Applying for Grants

🎯 Overview

Open Collective Europe (OCE) enables hosted Collectives to receive grants from institutional and philanthropic funders, both in Europe and internationally. OCE acts as the legal recipient of the grant and manages the funds on your behalf.

Important: Please contact us as early as possible when you're considering applying for a grant.

---

📝 Initial Steps

1. Contact OCE early

   Email [email protected] to let us know about the grant opportunity. We'll help assess whether it's compatible with fiscal hosting through OCE.

2. Check funder requirements

   Not all funders allow grants to be awarded to fiscally sponsored initiatives. Be sure to confirm with them whether a hosted structure is accepted.

3. For U.S. funders

   Let them know that OCE has an Equivalency Determination, making it eligible to receive grants from U.S.-based private foundations.

---

📄 Grant Agreements & Receiving Funds

1. Grant Agreement

   The funder will provide a grant agreement. This must be signed by OCE as the legal recipient. Please share the agreement with us via [email protected], or have the funder reach out to us directly.

2. Service Agreement

   Your initiative will also need to sign a Service Agreement with OCE. This formalizes the arrangement and must be signed by two members of your initiative.

3. Bank Transfer

   OCE will provide its banking details to the funder so they can transfer the grant directly.

4. Allocation on the Platform

   Once the grant is received, the funds will appear on your Collective’s Open Collective page as available balance.

---

💬 Funder Communication

• Acknowledgments

  You can publicly recognize funders on your Collective page. Their name will appear in your list of contributors unless they choose to remain anonymous.

• Updates

  Keep your funders informed by posting regular updates through the Open Collective platform.

• Ongoing Communication

  Any requests or messages from funders sent to OCE will be forwarded to your initiative for follow-up.

---

📊 Grant Reporting

1. Reporting Requirements

   Some funders will request interim or final reports. You're responsible for meeting their deadlines and submitting reports as needed.

2. Using the Platform

   You can post reports as public updates on your page, which is also a great way to keep your community engaged.

3. If the funder contacts OCE

   Since OCE is the legal recipient of the grant, funders may send reporting requests to us. We'll pass those along to you.

---

📬 Need Help?

If you have questions about the process or want help preparing a grant application, email us at [email protected].