A donor is an organisation that provides non-repayable funding for public-benefit purposes and sets the rules for using it: who may apply, what the money may be spent on and how it must be reported. Donors range from the EU to national governments, private foundations and corporate programmes, and the type of donor largely determines how demanding the requirements are.
- Sets
- All the rules
- Most formalised
- EU programmes
- Check first
- Eligibility
- Underestimated
- Reporting requirements
A donor is an organisation providing non-repayable funding for public-benefit purposes. But for an applicant something else matters more: the donor sets the rules, and its type determines how demanding the whole procedure will be.
Four types, not equal in complexity
Supranational bodies – the EU and its programmes. The largest budgets and the most formalised procedures: organisation registration, multi-stage evaluation, detailed cost eligibility rules.
National governments – bilateral aid through their own agencies. Rules vary by country and are often tied to national law.
Private foundations – usually more flexible procedures and smaller amounts, but less predictable criteria.
Corporate programmes – the fastest decisions, the smallest amounts, often tied to the company's interests.
What to establish before applying
Whether you are eligible – by organisation type, country, field. This is what gets proposals rejected without being read.
What share is covered and whether co-financing is required.
Which costs are eligible – in particular whether administrative costs are covered and at what rate.
What reporting is required – and whether your accounting system can actually deliver it.
The last is the most underestimated. Winning a grant whose reporting you cannot sustain is worse than not winning: the consequence is repayment.
A rule that saves months
Donors almost never make exceptions to their own rules, but almost always answer questions before the deadline. The call's support service exists for exactly that – and using it is cheaper than guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Where should we start when researching a donor?
With the eligibility criteria: type of organisation, country, field. These are the grounds on which a proposal is rejected without even being read. And immediately after that, with the reporting requirements: if your accounting system cannot cope with them, a win will turn into a repayment of funds.
Can we put questions to the donor while the call is open?
Yes, and it is worth doing. The call helpdesk answers questions up to the deadline, which is cheaper than guessing. Donors do not make exceptions to their rules, but they are happy to give clarifications.
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Updated 27.07.2026 · Reviewed by: GetGrant editorial team
