A grant is a means of financial assistance awarded to an individual or organisation to help with things such as:
- developing or running a community program
- study or career development
- research
- developing solutions to problems
- funding ideas and initiatives
- assistance in times of hardship.
Grants are mainly funded through:
- federal, state and local governments
- the private sector
- individual sponsorships
- non-government organisations.
Find grants
You will have to do some research to find a grant that suits your needs.
The following databases, search engines and contacts will help you find out what grants are currently available:
- Grant Guru – a searchable listing of national grants and funding programs for community based and not for profit organisations.
- GrantsLINK - this federal government directory has information on federal, state and local government funding.
- South Australian local councils - a variety of grants are available through local councils. Contact them direct for more information.
- Grant Search Australia - this database contains approximately 3,000 sources of financial support for various projects. This site has a subscription fee.
- Volunteering Australia - this site has information on grants available specifically for the volunteer sector.
- Our Community grants database - this site provides a comprehensive listing of grants from around Australia and internationally. For a fee you can subscribe to get access to the EasyGrants newsletter and database.
Tips to help you apply for grants
Grants are usually competitive and each grant will have its own funding criteria and requirements. Some tips to help you apply for grants are:
- check the grant guidelines to make sure you or your organisation are eligible to receive the grant
- check the application process – find out exactly what documents you need to submit, and the closing date for applications
- give yourself time to plan, prepare and revise your application
- do research about the grant program to understand what the funding providers are looking for
- provide supporting documents to strengthen your application – these can include items such as positive newspaper clippings about your organisation or projects you have done before, or letters of recommendation
- respond to all the selection criteria
- provide evidence to support your claims against the criteria
- read and complete the declaration
- ask for help from the grant provider if you are uncertain of the information required
- make sure you are authorised to sign the application on behalf of your organisation
- sign and submit the application by the due time and date
- keep a copy of your application.
It's possible to hire a consultant or a grant submission writer to assist you to develop or refine your grant application. Contact lists are available through the
Our Community website.
Grant writing
Improving your skills when preparing applications for grants can mean the difference between getting a grant or missing out.
The Our Community
How to write a successful grant application site may be useful when writing applications.
Training for grant writing
You can access free training for grant writing through Volunteering SA & NT. Check their
training calendar for course dates.