Every year, hundreds of projects of all shapes and sizes are submitted to the Aviva Community Fund. After a round of public voting, a panel of judges have the tough job of awarding funds to the successful projects. But what turns a good application into a great one? We asked some past judges what they thought made the top entries stand out.
"As a former Magazine editor, I was always looking for great stories, for projects that were unique and making a huge difference in their communities. To make a great impact with the judges make sure you tell those stories about real people and use their testimonies to show that your project changes lives."
– Paul Morgan, Communications Director, Premiership Rugby
"A submission that’s from the heart always stands out. One that you can clearly see will make a difference and enhance people’s lives. One that sends a message to others to be generous in your community. Speak from your heart and be really clear about the true intentions of your submission. Words really do make a difference, so be concise and honest with the ones you use."
– Shane Hamill, previous winner and guest judge 2017
"Creating an entry that has a clear description of the project and who it’s going to benefit is really helpful – any background that you can give to where the idea came from also helps to bring it to life. The submissions that stand out most are the ones that really articulate their impact. The impact doesn’t have to be to a huge number of people – it can be small, but the judges need to clearly understand that. Original applications also stand out – think about who else may be applying in your category for something similar and think about how you can make yours different."
"Clearly relate your application to the submission criteria, think about how you lay out your entry and use the word count cleverly. The easier you can make it for the judges to understand your project the better. The use of photos and quotes from beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries help to bring the project to life. Visualising the impact the project will have really helps with judging."
