How to search for grants
- When searching for grants via search menus and through using keywords, try to think broadly about all of the types of grants your project may be eligible for. For example, if you are a sports club looking for funds to assist with supporting young volunteers, there may be sports grants available but there may also be community grants or grants for young people available as well.
- It is important to think laterally when searching for grants to ensure that you do not miss relevant opportunities. This requires a thorough approach when considering which keywords to use and which sections of the database to search. You want to be able to pull up reasonable numbers of grants from your searches around 10 is good – more can be overwhelming! This enables you to review small groups of grants for relevance and filter these through your own specific criteria.
- Look for a good match between your project and a grant. A decision to invest time and effort in writing a grant application needs to consider whether there is a realistic prospect of the application being successful. If you are unsure, it is worth calling the grant provider to discuss your project with them, before making a start on an application. They should be able to provide some useful guidance on whether your project aligns closely enough with the funder’s goals.
- Be proactive – an awareness of what grants are available now is a good start but ideally you want to know when a suitable grant opportunity is coming down the track. This enables you to be prepared, weed out unsuitable grants and submit strong, timely and strategic applications.
Choosing grants to apply for
Once you have found a grant or grants which you consider may be worth applying for:
- Check the closing date to ensure that you have enough time to submit a good application
- Check the eligibility criteria – do these rule your organisation and/or project out?
- Check the budget – will the grant provide sufficient funding for your project? Is there a contribution required and can this be raised?
- Understand the structure of your entity – is it a company, a joint venture, not-for-profit or charity?
- Do you have capacity to prepare the application and comply with the grant requirements (including reporting)? Will you need to outsource any aspects of the process in order to comply? If so, do you have sufficient time?
- What is unique and special about your project? What value does it bring and why would your project appeal to the funding provider?
- Read the guidelines and any other documents provided by the provider
- Attend any information sessions and/or contact the provider with pertinent questions. This ensures you are properly informed and also get your project onto the provider’s radar.
Writing compelling applications
- Start by ensuring you have a clear understanding of your project and can articulate the objectives logically. Do you have a comprehensive project plan? If any part of the project still needs to be fully developed, consider doing this work prior to starting a grant application
- Provide clear, consistent and concise answers to questions on the application form
- Provide answers to all questions
- Adhere to any word limits
- Provide supporting evidence for any claims made in your application and ensure these are attached (eg budgets, letters of support)
- Proof read the application (or ask someone else to) for spelling mistakes, grammar, repetition and overall readability
- Demonstrate value for money when discussing your budget. Ensure the figures add up and you have a good understanding of how much money your project requires, how it will be spent and what value it will produce. It is important to be accurate.
- Sign off in accordance with your organisation’s requirements
- Submit the application within the required timeframe and in accordance with the provider’s instructions
- Keep a copy of your application (questions and answers)
- Check your spam filters for any responses or requests for further information from the provider
Application rejections
Not every application will be successful. This may be for a number of reasons including the level of interest in the grant as well as possible issues with your grant application. Try to take opportunities to absorb constructive feedback which may assist you to submit better applications in the future.