‘Funder-led. Bureaucratic. Time-consuming. Misunderstood.’ All words that have been used to describe UK grant reporting – the process (or processes) by which charities report their progress to funders. A group of funders and charities have developed a set of principles to make grant reporting a shared, more meaningful and mutually beneficial experience. They are asking funders and funded organisations alike to feedback on the six principles that they believe will help to change the perception of grant reporting as a burdensome process and reframe it as a shared endeavour. They are also inviting funders to join the initial group in testing and using the principles. The principles are:
1. Funders explain why they have awarded a grant.
2. Funders and funded organisations are clear about what grant reporting will look like.
3. Funders are clear about the type of relationship they would like to have with the organisations they fund.
4. Funders only ask for information they need and use, and question whether they need bespoke reporting.
5. Funders give feedback on any grant reporting they receive, and share their thoughts on the progress of their work.
6. Funders describe what they do with the information they obtain from funded organisations.
