RSAF
FAQS - GRANT APPLICATIONS
Got a Question? Here’s An Answer!
IS MY ORGANISATION ELIGIBLE FOR AN RSAF GRANT?
Organisations eligible for RSAF grants must:
Be operating in an African nation
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Be eligible in the specific grant cycle
April - June (Trinity) cycle: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia
October - November (Michaelmas) cycle: Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria Réunion, North Sudan, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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Projects in countries affected by the legacy of Cecil Rhodes are especially encouraged to apply
Target poor and vulnerable groups with programmes of social, political, and economic development
Have some sort of formal organisational structure
Demonstrate some level of community buy-in
WHAT KINDS OF PROJECTS DOES RSAF FUND?
There is no one model for the kind of projects RSAF funds! In fact, we are always excited to see innovative projects that differ from the usual applications we receive. If you are unsure that your project qualifies, please email us at rsafgrants@gmail.com.
RSAF funds advocacy projects, educational projects, business-oriented projects
RSAF prefers to fund projects where we feel our grants will make a big difference. We thus tend to favour organisations that are unlikely to receive any other major funding and that have a small project budget or can demonstrate clearly how our contribution will be used to achieve a specific goal within the larger budget.
Click here for profiles of projects selected in previous years. Note that while these may provide examples of successful projects, these are not meant to be taken as an exact model to follow. We are eager to fund new kinds of projects each grant cycle!
WHAT DOES RSAF NOT FUND?
RSAF does not fund research projects unless they are directly linked to a project to be implemented in the very-near future.
RSAF does not fund individuals.
RSAF does not fund conservation or environmental projects that are not closely linked to community development and welfare.
RSAF does not fund projects that take place outside of Africa.
RSAF does not fund organisations that intend to solicit conversion to a particular religion as their primary aim.
Organisations that were founded on or guided by religious principles are eligible.
RSAF will not consider projects that unfairly discriminate against individuals or groups of people because of their race, sex, sexual orientation, religion or disability.
This does not disqualify projects that target specific vulnerable populations, such as women, children or persons who have been subject to historical discrimination and disadvantages.
HOW MANY APPLICATIONS DOES RSSAF RECEIVE EACH CYCLE?
We usually receive between 150 – 250 applications each cycle.
WHEN ARE THE GRANT CYCLES?
There are two grant cycles every year: one in October/November and one in May/June. These align with the Oxford academic terms of Michaelmas and Trinity.
CAN WE REQUEST MORE THAN £1500 FROM RSSAF?
No. If the total project is more than £1500 then the organisation should demonstrate how the rest of the money has been or will be raised.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR REVIEW OF THE APPLICATIONS?
Applications are received and looked over by the grants officer(s). They are then sent out to small groups of volunteers from the Rhodes community, who take time to review the applications individually and then meet as a group for discussion. These groups nominate applications to proceed to the final selection round. A final meeting is held to select the organisations which will receive funding. All Rhodes Scholars in Oxford are invited to participate in this final meeting.
** Please note that we do not share your banking details with the small groups or the entire Rhodes community. The only people who will have access to your financial details are the grants officer(s), the treasurer, and the RSSAF convenor(s). **
WHEN WILL THE RESULTS OF THE GRANT CYCLE BE ANNOUNCED?
The results of the grant cycle will normally be announced within 2 months of the applications deadline. There may sometimes be delays to this process, particularly in the spring cycle (May-June) since this is when Oxford students have exams.
WILL I BE NOTIFIED IF MY ORGANISATION IS NOT SELECTED?
No, unfortunately due to limited volunteer capacity and the large number of applications, we are no longer able to provide individualised feedback to each applicant.
WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO SUCCESSFUL GRANT APPLICATIONS HAVE?
Focus: Selected projects don’t try to do everything at once. They have a clear and specific range of activities and beneficiaries. This isn’t meant to discourage innovative projects that try to tackle complex problems, but you must show that you have a clear idea of what the problems are that you are trying to address.
