Setting Up and Managing Funds
Funds are the foundation of your grant-making on Plinth. Each fund represents a pot of money with its own eligibility criteria, application form, and timeline. This guide walks you through creating and managing funds.
Why Use Funds?
Organise your grant-making — Keep different funding programmes separate with their own budgets, timelines, and criteria
Track spending — See at a glance how much has been awarded and disbursed from each fund
Customise the experience — Each fund can have its own application form, eligibility rules, and communications
Report accurately — Generate reports and analytics per fund for your trustees or stakeholders
Enabling Funds
Before you can create funds, you need to enable the feature:
Click Settings in the main navigation
Select the Features tab
Click Funder at the top to see funder features
In the Grant Management section, toggle Funds to enable it
Creating Your First Fund
Three Ways to Create a Fund
When you go to Funder > Funds, you'll see three options:
1. Upload Fund Guidelines (Recommended for existing programmes)
If you already have a PDF or Word document with your fund guidelines, this is the fastest option. The AI reads your document and fills in the fund details automatically.
Click Upload fund guidelines
Select your PDF, Word, or Excel file
Wait while the AI extracts the information
Review and adjust the pre-filled details
Click Save
2. Duplicate an Existing Fund
Perfect when you're running a similar programme to one you've already set up.
Click Duplicate existing fund
Select the fund you want to copy
All settings, forms, and criteria are copied across
Adjust any details for the new round
3. Start from Scratch
Build your fund step-by-step using the guided wizard.
The Fund Setup Wizard
Whether you start from scratch or review an AI-imported fund, you'll work through five steps:
Step 1: Basic Information
Set up the fundamentals of your fund.
Field | What to enter |
Fund Name | A clear name applicants will see (e.g. "Community Support Fund 2025") |
Description | Explain what the fund is for and who it's aimed at |
Contact Name | Who applicants should contact with questions |
Contact Email | Email address for enquiries |
Fund Prefix | Auto-generated identifier (A, B, C...) used in application IDs |
Analytics Dashboard | Enable to create a public dashboard showing fund statistics |
Step 2: Financial Details
Define the money available.
Field | What to enter |
Currency | The currency for this fund (GBP, USD, EUR, etc.) |
Total Fund Amount | The total budget allocated to this fund |
Maximum Grant Size | The largest single grant you'll award (optional) |
Why this matters: These figures help you track spending and show applicants what's available. The system will show you how much remains as you make awards.
Step 3: Timeline
Set when applications open and close, and when funded projects should run.
Field | What it controls |
Applications Open Date | When applicants can start applying |
Applications Close Date | Deadline for submissions |
Delivery Start Date | When funded projects should begin |
Delivery End Date | When funded projects should complete |
How dates affect status: The fund automatically shows as "Upcoming" before opening, "Open" during the application window, and "Closed" after the deadline passes.
Step 4: Funding Preferences
Define what you will and won't fund, plus eligibility criteria.
What We Fund / What We Won't Fund
Describe the types of projects, activities, or costs you support (and don't support). This helps applicants self-select and gives the AI context for assessing applications.
Geographic Restrictions
Limit where applicants can be based. Choose from:
Radius from point(s) — Set one or more locations with a distance radius
Boundary area — Select from predefined regions (local authorities, etc.)
Draw custom shapes — Draw your own boundaries on the map
Eligibility Screening
Set rules to automatically screen applicants. See the Portals and Eligibility guide for detailed instructions on setting up eligibility rules.
Strengths and Weaknesses
List what makes a strong or weak application. The AI uses these when scoring applications and generating feedback.
Step 5: Communications
Customise the messages applicants receive.
Field | What it's for |
Application Confirmation Email | Sent automatically when someone submits an application |
Grant Agreement Communications | Information shown to successful applicants during the agreement process |
Grant Agreement Template | Select a letter template to use for formal grant agreements |
Click Save or the fund name button to create your fund.
Managing Your Fund
Once created, your fund has two main areas accessed via the toggle at the top of the page:
Set-up & Award
Use these tabs during the application and assessment phase:
Set-up — View and edit all fund settings
Applications — See and manage all applications received
Assessment — Score and evaluate applications (requires an assessment form)
Awards — Make funding decisions
Manage & Monitor
Use these tabs after you've awarded grants:
Summary — Overview of fund impact and outcomes
Disbursements — Track payments to grantees
Agreements — Manage grant agreements and signatures
Monitoring — Collect progress reports from grantees
Reports — Generate analytics and reports
Editing Fund Settings
Go to Funder > Funds and click on your fund
Click the Set-up tab
Click Edit Fund in the top right
Navigate to the section you want to change
Make your changes and click Save Changes
Tip: You can also click the edit icon on any section card to jump directly to that part of the wizard.
Setting Up Your Application Form
Each fund needs an application form for applicants to complete.
Go to your fund's Set-up tab
Click View Form
If no form exists, you'll be taken to the form builder to create one
Add questions, sections, and configure field types
Save your form
See the Form Builder guide for detailed instructions on creating forms.
Setting Up an Assessment Form (Optional)
An assessment form lets you and your team score applications consistently.
Why use an assessment form?
Score applications against the same criteria
Have multiple assessors review the same application
Compare scores across applications
Generate AI-powered feedback based on scores
To create an assessment form:
Go to your fund's Assessment tab
Follow the prompts to create an assessment form
Add scoring questions (numeric scales, yes/no, text feedback)
Fund Status Explained
Your fund's status is calculated automatically based on the dates you set:
Status | What it means |
Upcoming | The applications open date hasn't arrived yet |
Open | Applications are being accepted |
Closed | The application deadline has passed |
To change the status, adjust the dates in the Timeline section of your fund settings.
Inviting External Assessors
You can invite people outside your organisation to help assess applications.
Go to your fund's Assessment tab
Click to invite an external assessor
Enter their email address
They'll receive an invitation to create an account and access applications
Controlling what external assessors see:
Disable AI features — Turn off AI assistance for external assessors
Hide applicant information — Redact identifying details for blind assessment
Question-level privacy — Hide specific application questions from external assessors
Deleting a Fund
If you need to remove a fund:
Go to Funder > Funds
Find the fund in the list
Click the delete icon in the Actions column
Confirm the deletion
Warning: Deleting a fund removes all associated applications and data. This cannot be undone.
Tips for Effective Fund Management
Be specific about what you fund
Clear descriptions of what you will and won't fund help applicants self-select and improve the quality of applications you receive.
Set realistic timelines
Give applicants enough time to prepare quality applications. Consider bank holidays and busy periods when setting deadlines.
Use geographic restrictions wisely
If your fund is only for a specific area, set this up to automatically filter out ineligible applicants.
Configure eligibility screening
Save time by automatically screening out applications that don't meet basic criteria before you review them.
Customise your communications
Personal, branded emails create a better experience for applicants and reflect well on your organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have multiple funds open at the same time?
Yes. Each fund operates independently with its own timeline, budget, and application form.
Can I copy a fund for a new round?
Yes. Use the "Duplicate existing fund" option when creating a new fund. All settings and forms are copied.
What happens to applications when I close a fund?
Existing applications remain accessible. You can continue to review, assess, and award grants after the fund closes to new applications.
Can I reopen a closed fund?
Yes. Edit the fund and change the Applications Close Date to a future date.
How do I connect a fund to a portal?
When editing a portal, add the fund to the "Funds in this portal" list. See the Portals guide for details.
Can external assessors see all fund settings?
No. External assessors can only see and score the applications assigned to them. They cannot access fund configuration, other applications, or sensitive data.