Funding opportunities often create excitement, particularly where projects face limited resources or uncertainty. However, not every opportunity represents a strong strategic or ethical fit. Responsible scaling sometimes requires careful reflection before pursuing new resources.

The matrix below may help practitioners consider how well a funding opportunity aligns with project purpose, values, and organisational capacity.

Funding fit matrix for assessing how well potential funding opportunities align with project purpose, participation values, governance, sustainability, and organisational capacity, using Strong Fit, Moderate Fit, and Weak Fit ratings.

After completing the matrix, reflect on whether the opportunity strengthens your long-term goals or introduces tensions that may become difficult to manage. Consider whether pursuing the opportunity could unintentionally alter priorities, stretch existing capacity, or shift attention away from meaningful participation.

As a final prompt, reflect on the following question:

Are we pursuing this opportunity because it genuinely supports our mission, or because resources feel difficult to refuse?

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