Local

It is important to find out where your local council advertises grants. This may be via the website &/or promoted through their social media / eDMs, local media etc. Sign up or subscribe to not miss out on any opportunities.

State Government

Click on the below links to access grants through your State or Territory Government, or some other relevant sport specific organisations.

ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA

AFL State / Territory body

Your local league and/or state AFL body may also have regular communications and/or webpages with information about available grants. Ask your league for any guidance that they can provide and check out your AFL State / Territory website to see if they are promoting any current grants for facilities or more.

AFL NSW/ACT | AFLNT | AFL QLD | SANFL | AFL TAS | AFL VIC | WAFC

Other Organisations

You may like to consider regular reviewing websites &/or subscribing to organisations that regularly promote grant opportunities. Some suggestions to consider include:

• Australian Sports Commission
• Australian Sports Foundation
• Clearinghouse for Sport
• Sports Community
• The Grants Hub

Whilst each grant will be unique in what you need to provide and the depth of the information required, the following checklist is a handy guide to work through when completing the grant application

Before you start writing your grant application, it’s important to understand why grants are unsuccessful (so you can avoid making the same mistakes!).

Some of the most common reasons grants are not successful include:

• The project didn’t satisfy the purpose of the grant
• The application didn’t include all the necessary information
• The application lacked proof of support from key stakeholders
• The project wasn’t viable/wasn’t enough financial support

Generally, the first thing a grant provider will do is review each grant to determine if all the information is complete and that the applicant is eligible to apply. Grant providers will not call you if the grant application is incomplete, missing information or is incorrect. Your application will be rejected.

Make sure your project is eligible and your application is complete before submission, so you don’t waste your time applying for a grant that never had a chance.

Most grant programs are now online however it’s recommended you start by writing your application in a word document. This will allow you to come back to it, spell check the application and then share with others before submitting it.

Tips for the writing process include:

• The purpose of the grant is clearly addressed in your answers
• All criteria are clearly addressed
• There are clear details about how the project will be achieved and how progress will be measured
• Ensure your application is within the word count
• Don’t ramble! Remember there are often large numbers of applications and accessors want clear and concise information. It is ok to use quality dot points
• Back up your application with supporting material! Use the Bureau of Statistics, league and club information to solidify any claims
• Remember to list the positive impact your project will have – not only on your club but the wider community

Once you have written the application, circulate it to the club committee for it to be reviewed and proofed. This will ensure:

• Every answer addresses the question in full, is complete and is accurate
• Spelling and grammar are correct
• Your application includes all supporting information and is accurate and complete

The final step is to submit the application. While most grants are online, some still require hard copies of certain documents. Please allow time for this.

Once you have submitted the grant, call the provider to ensure they have received the application.

If your grant is successful, remember to collect and file any information that may be needed to acquit the grant. Depending on the size of the grant, your local or state AFL staff member may be able to assist with some advice regarding the acquittal process.

Make sure you keep all the grant information together for the next grant application. The next grant application should be a lot faster if you have all supporting information in one place which is accurate and complete.