Frequently Asked Questions

ActionFunder is a grant management platform that helps organisations find, fund and follow community projects. Our platform matches organisations with local community projects across the UK.

From fund design through project discovery to automated compliance and rich impact reporting, ActionFunder streamlines the entire funding process, giving you everything you need to prove social value and scale grant giving with confidence.

Our platform is designed to host small, medium, large and enterprise sized organisations. Our clients range from FTSE 100, FMCG and housing associations to property developers, business & community foundations and local authorities.

Get in touch to find out how ActionFunder can work for your organisation.

Absolutely, we offer personalised demos to walk you through the ActionFunder platform, which you can book here. You’ll see how you can manage community funding, automate grant processes, and measure social impact – all in one place. And while you’re waiting, why not check out our product video.

If you are a non-profit there is no need to wait, just follow the instructions on our website or visit the Help Centre for more information and sign up to the platform for free. You can also sign up to a monthly drop in on the last Thursday of every month via Eventbrite.

At ActionFunder, our onboarding process is built to make your transition onto the platform seamless, so your organisation can start delivering impact through grant giving from day one.

For non-profits please see the answer further down the FAQ page.

Here’s how we’ll get Funders set up and ready to go:

Step 1. Set up your profile. After signing up with us, the ActionFunder Customer Success team will work closely with you to set up your profile, getting to know your organisation’s needs and finding ways to optimise your use of the platform.

Step 2. Understand the platform. We will take you through an onboarding process on how to make the most of the platform, our tools and features, and how to find useful guidance throughout your fund in our help centre. . This includes our local needs analysis tool which will identify social value delivery partners actively seeking funding in your community. We will also show you our interactive impact dashboard, giving you quantitative fund outcomes and rich non-profit updates and surveys.

We’ll also run through our extensive list of other useful tools, from customisable nomination forms and project match-making to AI shortlisting and in-app messaging.

Step 3. Launch and engagement. To ensure the best outcome for your funds and the community, we’ll provide a comprehensive guide to help you launch your fund both internally and externally. We provide hands-on support from Customer Success, launch comms and strategies to encourage participation and get your stakeholders involved in your funding campaign.

For detailed, transparent pricing information, please visit our pricing page. Costs vary depending on the number of grantees and level of support we provide.

We work on a subscription basis, but can also offer a one off Pilot to try the platform before committing.

The platform is free of charge for all non-profit organisations.

ActionFunder makes it easy for non-profits to find and access funding – without the hassle. It’s open to non-profits across the UK and it’s totally free to use.

Just set up a profile and tell us what you do in your community. You’ll be matched with funds that fit your location and focus area – immediately and whenever new ones launch.

Applying for funds is quick and simple, with just a few questions. So you can spend less time on admin, and more time making a difference.

Getting started on ActionFunder is quick and easy! Just sign up and fill in a few basic details about your organisation – like your organisation set up, address and contact info.

Then tick all the focus areas that reflect your work. We use these, along with your location and beneficiary types to match you with relevant funding opportunities.

Your account takes around 5 minutes to set up. Then you’re ready to receive notifications and create a project whenever relevant funding opportunities go live!

Yes! You can add multiple users to your ActionFunder account so your team can stay updated with funding opportunities and help manage your projects.

You can also set different access levels for each user, depending on what they need to do.

Funding on ActionFunder is project-specific – you create a project on the platform to show what you need funding for and the impact it will have.

A project can be anything with a clear goal, cost, and timeframe, as long as it delivers a positive benefit to your community. Think of it as a simplified version of a funding application.

Once uploaded, and based on a number of criteria, your project will be automatically matched to all relevant funds on the platform – now and in the future. It’ll stay live until it’s funded or you choose to remove it.

You can have multiple projects live at once to reflect different funding needs. For example, a community centre might have projects for ‘Garden benches’, ‘Toys for toddler sessions’, and ‘Community exercise classes”.

Projects can request funding to continue existing services (for a set period) and can include core costs, but can’t cover activities that have already taken place.

No! ActionFunder is open to all constituted non-profits, including registered charities, CICs, CIOs, social enterprises, faith groups, sports or uniformed clubs, schools, and informal groups of volunteers.

To be eligible for funding through ActionFunder, your group must be constituted – i.e. you have a governing document (e.g. a constitution or articles of association) that outlines how your group is run. You also need a bank account in an organisation’s name, and a track record of your finances. If you don’t have one, we can signpost you to resources to help you get started.

