How the Veolia Environmental Trust Transformed Grantmaking: An 8-Year Journey with Optimy

The Veolia Environmental Trust, a UK-registered charity, supports community and environmental projects across England through the Landfill Communities Fund, a UK government tax credit scheme that allows landfill operators to direct a portion of their tax liabilities toward impactful projects. Since 1997, the Trust has awarded over £106 million across 2,600 projects, providing grants ranging from £5,000 to £350,000. As a small team of six, they focus on robust due diligence, transparency, and sustainable change in the communities they serve.

Challenges

The Trust faced substantial operational challenges prior to adopting Optimy in 2016. With over 200 applications annually and only a small team to manage them, manual, paper-based processes were straining resources. Applications were time-consuming to process and track, requiring data entry from physical forms and slowing down responsiveness during trustee decision-making. Additionally, strict regulations governing the Landfill Communities Fund meant the Trust needed a reliable, transparent, and cost-effective system that could handle their unique compliance needs.

Solution

In 2016, the Trust chose Optimy after hearing positive recommendations from peer foundations and sector experts. Optimy provided the flexibility and centralized data management they required. The Trust shifted to a digital application system, eliminating the need for paper files and allowing applicants to submit online, saving significant time and reducing errors. The digital format allowed them to automate calculations, such as budget totals, helping applicants avoid common mistakes and making it easier for the team to review applications.

Additionally, Optimy enabled the Trust to “produce documents,” such as funding agreements, directly from the platform, where they could store everything securely in one place for easy retrieval. “With Optimy,” explained Elizabeth Cooke, Head of Grants at Veolia Environmental Trust, “we know exactly where everything is for every project, and we can bring it up really quickly on the screen for everyone to see, whether that’s pictures or information from the applicant.”

The system's collaborative features also allowed for improved internal communication, making it possible for any team member to quickly access project information and respond to inquiries. As Elizabeth noted, “We’re a lot more effective. You’re not dependent on a single person for a single piece of information.”

Results

Optimy has delivered several significant improvements for Veolia Environmental Trust:

• Enhanced Efficiency: Automated processes have reduced the time spent on administrative tasks, such as sending outcome letters, from weeks to just hours. “We don’t even think about these tasks now,” said Elizabeth, “it’s all so quick.” This efficiency has allowed the team to focus on higher-value tasks and support for applicants.
• Increased Transparency and Accountability: With centralized project information, the team now has real-time access to data, enabling prompt and accurate responses to inquiries from applicants and trustees. According to Andrew Brown, Executive Director, Optimy “enables us to flex” with changes in funding and project volume, making it a highly adaptable tool.
• Flexibility for Diverse Funding Needs: Optimy’s flexible platform has made it easy for the Trust to set up new funding streams with specific criteria, such as restricted funds from other trusts with geographical limitations. “Optimy made it really easy for us to set up bespoke pots of funding,” said Andrew, helping the Trust efficiently manage complex funding requirements.
• Scalable Impact Measurement: With Optimy’s reporting tools, the Trust is now able to measure project outcomes more effectively, aligning with their strategic goals around climate change, biodiversity, and community empowerment. This data has been essential in allowing the Trust to make strategic decisions and assess the impact of funded projects.

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