Association of Charitable Foundations ACF UK

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Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) - UK

• ACF is a membership organisation which supports
  the work of independent charitable trusts and
  foundations in the UK
• 308 members very diverse
• 2001-02 ACF quality framework piloted with 14
  diverse members, and published.
• Based on a process of self-assessment

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Why A Quality Framework?

• Broad trend to establish standards in sector
• A rigorous effort to improve work and quality of
  grant-making
• a self-assessment tool to help them think
  through their work and to facilitate their
  development
• It does not provide any single model of good
  practicenor...contain assumptions about what
  constitutes good grant-makingfocuses on listing
  questions that trusts need to consider

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A Quality Framework 9 areas, 3 levels

• Governance Strategy
• Assessment Monitoring
• Communications Administration
• Personnel Finance
• Evaluation
• Level 1 Legal compliance
• Level 2 Good practice
• Level 3 Advanced practice

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Quality Framework Approach

• Experience a of major UK trust
• Staff 3 - to answer questions, provide evidence
  base
• Process eight key meetings over 18 months
• Provoked debate, required work
• Raised awareness, addressed areas of weakness
• Encouraged reflection gave clarity and
  reassurance
• Overall, very positive but in their case
• Time consuming, should have ensured trustee
  involvement
• Would have liked peer review or some external
  input

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Lessons learned

• Self-assessment can work well
• Enables us to say something about quality without
  being directive
• Buy-in trusts can choose for themselves
• Dont underestimate resource commitment
• Monitoring uptake
• Advice for trusts that want to achieve levels
• Updating framework
• For more information
• Carol Mack carol_at_acf.org.uk