Detail: The more specific you can be about what your project goals and how you will achieve them, the better. Providing specific numbers for how many people you intend to reach, a detailed timeline of implementation, and a clear explanation of how the community is invested in the project will help your application.
Answer the questions asked: Make sure you read the question carefully and answer what it is asking you. You should not find yourself repeating information in your answers to multiple questions. Your organisation’s mission and main activities and the project description may overlap, but your answers should indicate a distinction between them.
Community buy-in: Strong applications demonstrate that the project responds to real needs of the target community and that they are invested in the project’s success and sustainability.
WHAT IF I CAN NOT PROVIDE SOME OF THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN THE APPLICATION FORM?
Indicate the reason why you cannot provide the information requested in the space for an answer. We understand that many organisations that apply to RSSAF are small or new organisations and that you may not have all the information we request. Your application will still be reviewed by the grants officers and we will contact you if the missing information is significant enough to seriously affect your chances of receiving a grant.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS? WHAT IF I CAN NOT PROVIDE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION REQUESTED?
The supporting documents are quite important, as they provide us with information about the governance structure and accountability of your organisation. We insist that you provide a certificate proving that you are a registered non-government organization, community-based group, charity, or a non-profit organization.
CAN I SEND IN MY OWN VERSION OF THE APPLICATION FORM?
No, we can only accept applications that use the official RSSAF application form, either using the online form or the downloadable word document. We receive a large number of applications and processing different formats is too much of a logistical nightmare.
Please respect the word limits indicated for each question.
Please provide the amount requested and budget information in British Pounds Sterling. Easy conversion tools can be found online; we understand the numbers may be slightly inaccurate due to regular fluctuations in currency.
HOW DETAILED MUST THE ITEMISED BUDGET BE?
As detailed as possible. Please give all amounts in British Pounds GPB (£) even if you also give them in your local currency. Applicants need to check exchange rate at www.xe.com the Friday before the application is submitted (indicate which date you checked). A sample itemised budget could look like this (items could be equipment required for the project, expenses could relate to staff or transportation needed):
Item 1, Cost per item in local currency and in GBP (£), Number of items needed, Cost for all items in GBP (£)
Item 2, Cost per item in local currency and in GBP (£), Number of items needed, Cost for all items in GBP (£)
Item 3, Cost per item in local currency and in GBP (£), Number of items needed, Cost for all items in GBP (£)
Expense 4, Description of Expense, Cost in GBP (£)
Expense 5, Description of Expense, Cost in GBP (£)
Expense 6, Description of Expense, Cost in GBP (£)
TOTAL: Sum of costs in GBP (£) (adding up the sums mentioned above, and not greater £1500).
DOES OUR ORGANISATION HAVE TO HAVE A REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER?
Yes. We only accept applications that are able to provide certificates proving that they are a registered non-government organization, community-based group, charity, or a non-profit organization.
DOES OUR ORGANISATION HAVE TO BE A NON-PROFIT?
Yes. We only accept applications from Non-Profits. The primary aim of the organisation’s project must be improving the welfare of poor and vulnerable people, not making a profit. Furthermore, RSSAF aims to provide funding to organisations that are unlikely to receive funding from elsewhere (another foundation or fund; a bank; a micro-finance institution).
WHAT IF OUR ORGANISATION IS BRAND-NEW? CAN WE STILL APPLY? WHAT IF WE DON’T HAVE DETAILS OF OUR BUDGET FROM THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE ARE A NEW ORGANISATION?
New organisations can still apply to RSSAF: we are eager to support innovative ideas and provide support to organisations that are just starting out. However, please be aware that you MUST have a certificate proving you are a registered non-government organization, community-based group, charity, or a non-profit organization.
Try to demonstrate why your organisation will have the capacity to carry out the project, despite being new. This can include a detailed description of how you determined the needs of the community and how you have obtained community buy-in, any partners who are supporting you in the project, or past experience of the project manager(s) and staff that have prepared them for this project.