Chapters apply for EU grants without waiting for headquarters
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Chapters apply for EU grants without waiting for headquarters

Chapters in a pan-European volunteer movement had no way into EU funding. Grant applications were a black box, and whatever one round learned was gone before the next. I ran the first applications myself, on Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, and that funding brought in the first four interns from four countries. Then I turned the method into templates, a self-documenting tracker and coaching for the first applicants, so chapters apply on their own instead of waiting for central budget.

About the Project:

Young members at Volt Europa wanted paid work in the sector, and EU money existed for exactly that. Nobody inside the organisation knew how to unlock it. Grant applications were a black box, leadership needed oversight, and hard-won know-how disappeared after every round.

My Process:

I built internal capacity instead of selling grant writing. I ran the first applications myself as pilots on programmes like Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, then documented what worked so colleagues could repeat it without me. The process gives leadership oversight without micromanaging, and gives applicants the agency to grow into independent change makers instead of leaning on the board.

Deliverables:

  • Clear templates, resources, and guides for grant applicants and leadership
  • A self-documenting tracking system: applicants log their own applications and learn from them as they go
  • A built-in learning loop: every application becomes data the next applicant can use to succeed
  • Coaching for the first round of applicants, with resources and 1:1 sessions to get them funded

Results:

Chapters could go after their own funding instead of waiting for central budget. I ran the first applications myself and unlocked Erasmus+ funding that brought in the first four interns, from four different countries, then wrote the guidance that let colleagues repeat it without me. For young members especially, a first funded project was a step toward a career as change makers. And because the system documents itself, every future application starts smarter than the last.