LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS 2017 Online Application Guide
This application guide is intended to be used with ALL streams of the London Community Grants Program. Pictures shown in this guide are from the Multi-Year Application are also helpful to understand how to use the Capital & Innovation applications. Keep in mind the questions will be different based on the application. For questions about the London Community Grants Program, please contact communitygrants@london.ca.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 3 Table of Contents Application Guide 4 Important Tips 5 Frequently Asked Questions 8 Creating User Profile 9 Logging In 10 Applicant Portal 10 Components of the Application 12 Project Details 13 Outcomes and Indicators Guide 17 Contact Information 19 Community Impact 19 Community Partnerships 20 Organizational Capacity 21 Sustainability 22 Additional Information 22
4 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Application Guide Use this document while completing your application for the London Community Grants Program Multi-Year and Innovation & Capital grant streams. Items to gather before beginning your application: 1. Copy of Application Questions 2. Evaluation Criteria 3. City of London Strategic Plan 4. Your organization s financial information (including your project budget and other sources of funding provided to your organization). 5. Outcomes and Indicators for each project you are applying for. Click here for helpful information about selecting outcomes and indicators for your project(s).
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 5 Important Tips 1. Save as often as you can, and ALWAYS before closing any browser windows When in doubt, always click Save on your application. It is a good idea to get in the habit of saving your application before you move on to the next section of the application. Your saved application can be accessed by logging back in to the application page. For more information about the Applicant Portal, click here. Saving is especially important when entering your project details and budget information. When an additional browser window opens for you to enter your budget information, you must click save at the bottom of the window BEFORE you click close. If you do not save the window before closing, the information you just entered into the template will be LOST. If there are problems loading your application, try clicking Save; that may resolve the issue. 2. Save the application after each pop-out template you complete To make sure all information loads properly in the application, click the Save Draft button after completing each pop-out template. 3. Increasing the size of the text in your browser The size of the text on the application will depend on the current settings of your computer s web browser. If you need to increase the size of the text for the application, follow these instructions for any browser you are using: Increase the size of the text - CTRL > + - Hold the control key, followed by the + key to increase the size of the text on your screen. You can do this as many times as you need until the text is large enough. Decrease the size of the text - CRTL > - Hold the control key, followed by the - key to decrease the text back to its original size.
6 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 4. Expanding the size of the text box in the application form To increase the size of the box where you will be entering your answers, click on the bottom corner (as shown below) and drag to your desired size. 5. Disabling Pop-Up Blockers to use SmartSimple The application uses a series of pop-up messages to help guide you through the process. If you are using a pop-up blocker, you may need to disable it for the application site in order to experience the full functionality of the site. Below are the instructions to disable your pop-up blocker based on your internet browser: Chrome Click the icon as shown in the screen shot above and select always allow pop-ups, then click finished. This will only change your pop-up settings for this website.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 7 Internet Explorer When you access the application page using Internet Explorer, a message will appear at the bottom of your screen that looks like this: Select Options for this site and then select always allow. Firefox If you are using Firefox, a message will pop up at the top of your browser s page: Click options and then select always allow for this site. 6. Submitting before Completion If you press the submit button before your application is done, you will see an error message that will look like this: All fields in the application must be submitted before you can successfully submit your application. If you have missed a question, you will be redirected to the question that you missed.
8 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Frequently Asked Questions How do I create my user profile? See page 9 How do I log in to my profile? See page 10 How do I change my password? See page 11 How do I update my contact information? See page 11 How do I start a new application? See page 10 How do I access my saved draft application? See page 11 What do I need to know about outcomes and indicators? See page 17 How many projects can I include in my application for funding? See page 13
Creating User Profile LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 9 1. If you need to create your profile, click Register Here. 2. In order to be eligible for the London Community Grants Program, the organization must meet all of the above listed criteria. Select each option that applies to your organization, and then click Proceed. In order to register in the system, you must click ALL boxes before moving on to the next step. If your organization does not meet these critera, you will receive a message explaining that your organization is ineligible for funding through the London Community Grants Program. If your organization meets all the criteria, you will move on to complete your organization s profile to get your login information. 3. In the next step, you will complete your organization s profile, including contact and address information. Please ensure this information is accurate; once you add the name of your organization in the application, it cannot be changed.
10 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Logging In 1. After you complete your organization s profile, you will receive an email with your login information from the application system. 2. Use the same email you entered in your profile for the email field and enter the password provided to you in the email received from the system. You can access the application at cityoflondon.smartsimple.ca. Applicant Portal When you log in to the application, you will access your Applicant Portal. The Applicant Portal is where you will see all current funding streams, saved drafts of applications, submitted applications, and if successfully funded, all reporting requirements for the duration of your grant with the City of London. 1. Starting a New Application To start a new application, under Funding Streams, click Apply Now. This will open a new application for the program you chose to apply for. If you are starting a new application, follow the screen shot below.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 11 2. Changing Your Password and Updating Contact Information To change your password and update your contact information, hover over your name in the top right corner of the main page of the applicant portal. 3. Retrieving My Saved Draft Application All saved applications will be available under the My Applications tab on the main page of the Applicant Portal. From here, you will be able to reopen any saved drafts as well as past, submitted applications.
