How We Choose Our Projects: A Look at Our Decision-Making Process

At Gracious Foundation, our project selection process is guided by our mission to empower vulnerable communities through sustainable, impactful initiatives. We carefully evaluate potential projects to ensure they align with our core values and maximize benefits for those we serve. Below, we outline the criteria and process we use to choose our initiatives, ensuring transparency and accountability in our decision-making.

Our Selection Criteria

We assess potential projects based on the following key criteria:

1. Alignment with Mission and Programs
   Every project must directly support one or more of our core programs: Feeding Programme for Schools and Vulnerable Families, Education Programme: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures, Social Protection Programme: Safeguarding Childhoods, Empowering Futures, or Schools and TVET Building and Equipping Programme. The project must contribute to nourishing, educating, protecting, or empowering our target communities.
2. Community Need and Impact
   We prioritize projects that address critical, unmet needs in underserved communities. Proposals are evaluated based on their potential to create measurable, lasting change, such as reducing hunger, improving educational access, enhancing child safety, or providing infrastructure for learning.
3. Sustainability and Scalability
   Projects must demonstrate long-term viability and the potential to scale or sustain impact beyond initial funding. We favor initiatives that empower communities to become self-reliant, such as training programs or infrastructure that supports ongoing education or economic growth.
4. Feasibility and Resource Efficiency
   We assess the practicality of each project, considering available resources, local capacity, and logistical requirements. Projects must be achievable within our budget and timeline while delivering maximum value for every dollar spent.
5. Community Involvement and Ownership
   Successful projects involve active participation from the communities they serve. We prioritize initiatives that engage local stakeholders, incorporate their input, and foster a sense of ownership to ensure cultural relevance and sustained impact.
6. Transparency and Accountability
   Projects must have clear goals, measurable outcomes, and robust monitoring and evaluation plans. We require detailed proposals that outline how progress will be tracked and reported to ensure accountability to our donors and beneficiaries.

Our Decision-Making Process

Our project selection process is thorough, collaborative, and transparent, involving multiple stages to ensure fairness and alignment with our mission:

1. Project Proposal Submission
   Community groups, partner organizations, or internal program teams submit detailed proposals outlining the project’s objectives, target beneficiaries, budget, timeline, and expected outcomes. Proposals are accepted through our open application process or identified through community needs assessments.
2. Initial Review by Program Committee
   Our Program Committee, composed of staff and subject-matter experts, conducts an initial review to ensure proposals meet our selection criteria. Incomplete or misaligned proposals are returned with feedback for resubmission.
3. Community and Stakeholder Consultation
   For shortlisted proposals, we engage with local communities and stakeholders to validate the project’s relevance and feasibility. This step ensures that initiatives reflect the needs and priorities of those they aim to serve.
4. Evaluation and Scoring
   Proposals are scored based on the selection criteria, with input from program managers, financial analysts, and community representatives. We use a standardized rubric to assess impact, sustainability, and alignment with our mission.
5. Board Approval
   High-scoring proposals are presented to our Board of Directors for final approval. The board reviews recommendations from the Program Committee, ensuring strategic alignment with our long-term goals.
6. Project Launch and Monitoring
   Once approved, projects are assigned a dedicated team to oversee implementation. We establish clear milestones and regular reporting to track progress, address challenges, and ensure accountability.

Ensuring Fairness and Impact

To maintain fairness, we prioritize diversity in the communities we serve, ensuring that projects reach a wide range of beneficiaries, including marginalized groups. We also conduct regular reviews of our selection process to eliminate biases and improve efficiency. By adhering to these criteria and processes, Gracious Foundation ensures that every project we undertake advances our mission to feed, educate, protect, and empower vulnerable communities.