Funding Criteria

The following standards are used by Self-Development of People Committees to determine whether a project is valid for funding within this ministry. The standards include the following criteria:

Projects considered must:

• Be presented, owned, and controlled by the group of economically poor people who will benefit directly from it.
• Address long-term correction of conditions that keep people bound by poverty and oppression. This will utilize some combination of the SDOP core strategies to promote justice, build solidarity, advance human dignity, and advocate for economic equity.
• Be sensitive to the environment while accomplishing its goal(s) and objectives.
• Not advocate violence as a means of accomplishing its goal(s) and objectives.

Projects presented for funding will:

• Describe, in detail, its goal(s) (the point of the project), its objectives (the specific steps the group will take to accomplish the goal[s]), the way the direct beneficiaries will be involved in all stages of the project, and the methods to be used to achieve the goal(s) and objectives. It will also specify how those methods align with the SDOP core strategies.
• Describe fully the resources known to be available for its support, including a description of a) those within the community, b) those available to the community, and c) the in-kind and other financial resources sought or to be sought.
• Contain a balanced income and expenditure budget.  A financial plan showing expected income and expenditures over the funding term of the project will be included.
• Specify an evaluation plan that includes how progress toward the stated goal(s) and objectives will be evaluated, and when the evaluation will be made. This plan will also outline how progress toward the goal(s) and objectives align with the SDOP core strategies.