12 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Components of the Application Project Details - Financial information about each individual project (maximum 3 projects per organization) - Align your project(s) with the City s Strategic Plan - Define outcomes and indictors for your project(s) Contact Information - Provide contact information for your Executive Director - Provide contact information for yout Board Chair or Treasurer - Brief overview of your organization and the work you do Community Impact - How does your project meet a community need? - How are residents involved in strategic planning for your organization? - Refer to the Evaluation Criteria in the Community Impact section Community Partnerships - What relevant partnerships does your organization have? - Does your organization engage in any organizational partnerships for cost sharing? - Refer to the Evaluation Criteria in the Community Partnerships section Organizational Capacity - Have you previously received City of London funding? - How many staff does your organization have? - Is your organization primarily run by volunteers? Sustainability - How will your organization sustain the project(s) being applied for? - What is your organization s sustainability plan? Additional Information - Upload applicable documents to your online application: Financial statements, organizational strategic plan, insurance certificate, current Board of Directors list, proof of incorporation, minutes of most recent Annual General Meeting
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 13 Project Details This section of the application is the most important in the application. In this section, you will outline your total budget request and provide a detailed budget breakdown of your project(s). In addition, you will align your project(s) with the City s Strategic Plan and identify the outcomes and indicators that you will work to achieve with City of London funding. Save Draft Prior to beginning your application, click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the page. This will set up your application and must be completed prior to filling out the application. This will ensure all functionality for the application is in place. 1. Total Budget Request In the first step of this section, you will enter in your TOTAL budget request separated by project and by year. The Project Name column is very important because this column will set up the remaining templates in your application. Please make certain there are no mistakes in this column and that the names of all individual projects you will be submitting are entered correctly. This table will appear with only one row when you first open your application. If you have more than one individual project, click the add button (as shown in the screen shot) below the table to add an additional row to add a line for a new project. Please note that organizations are only allowed to submit funding requests for a maximum of THREE (3) individual projects. This means that you should not submit an application with more than three rows in the total budget request table shown below.
14 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 2. Adding Individual Project Details The next step of this section will ask you to enter the individual project details associated with each project in your application. As you can see in the screen shot above, the project name that was entered in your total budget request in the previous step has been transferred to this section of the application. Before beginning this step, check to make sure that the project(s) listed on this screen are the project(s) you are submitting in your application (to a maximum of 3). If the project(s) shown here are correct, you will select Click to Add Project Details to move to the next step of the application. It is important to note that you will be required to fill out the project details tab for every project that you are submitting for. This is where you will align with the City s Strategic Plan and add the outcomes and indicators associated with your project(s). 3. Individual Project Details: Funding Alignment, Expected Participation & Frequency, Outcomes & Indicators Funding Alignment In the individual project details tab, you will first be asked to align your project with the City of London Strategic Plan. You will select the Strategic Area of Focus that your project(s) aligns with. Then, you will select the Sub Areas of Focus that your outcomes will set out to achieve. You can select more than one Strategic Area of Focus for your project, but cannot select more than TWO Sub Areas of Focus in this application. In order to accurately align your project(s) with the City s Strategic Plan, you should first make sure you read the plan in its entirety and be ready to reference relevant City plans when you are asked to explain how your project aligns with the options you chose in the first part of the question. A copy of the City s Strategic Plan can be found here.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 15 Expected Frequency and Participation This section of the application will ask you to add a table to predict the expected frequency and participation of London residents in your project(s). Click on the click to add project details button to open the table. Enter your information into this table and then slick Save. Outcomes and Indicators This section of the applicaton is incredibly important and will have a significant impact on the funding decision of your application. This section will explain both HOW to enter your Outcomes & Indicators into your online application and provide EXAMPLES of strong outcomes and indicators. If you are unsure of how to complete this section of your application, or are unsure whether the outcomes and indicators for your project align with the City s Strategic Plan please contact Community Development & Funding Staff with your questions. Please keep in mind that City Staff will not provide your organization with outcomes for your project. City Staff will serve as a resource to assist your organization to provide strong, measurable outcomes and indicators for your project(s) that are reasonably aligned with the City s Strategic Plan.
