FAQ
Please find answers to our most frequently asked questions below.
No. The Waterfall Fund was established to help the community surrounding the Garmony Hydro, so 100% of the funds generated by this Hydro directly benefit residents of the Isles of Mull, Iona, Gometra, Ulva, and Erraid.
Yes. Individuals can apply for the Fuel Fund, the Crisis Fund, the Sustainability Fund, the Business Start-up Grant, and for those under 21, the Johnny Paton Memorial Fund. All other grants are available to Constituted Community Groups.
A Constituted Community Group is a group organised to pursue a common, non-profit aim. These groups have a constitution (a set of legal structures) and for our purposes, a bank account that requires two signatures.
If your group isn’t constituted, you can look for a Constituted Community Group that aligns with your aims to sponsor your application. This means that they will need to apply on your behalf, and all funds will need to be paid to their bank account and then paid onto your group for the approved purchases.
Fuel hardship: if the fund is running low, Trustees may decide to ensure that a wider range of individuals benefit rather than repeating a payment to a previous recipient.
Any other type of application:
– criteria for success are clearly listed; if applicants have not directly addressed those criteria in their application then they are less likely to be successful. For example, showing that other sources of funding have been considered/approached, showing evidence of local support for the project, attaching quotations for work/supplies rather than just including an estimated ball-park figure.
– if funds are running low, Trustees may decide to share out the remaining funds as fairly as possible so that more eligible applicants can benefit, but by less than the amount applied for.
If your application is approved, the administrator will be in touch with the paperwork involved: a grant agreement that needs to be signed and returned, a link to the reporting form and logo, and a letter explaining what has been awarded. Once the agreement has been returned, your grant payment will be made to the bank account listed on your application. If you don’t return the agreement within a reasonable time period, the grant offer may be rescinded.
Once the grant has been spent, you must complete a Reporting Form that outlines and explains how the funds were spent. If you do not return the Reporting Form, the Trustees may view any future applications unfavourably.
If your grant application has not been approved, the Trustees will often give a reason, and in some instances, will offer suggestions about how to change or add to your application for resubmission. If you would like to question why your application wasn’t approved, please contact the administrator.
Please see Our Impact page to get a good idea of the projects that have been funded. If you have a question about an idea, please do contact the administrator but be aware that the administrator has no decision-making authority, so can only offer opinions and relay communication between Applicants and Trustees.
Still have more questions?
