Reporting

As a condition of our grants, we ask for progress reports every six months. These short reports help us to understand how the project that we have funded is progressing, keep us updated on when you expect to claim the grant and are part of our due diligence.

We want our reporting process to be as ‘light touch’ as possible so we only ask for information that will help us with the monitoring of our grant and wider evaluation of our funding programmes.

This reporting process is for grants awarded through our direct capital funding programmes for places. If you receive funding through one of our partnership programmes, you will normally report in a different way.

Progress reports

The deadlines for progress reports are 30 April and 31 October each year until you have claimed all of your grant. We reserve the right to withdraw grants that are not claimed within the allotted time, particularly if you have not submitted progress reports or kept in ongoing contact with us about the progress of the project.

You can submit your progress report via our online application system. Reports will be available in your account at the beginning of April and October and you will receive an email reminder.

We moved to a new online application system in May 2025, provided by Blackbaud. If you have a Blackbaud login already from your application to us or another funder, or another Blackbaud product, you can use that login to sign in to the link above. If not, you can create a new account by selecting ‘create account’ on the bottom right of the login screen. Please note that Blackbaud’s system is also referred to as ‘GrantsConnect’ and ‘Your Cause’.

For more information on creating an account, and how to invite colleagues to review or edit your progress report, see our guidance on using our online application system.

You can also submit your progress report in your own format, with the key information below included. For example, if you’re writing a report for another funder, you can send this to us if it contains the information we ask for below. In this case, please email your progress reports to grants@wolfson.org.uk.

You can read more about progress reporting on our blog.

What we ask for

In your progress report we ask you for the following information:

Project progress: give us a brief update on the current stage of the capital works and key developments over the past six months, including any significant changes to the project. This should be focussed on the works your Wolfson grant is supporting but you can include the context of the wider project.
Timetable: provide details of the key stages of the project, including when each stage is due to start and end. You should also make sure you include the latest estimated project completion date and, if different, the date the facilities will be opened or start being used.
Financial details: provide the current estimated project cost, current shortfall and fundraising plan, including any funding pledged and pending decisions. If there have been significant changes to the project cost, please provide a brief explanation and outline how any increase in the shortfall is being met.
Claim date: tell us the month and year you expect to claim your grant. Unless we have agreed with you a different payment schedule, you should claim your grant as a single instalment. We understand that delivery timetables for capital projects can change. In most cases we are happy to agree changes to grant claim dates which fall within two years of the date of your Letter of Award. If you would like to request an extension, please briefly explain the change and provide a new proposed grant claim date for us to consider.

If you have questions about reporting, please email us.

After your grant has been claimed

After your grant has been fully claimed, we ask for brief updates when you reach major milestones, such as breaking ground, reaching a fundraising target, opening a building or installing key equipment. We also ask for a final report no later than one year after your overall project is finished.

Final report

In your final report, you should outline the outcomes of your project and describe how you overcame any challenges. You can also tell us how the project is helping you to meet your charitable objectives.

Download the final progress report form and email us a completed copy.

Alternatively, you can send us a final report in your own format if it contains the information we ask for. In this case, please email your progress reports to grants@wolfson.org.uk

In your final report, we ask for:

Completed project summary: Brief notes on the completion of the capital works, including any significant changes and end dates (e.g. date of building completion or opening date).
Final costs: total final cost; total funds raised from external sources; total funds committed by the organisation.
Project outcomes: Comment on the outcomes of the project in relation to the desired outcomes set out in your Stage Two application. Explain how outcomes were met or not met
Comments on the project: Brief description of the challenges you have faced. How were these overcome? What are the challenges for the future? Share any other comments on how this project is helping to achieve your charitable objectives.
Project images: Include images of the project if available. Please let us know if you give permission for us to use these on our website, in publications or on social media.
Feedback on the Wolfson Foundation: We welcome feedback about our funding programmes. We are particularly interested in comments on the application process, the system for claiming grants or reporting project progress and how we might improve grant administration.