Meet the minds behind Funds Online – Kalli Jayasuriya

Did you know that all of the information on Funds Online is carefully sourced, gathered, quality-checked and written by our small team of expert researchers?

In this interview series, DSC’s Researchers share more about their daily work, the challenges and rewards of funding research, and their expert tips to get the most from Funds Online. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people and processes that support our subscribers.

In our first interview, we sit down to chat with Kalli Jayasuriya, Senior Researcher at DSC.

What’s your top tip to get the best out of Funds Online?

I would recommend taking a look at the news section on the Funds Online website. It’s packed full of really useful advice about funding and fundraising. It’s a great way to stay inspired and up to date. We also post updates about Funds Online offers there!

When it comes to searching for funding, my top tip is to use the ‘Only show funders that accept unsolicited applications’ tick box. You can find this under the ‘Refine results’ section on the search page. It’s a really effective time-saving tool and ensures that your results only show funders that are open to receiving applications from organisations that have not been directly invited to submit one.

What challenges do you face when updating Funds Online funders?

One of the biggest challenges for the research team is tracking down the right information. Regardless of if their size, some funders do not have a website and share very little detail on their Charity Commission record. This can make it difficult to build a clear picture of what they’re really looking to support.

Details such as the types of causes that the funder supports, the typical sizes of their grants, and the types of organisations they fund are incredibly valuable. When this information is available, it makes a huge difference: fundraisers can focus their efforts on opportunities that are genuinely relevant, and funders receive fewer applications that fall outside their criteria. It’s a win-win when the information is there, but a challenge when it is not.

How do you see research on funding evolving?

I think that research on funding is going to be affected by the increasing accessibility and capability of AI tools. In some ways, this is exciting. In theory, AI will help our team process and check our work faster, meaning that we can provide our subscribers with more regular updates.

That said, I think that we should be mindful of the potential drawbacks of AI as it needs rigorous human oversight to ensure accurate information and safe use. In particular, I’m concerned about the environmental impact of AI. As the use of AI becomes increasingly popular, I am keen to factor this concern into our discussions and policies at DSC.

What qualities make a good funder?

For me, a key indicator of a good funder is that they communicate openly with their beneficiaries and prospective applicants. Keeping people informed about any important updates, such as the opening and closing of grant programmes, strategic changes and any changes to application processes, is really important.

Funders can use social media, their Charity Commission record, or their website as public noticeboards. When funders communicate well, it reduces confusion, builds trust and increases engagement. Where it is available, our researchers add funders’ websites and/or social media to Funds Online. To find this information, click on a funder, and it will be on the left-hand side of the page.

Where can we find you when you’re not at your desk researching funders?

I’d love to say at my allotment doing some weeding and stressing about what gardening tasks need doing. However, I’ve been very lazy the past few months and neglected my beautiful, if overgrown, plot. Otherwise, I’m usually reading a book, currently Brave New World, or around my neighbours’ house to watch some trash TV. I also spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking!

To read more articles from DSC’s expert research team and access over 8,000 funders giving over £8 billion in grants, visit Funds Online.