Once you accept a funding offer, you can usually expect to receive the funds within 2 weeks.

However, sometimes it may take a little longer – for example, if we’re missing documents from you or if something comes up during our due diligence checks. If that happens, we’ll let you know and guide you through the next steps.

ActionFunder uses a standardised application form across all hosted funds, removing the need to apply separately to each opportunity. Simply complete our short form and ensure your project meets the fund criteria (location, focus area, target beneficiaries, and grant amount). If your project matches the criteria, it will be automatically submitted for consideration.

The key benefit: if unsuccessful with one fund, your project remains live and will be automatically submitted to future funds that match your criteria, maximising your funding opportunities without additional effort.

Yes, you can create multiple projects to target different needs and funding opportunities. This is particularly useful if you operate across multiple locations – simply create the same project with different delivery locations to match various geographic funding criteria.

Our grant management software hosts a variety of useful features, including:

• A customisable fund design tool for you to select areas of focus to align with your ESG strategy
• Local needs analysis tool to identify where your organisation can deliver the most impact
• Match making technology that instantly provides you with projects that match your criteria
• Shortlisting and scoring functionality so you can aggregate your favourite matched projects, using AI to sift and shortlist in seconds
• A sharable online voting tool with live updates to engage stakeholders in the selection process
• In-app messaging which allows you to foster relationships with groups you’ve funded
• A guaranteed minimum of 2 photos, video or text updates from each project – with all permissions included
• A consolidated and filterable view of your organisation’s impact across all your funds

For the full list you can request a demo here.

We track a wide number of metrics for measuring your social impact, including number and type of people impacted, types of organisations supported, SDGs, outcome and impact.

We also believe that the stories behind your funding are just as important as the numbers, which is why we ask non-profits to provide at least 2 photos, video or text updates from each project during delivery, and a comprehensive impact survey once the project is completed. This also allows you to track the delivery progress of the project in real time.

You can then export this impact data to use in reports, on marketing channels or to upload to an impact calculator. All usage licenses and permissions are included in our T&Cs .

If you know your fund criteria, your beneficiaries and have your dates ready, you can launch a fund in minutes! We do ask for 24 hours to check and approve funds before they go live but with the right information, a fund can all be ready to launch in just 4 clicks.

Yes. We have a specific ‘Data Only’ option that lets you quickly filter thousands of community projects by location, theme, beneficiaries, non-profit type and funding amounts. That means you can zoom in on local social value delivery partners who are ready to engage with you, and download rich data to help shape your strategy and power your proposals. It costs from £250 per month.

The ActionFunder platform is known to non-profits all over the UK, who use our platform for free, easy-to-access grants. And our community is always growing!

Unlike many other platforms, all of the non-profits enrolled on ActionFunder are totally organic, rather than pulled from an external database, which means they’re active and ready to go.

Yes, ActionFunder uses AI to power core features like smart matching and project shortlisting. Our AI capabilities help streamline grant management and optimise impact delivery. However, we work hard to implement this technology thoughtfully, only where it adds real value, and with a human-centric approach, ensuring it enhances – not replaces – thoughtful, values-led decision making.

Yes, ActionFunder maintains FCA compliance through our payment partner, Stripe, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This ensures secure transaction processing and regulatory compliance for grants made through our platform. For clients requiring alternative payment solutions, we also operate a charitable arm that provides additional options.

We take data protection and security seriously. Our platform is Cyber Essentials certified, which means we follow government-backed best practices to help protect against common cyber threats.

We’re fully compliant with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We only collect the data we need, store it securely, and give users clear control over their information.

For most of our grant payments, we use Stripe, a regulated financial services provider with industry-leading security standards. Where we make manual payments, we follow robust internal processes to ensure security and compliance.

All data is protected using secure systems, and we regularly review and update our approach to keep your information safe.

The local needs tool enables you to tailor your social value bid responses to client requirements. Using our Fund builder, you can target specific criteria such as geographic area or strategic focus and receive real-time insights on local need powered by ActionFunder data.

You can easily export this data directly into your bid documents. When successful, you can quickly convert your social value commitments into action with just a few clicks, building credibility with clients and keeping them engaged throughout the delivery process.

Yes, ActionFunder functions as a social value delivery platform, connecting funders with local organisations and initiatives. We enable funders to integrate data collection questions that align with frameworks such as HACT or TOMs, streamlining both upstream processes and downstream data collection and reporting.

While our system automates much of the data gathering, you can export your data to upload into any dedicated social value calculator product for detailed SROI calculations.