16 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE To add the outcomes and indicators associated with your project, click Add Project Outcomes and Indicators as shown in the screen shot below. In this screen you will add up to 3 outcomes and up to 5 indicators for your project. Make certain that your indicators are adequately measuring the outcomes you have provided and that your outcomes are aligned with the Strategic Plan Strategic Area of Focus and Sub Area of Focus that you selected in the first step of this section of the application.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 17 Outcomes & Indicators Guide Outcomes Outcomes are not just visions or goals, they are specific changes or benefits that include a transformation in knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, behaviors or conditions. Outcomes allow not-for-profits to report to their funders and stakeholders on the changes they are making in an individual s or community s condition. Outcome measurement is a systematic way to assess the extent to which a program has achieved its intended results. The main questions addressed in outcome measurement are about the impact the program or service has had: What has changed in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, or the community as a result of this program? Has this program made a difference? How are the lives of participants better as a result of the program? Outcome Definition The changes in the lives of individuals, families, organizations or community as a result of a program. Outcomes define what you want a program/service to accomplish. Outcomes are the long-term, broad vision of a program. You will only need to identify a few outcomes that speak to the entire program. Select those that are most directly connected to the assistance you are providing; the more straightforward the better. Outcome statements typically, but not always, include change words such as: increase, decrease, improve, decline, more etc. Create outcomes by identifying the: Type of Change Change in What Change for Who Increase Physical, cognitive and emotional health Youth Decrease Isolation Seniors More Community Leadership Residents in x neighbourhood Remember these outcomes are: directly tied to your organization s project(s) aligned with the City of London s 2015-2019 Strategic Priorities and other relevant Community Plans
18 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Indicators Indicators are used as a bridge between outcomes and actual data collection processes. They enable you to determine whether the work you do has actually changed in ways that indicate your intended outcome has occurred. Indicators must be specific and observable. They must be measures that can been seen, heard, counted, reported etc., using some type of data collection method. Indicators answer questions such as: How you will know when changes have occurred? How will you know when you have achieved the outcomes? How can I see, hear or read about the changes through your measurement tools ie: evaluations, surveys, participation rates, feedback etc. It is important to remember that the purpose of an outcome is to describe the intended impact, and since outcomes are broad statements, they do not describe how the impact will be measured. Examples: Outcome: Increase in youth s physical, cognitive and emotional health. Indicators: Youth have food literacy skills. Youth are engaged in healthy activities. Outcome: Decrease the isolation of seniors. Indicators: More seniors attend support and social groups at the centre. Seniors establish and maintain friendships in the community. Outcome: Indicators: Residents in x neighbourhood assume more leadership roles. More resident volunteers lead, plan, organize and implement community events.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 19 Test Your Indicators Use the if..then rule: Look for an indicator that informs an outcome rather than a predictor or a result of an outcome. For example: If seniors have a centre membership, then they will attend more support and social groups. BUT having a membership is not an indicator that MORE seniors will attend support and social groups, but rather is a predictor of increased attendance at the centre. Apply the means that rule to each outcome: For example: if youth are engaged in healthy activities, (indicator) that means you have achieved an increase in youth s physical, cognitive and emotional health. (outcome) Make sure indicators are realistic: Select indicators that are both meaningful and practical for staff to measure within the time and resources you have available. You must be able to measure and report on all listed indicators. Contact Information 1. Name and Contact Information of Executive Director 2. Name and Contact Information of Board Chair or Treasurer *The Name and Contact Information for both of these fields MUST be different. Once the application is completed, a PDF copy of the final application will be submitted to both of the emails provided in these fields. 3. Description of the organization and the work it does. Community Impact The Community Impact Section of this application is intended to situate your organization s project(s) within the needs of the community. For this section, it will be important to consider how your project fills a community need and how your organization actually determined that need. This section will also ask what your organization s engagement process is for goal setting and strategic planning. This section of the application will be scored in alignment with the Community Impact portion of the Evaluation Criteria:
20 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Community Partnerships The Community Partnerships section of the application will assess the partnerships your organization has in the community. Questions in this section will ask about relevant partnerships your organization holds in the community and whether or not your organization engages in any partnerships for cost-sharing. Please note the definition of relevant partnerships for this application: Relevant partnerships are anchor institutions that your organization works with in the community and are indicative of a high-level, strategic partnership. The community partnerships section will be evaluated according to the Community Partnerships section of the Evaluation Criteria:
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 21 Organizational Capacity The Organizational Capacity section of this application is to determine whether your organization has the ability to carry out the outcomes and indicators provided in your application. This section of the application will ask you about City of London funding you may have received in the past, your organization s previous funders, as well as the break down of your organization s staff. This section will be evaluated according to the Organizational Capacity section of the Evaluation Criteria:
22 LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE Sustainability This section of the application will determine both the sustainability of your organization and the sustainability of the project(s) within your application. You will be asked to provide a sustainability plan for your organization and a sustainability plan for your project(s) for both the present funding period (2017-2019) and the future (after 2019). This section will be evaluated according to the Sustainability section of the Evaluation Criteria: Additional Information This is the final section of the application before you will be able to proceed to submit your completed application. In this section, you will be able to upload all of your supporting documentation for the application. Please upload all applicable documents for your organization. You may upload all file types to a maximum of 1GB per file. Submit ALL documents in this section to make sure your application is complete.
LONDON COMMUNITY GRANTS ONLINE APPLICATION GUIDE 23 Submitting your Application Upon submitting your application, the Executive Director and Board Chair/Treasurer will receive a confirmation email with a PDF version of your completed application for your records. You can also access your submitted application at any time on your Applicant Portal, found at www.cityoflondon.smartsimple.ca.