Tips for applicants

Tips

Strengthen your FCEF application by following these tips:

1. Reach out before you start – chat with the Fund Coordinator or Education Coordinator in your district before you begin to confirm your project idea meets the Fund’s themes and has an educational component
2. Speak with leadership – discuss your project idea with your local union leadership and/or servicing staff representative to gain application support
3. Involve your target audience – make sure your proposal is of interest to who you’re developing it for by speaking to your target audience before beginning your application, e.g. speak with members with teenagers before you start planning a USW teen event
4. Create your educational component – projects must have an educational element that engages your participants actively and is not just handing out pamphlets, e.g. an activity-based workshop
5. Make time – give yourself time to come up with your idea, get buy-in from colleagues, and draft your proposal well before the application deadline/your event
6. Show ‘fit’ – clearly connect your proposal to at least one of the Fund’s themes, e.g. “This project supports Steelworker families because it X, Y, Z”
7. Show ‘why’ – be obvious about why your proposal idea is important to show reviewers its significance, e.g. “We want to do this union orientation workshop because we want more new and young members of our local getting involved in union issues and developing a sense of shared ownership of our local”
8. Ask for help – the Fund Coordinator or Education Coordinator in your district can assist you with all things Fund-related just as your colleagues can assist with coming up with project ideas and drafting applications

Reporting

Clear, accurate reporting on projects is simple and helps us learn more about the fantastic work of our contributing locals! Reports can be sent via email – no additional paperwork required. Don’t forget to send us your receipts for all claimed expenses.

Use this checklist to keep track of the FCEF’s reporting requirements:

• Copies of all expenses incurred (e.g., receipts, invoices, memos, etc.)
• Digital copies of a minimum of 5 pictures taken during the event
  
  We’re proud of the FCEF-funded events you host and want to share your successes with other local unions! We can’t do this without photos, though.

• Report on:
  •      Number of participants
  •      Whether or not the project met its objectives, and how
  •      Positive elements and/or obstacles encountered
  •      Feedback from participants and/or organizers
  •      How you could build on this project’s positive results

Applicants with outstanding reporting requirements may be unable to seek funds for future projects. Your final reporting helps the FCEF evaluate its reach, as well as member and community impact.