The Complete Toolkit - Gardiner Foundation

GETTING GRANTS
Where to look, who to target, what to ask for
The Takeaway: You can get grants for your
community project. You just need to follow the
process.
There are billions of dollars in grants given away each year. And in truth it’s
not that hard to get a slice of the action. You just need a little bit of knowledge.
All levels of government – federal, state, and local – give out grants, as do
many philanthropic trusts and foundations, community foundations, and some
large corporations.
Be aware, though, that almost all grants are available only to properly
constituted, incorporated community organisations. If your group is not
incorporated, you may be able to get auspiced by an organisation that is
incorporated. See the section titled ‘Maintaining Friendships’ for more
information about auspicing.
The project
It’s important to have a good idea in mind of exactly what you want funded
before you start your search for grants.
Do your homework – work out exactly what your community’s needs are and
how you think you can meet them. Collect the evidence.
Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to search, and pitch.
Finding grants
To find where the money is, start by checking in with your local council’s
Community Development Officer. Ask what sort of local grants are available,
and if they can recommend others that they think would suit your project.
Think about subscribing to Our Community’s EasyGrants newsletter
(see www.ourcommunity.com.au/easygrants), which lists every
government, corporate and philanthropic grant in Australia – if you’re
embarking on a community project and you need outside funding,
it’s pretty much indispensible.
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SECTION 4 KEEP GOING: Maintaining your Momentum
STRENGTHENING SMALL DAIRY COMMUNITIES TOOLKIT