About Grants
Government, philanthropic and community organisations award grants to support creative, cultural and economic policy aims.
My grant writing content will help you to learn about grants, understand the grant writing process and find Australian grants to support your creative practice.
Grant basics.
What are grants? Who makes and gives grants? What’s involved if you’re awarded a grant? Jump to a few grant basics to get you started.
Tips on grant writing.
Check out my short guide for advice on effective grant writing. Learn about the stages of preparing a typical grant application.
Find grants and support.
Jump to the resource hub to see what grants have been announced. There are links to the organisations supporting Australian creatives with grants advice and fund-raising.
Your local council is also a great place to apply for a grant, or connect with community funding networks.
Expertise and services.
Grant writing requires a wide range of skills in project management, business writing, budgeting, risk management and funding agreements.
My expertise and services will help with your grant application and acquittal of your legal responsibilities.
Grant Basics
A grant is funding (usually of cash) invested by Government, or an organisation, for public good (i.e. cultural, social, environmental, and economic aims).
You must be eligible (by meeting the conditions of the grant), demonstrate merit and align with the grant program purpose.
Grants come with hoops and strings. ‘Obligations’ is a better word. If successful, you’ll enter into a funding agreement that has conditions, such as providing reports, sharing any publicity and record keeping.
Most grants are by application. You can learn more about good grant writing in this short guide.
Ride the grant wheel.
Learn about the grant writing stages.
How to win?
Have a clear purpose, plan ahead, get organised and write concisely.
My services will support you on the ride.
If you’re a creative professional, time poor and put-off from applying for grants, I can give expert advice.
I can take on the heavy lifting, and support you from beginning to end.
The following short guide to grant writing gives just a few tips.
I’ve a lot more…
A short guide to grant writing.
Investing in my grant writing services will build confidence and skills to prepare a strong application.
Here’s a short guide to get you across the key stages of preparing a strong application.
A short guide to grant writing
Grant writing wheel.
Work your way around the wheel. Following my grant writing tips will help.
But first, stop and consider:
Why now?
What’s the value (what is the return on an investment in me and my project)?
What if I’m not successful, what then?
Write the outstanding.
Plan.
Have clear purpose and value that aligns with the grant aims.
Be sure the grant is ‘right’ for your practice. Ask yourself questions. Ask the grant-giver questions.
Is this grant a good fit? Can I meet all the requirements and closing date? How will the funding be spent? What value has this proposal for my practice and society?
Create a mini project plan, setting out the milestone dates for each stage of the grant wheel.
Read.
Carefully read the grant summary and guidelines / FAQs.
Read up on eligibility, requirements and the assessment process. Look for clues!
How will I be assessed? Can I respond to each assessment criteria? Research the organisation and previous ‘winners’. Revisit any previous applications (successful, or otherwise).
Gather.
Gather the required information.
Do I need to update my practice portfolio? How do I budget to show how the funding can be best used?
Who can provide me the most powerful reference (not the easiest to get)?
Is my project schedule realistic and comprehensive?
Be credible.
Draft.
Succinctly address the grant objectives and all assessment criteria.
Write concisely. Respond to each criteria. Don’t skip or skim on the trickier parts. Imagine a scorecard. Is there too much, or too little detail? Be specific.
Assessors work fast. They want to find the right information, quickly. Make sure every piece of information counts on your scorecard.
Submit.
Rest and reflect, before you push on.
Spell, grammar and sense check. Proofread.
Comply with any file-naming protocols, word count limits and the closing date. Don’t give easy excuses to knock you out of the game.
Always. Always re-draft. Have a checklist. What have I missed? Could I explain that better? Am I still missing an influential ‘letter of support’? Are my document uploads correct? Are my URL’s working?
Follow-up.
Make a phone call to the grant-giver.
If appropriate, speak to an assessor, simply to confirm your submission has been received.
Be passionate, engaged and curious; you’re not just another application.
Do not try to ‘influence’ the decision-making.
Did you find the short guide useful?
I’d enjoy receiving your ideas, thoughts, questions, or issues I’ve not fully addressed?
Please send an email to chris_gorman2020@outlook.com.
Do you have better sense of what’s involved in grant writing?
It’s a blend of research, compelling story telling and basic business skills.
Jump to a summary of my expertise & services.
Or contact me to get going…
Resource hub.
Grant funding sources and assistance for creatives: federal, state and local
Support for creatives
Creative Plus Business is a fantastic social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills.
There’s heaps of information, training, support and help needed to work for yourself in the creative and cultural industries.
Grants advice
www.business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs
Business.gov offers help in looking for grants that are applicable to small business in Australia.
There’s a nifty search tool to find grants, funding and support programs from across government to help your business grow.
Creative Australia
www.creative.gov.au/investment-and-development
Creative Australia offers an extensive grants program that supports a diverse range of artists, artistic practice, organisations and arts activity.
Music Australia
Music Australia is a dedicated new body to support and invest in the Australian contemporary music industry. Grant programs are being announced, including:
Philanthropy Australia
Philanthropy Australia is the body for philanthropy and is a non-profit membership organisation. Subscription gives you access to a listing of their members of foundations and trusts whom provide funding.
Philanthropy Australia is working closely with its members, the Government and sector leaders, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Funding Centre
The Funding Centre provides free help sheets, services, newsletters, books and training to help community groups improve their fundraising abilities and become healthier and more viable.
It’s the place where not-For-Profits go for funding.
They have great advice on grants.
Copyright Agency Cultural Fund
www.copyright.com.au/culturalfund
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund provides grants for Australia’s creators.
In response to COVID-19 CAL announced new grants and opportunities for writers, publishers, visual artists.
Find Grants.
Grants and funding news
Search these great organisations and websites for open grants, practical support and to learn more about fund campaigning.
Connect with councils
Local government is a major grant-giver to support creatives.
Start by checking out council’s webpages for up-to-date grants info and links to community funding networks.
arts.gov.au Federal whole-of-government assistance for cultural and creative sector
The Arts Hub grants search tool
GrantConnect current Australian Government grant opportunities and grants awarded
The Funding Centre grant and fund raising hub
Our Community provides advice, connections, training and more
Australian Cultural Fund fundraising platform for Australian artists
APRA AMCOS copyright, licensing, programs and support
Find grants to support your practice.
Expertise & Services
Depending on your time, capacity and experience,
it could make sense to outsource the grant writing.
Here’s a summary of my skills and services to help you succeed.
Project Planning.
Help to plan, co-ordinate and control the ride on the grant wheel.
From start to end.
It could be fun.
Analysis.
Help on the research and analysis, before jumping on board.
Is the grant a good fit?
Requirements too much, for too little?
Strategies.
Help to devise strategies for a winning application.
How you can stand out.
Collation.
Help to collate information to comply with the requirements.
There’s a lot to pull together.
Writing.
The language of grants, government and decision-makers can be tricky.
Help to prepare the words to show your worth, to present a point-of-difference and submit a professional application.
Risk.
Where there’s money, there’s risk and accountability.
Help to identify and assess project risks and strategies to reduce or remove those risks.
Funding Agreement.
Grant ‘winners’ often enter into agreements.
Advice on the conditions and obligations and help to negotiate, if appropriate.
Reporting & Acquittal.
Accountability and obligations mean reports and financial records.
Help to meet your obligations, to ensure the funds are released and to close-down the agreement (Acquittal).
“Clear, concise and compelling -
grant applications written the right way”