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Quest for Questions – FAQs

What is the 360Giving Challenge Fund?

The 360Giving Challenge Fund is an open invitation to the sector to share thoughts and ideas on the challenges facing you and how they might be solved by open data.

A challenge fund is an exciting way to support and accelerate social change. It is a structured process that brings together people from different disciplines to get new perspectives and air fresh ideas.

How does it work?

The project is divided into two stages – Quest for Questions and Digging the Data.

Stage 1: Quest for Questions

Questions are catalysts of change. Every research journey starts with a question and so does our challenge.

We want to hear from all of you involved in the grantmaking process – funders, grantees, beneficiaries, researchers and technical experts. We want you to think about the who, why, what, where, when and how of the challenges you face and that data would help solve. What do we need to know to improve the sector?

All of the questions will be posted online for others to see and comment on. We would like to have a diverse and inclusive discussion about these questions. There is no such thing as a bad question! Each question will help us to understand how we can improve grantmaking.

From now until 31st January 2018, questions can be sent to 360Giving via the 360Giving Forum, through twitter @360Giving using #Q4Qs, or by attending one of our regular data surgeries.


Stage 2: Digging the Data

A panel of experts will choose the best questions contributed by you that data might be able to answer. We will explore answers in two streams:

  1. Visualising: We will have an open competition for the best visualisation that will help to tackle our questions and suggest some answers.
  2. Data Journey: We will choose questions that can be explored more in depth by a data expert with a group of funders. Together, we will see what data is available, what can be answered and explore the steps needed to answer them, including what technological solutions might need to be built.

We will be awarding prizes for the best solutions and celebrating the winners at an event in August 2018.

What is the project timeline?

The Challenge Fund will run from November 2017 to August 2018. Key project dates are listed below.

November 2017– Quest for Questions launched

January 2018 – Submission period for questions ends

February 2018 – Selection of questions by expert panel

March 2018 – Launch of Stage 2: Digging the Data

August 2018 – Awards event for best visualisation

Who can participate in the Quest for Questions?

Everyone who cares about grantmaking in the UK can submit their questions, including funders, grantees, researchers, policy makers and journalists.

You can submit a question via our online forum or via twitter using @360Giving and #Q4Qs.

How can I sign up for the forum?

Go to the forum page on the 360Giving website and enter your email address. You will be sent a sign-up email and you will be asked to set up a password. Alternatively, you can sign in with your google account. You can then access the discussion forum and send in your questions.

Who should I contact for more information and help?

Contact labs@threesixtygiving.org and we’ll be pleased to help you take part in the 360Giving Challenge Fund and be part of improving data-driven grantmaking.