When an affiliate partner sends a grant payment form to SWIF, a lot goes on behind the scenes to make sure the grant gets into the hands of recipients — from making sure there are sufficient funds and verifying the recipient is eligible to receive the grant to processing and approving the grant agreement and getting the whole package in the mail. Because this process takes staff time, there is a cost associated with it.
Occasionally, a grant payment form arrives with dollar amounts so small, that it can cost more to process than the actual dollar amount of the grant. With this in mind, we are encouraging you to implement a $500 grant minimum on all grants going forward.
Here are some things to consider to ensure your grantmaking is having an impact:
- Is a grant the best way to fund this opportunity? If the need is small, there may be an individual donor who can cover the expense.
- Can we make one larger grant to a fiscal host who will distribute the funds as needed? This is often the case with a project fund where a larger sum can be granted to a fiscal host on an annual or semi-annual basis. The fiscal host will then be responsible for paying for small purchases or reimbursing vendors.
As we continue to work on technology upgrades at SWIF, grantmaking is becoming more efficient. But there will always be the need for staff to make sure grants are being processed properly. Thank you for your help in making sure the grants you award are having an impact.
