Sport and recreation is at the heart of Australian culture and plays a critical role in maintaining healthy and connected communities. Grants that aim to promote individual and community health and wellbeing can often be used to support sporting activities.
Many sporting opportunities are homegrown, place-based and owned by participants and supporters at a grassroots level. Thousands of not-for-profit sporting organisations across the country rely on dedicated volunteers, donations, and grants to operate.
The last two years of COVID-19 lockdowns and ongoing isolation requirements has had a detrimental impact on many sporting clubs and other organisations who are now in desperate need of funding to stay afloat.
Thankfully, millions of dollars in grants are available from local, state and national funding providers supporting sporting initiatives across Australia.
Whether you are starting up a new club or need to update worn-out facilities and equipment, you should definitely consider taking a look at grants to support your organisation’s activities.
What will sports and recreation grants fund?
Sports and recreation grants may be able to help you to pay for the costs of:
New community sports and recreation programs
-
Promoting community engagement in sports and recreation
-
Promoting inclusion for women, girls, people with disabilities, and other groups
-
Sports equipment
-
Sporting club facility infrastructure
-
Sports ground upgrades
-
Strategic planning
-
Registration fees, travel and/or accommodation costs.
You may also benefit from looking at community grants as well as health and wellbeing grants, especially at a grassroots level but potentially also from state government.
Community, health and wellbeing grants often have broad eligibility criteria and objectives meaning that you may be eligible to apply.
How can I find out about sports and recreation grants?
If you’re new to grant seeking, a great place to start is with your local council who should be able to let you know about any upcoming grant opportunities in your region. Your state’s Department of Sport (or equivalent) is also worth looking into for relevant grants.
You can also learn about specific grants through your memberships (e.g. with peak bodies) and other outlets that you subscribe to.
If you want to explore grants fully, consider using a grants finder like The Grants Hub to make sure you know about the latest grant opportunities from all levels of government plus philanthropic and corporate funding providers.
The Grants Hub members can search over 200 sport and recreation grants in our Grants Directory that are open right now, in addition to 300 closed sports and recreation grants that may have new rounds opening soon.
Here are a few examples of current grant listings:
Youth Engagement Grants
Provides grants to small multicultural and Aboriginal clubs and organisations to support projects that use cultural connection, sport, arts, music or other creative activities to engage young people.
Applications close 17 Aug 2022
Save to Favourites/Calendar | Apply Now
Choice Community Sports Grant
Offers grants to sporting clubs or individual sports club members.
Applications close 22 Aug 2022
Save to Favourites/Calendar | Apply Now
Sporting Schools Grants
Helps primary schools and secondary schools in relation to year 7 and 8 students deliver sport-based activities before, during or after school hours.
Applications close 26 Aug 2022
Save to Favourites/Calendar | Apply Now
The North Face Explore Fund
Helps to create access and drive equity in the outdoors by funding organisations around two themes: creating a community of new explorers, and protecting the environment.
Applications close 28 Aug 2022
Save to Favourites/Calendar | Apply Now
ClubGRANTS - Category 2
Provides funding for general community development and support activities, such as junior sport/grassroots sport or veteran welfare activities.
Always Open
Save to Favourites/Calendar | Apply Now
No Comments Yet
Let us know what you think