were developed by RUF in collaboration and with the support of several professionals and independent organizations, experienced in the evaluation and management of nonprofit projects: Prof. Norbert Petrovici, Univ. Babes Bolyai, Catedra Sociologie (Social Impact Measurement), Irina Pop (Member of the Board of Advisors), Andrei Pop (Fundatia pentru Dezvoltarea Societatii Civile), Asociatia pentru Relatii Comunitare, Cercul Donatorilor Bruxelles, World Vision Romania.
- To qualify, nonprofits need at least 3 votes (from our Project Evaluation Committee Members, Board of Directors, and/or the Board of Advisors and active RUF Volunteers)
- Qualified organizations will be asked to complete a standard form (RUF Application) and submit more documents
- Finally, the proposals are submitted to the Project Selection Committee which decides which organizations will be added to our platform based on their grid scores
- A Flagship organization will be selected from the batch of approved organizations for the next year, based on a simple majority vote by our Founding Angels, with the approval of the Board of Directors. The Flagship organization will be featured during RUF's annual Gala fundraiser
- The public will have the ability to promote their favorite organizations through a voting process on RUF's website
For more information about our Community Partner Selection process, please contact Mihaela Livanu or Mihai Lehene, using the contact us form.
