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FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible?
What does not-for-profit mean?
What does charitable and benevolent mean?
When can I apply?
What kinds of grants exist?
How much can I apply for?
Are Aboriginal organisations only able to apply for the Aboriginal grants, seniors organisations for the seniors grants etc?
Are there proposals that won't be supported?
How many times can I apply?
What do I need to do to apply?
Do I have to provide referee contacts and letters of support?
Is there a limit on how much information I can provide?
How detailed does the budget need to be?
Should I include GST in my budget?
What proportion of a grant request will Lotterywest support?
How will I know what to apply for?
Is there anybody I can talk to about my proposal?
How are grants assessed?
How likely am I to be successful?
Can I get feedback if my proposal is not successful?
How long is the process?
Can Lotterywest help me prepare the grant application?
Can we submit a joint application with another organisation?
What is involved with being accountable for the grant?
What are Lotterywest's Grant Conditions?
Can I apply for another grant if I already have a Lotterywest grant that I haven't finalised?
Can organisations based outside Western Australia apply for a Lotterywest Grant?
Can organisations based outside Australia apply for a Lotterywest Grant?
Can I apply for a grant towards items for a project or service that is or has been subject to Tender?
Can I request that a grant decision be reviewed?
Can retrospective requests be considered?
Who is eligible for a grant?
An Act of Parliament determines what types of organisations can receive a Lotterywest grant, and for what purposes grants can be used.
Grants are available to:
• Not-For-Profit Organisations and
• Local Government Authorities.
Grants cannot be made to individuals, private or for-profit organisations, government bodies or organisations with a statutory base.
For projects/services that are subject to Tender processes, special conditions apply. Please read our Policy and contact us before applying for a grant.
Grants can only be provided to support initiatives that are for a charitable or benevolent purpose and which directly benefit the Western Australian community.
We encourage you to contact us to discuss your organisation and your proposal to see if it may be eligible for a grant.
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What does not-for-profit mean?
A not-for-profit organisation is one that:
a) Uses all monetary surplus solely for the purposes of its objectives and not to financially benefit its members in any way.
b) Has a wind up clause in its constitution or memorandum of articles of association that provides for assets to be distributed to a 'like' organisation and not to its own members. (For an organisation that is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act but has no wind up clause in its constitution, satisfaction of this may be assumed as the Act prevails.)
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What does charitable and benevolent mean?
In relation to applying for Lotterywest grants, charitable and benevolent purposes are those that seek to do good towards others in the community. This may include relieving poverty or sickness, addressing the needs of the young or the aged, advancing education or otherwise benefiting the community.
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When can I apply?
Applications for most grants can be submitted at any time, and are considered in the order they are received.
For some grant areas we have grants rounds. Examples include:
• Trails
• Volunteer Marine Rescue
• Conservation of Cultural Heritage
• Interpretation of Cultural Heritage
View our Grant Round Diary.
Please note that applications must be submitted and received by Lotterywest by the grant round closing date.
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What kinds of grants exist?
Lotterywest offers a range of grant opportunities to eligible organisations.
Our grants support people with special needs, the disadvantaged in our community and initiatives that contribute towards the quality of life for all members of the Western Australian community. Our grant opportunities have evolved in response to community priorities.
Five broad objectives provide the framework for our grant-making and encapsulate our aspirations for our community:
• Extending the capacity of not-for-profit organisations
• Strengthening community service delivery
• Enhancing community development initiatives
• Valuing our State’s heritage
• Advancing participation in community life
Various grant opportunities are offered within these five areas.
We also have broad types of grants that may be requested under the five areas. These include:
• Equipment
• Information Technology
• Vehicles
• Service Accommodation and Community Facilities
• Time Limited Projects
Go to the Grant Opportunities for a list of the various grants available from Lotterywest and links to more specific information and application form/s.
Please contact us if you have a proposal that doesn't seem to fit any of our grant areas and we can explore whether there is any potential for a grant.
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How much can I apply for?
You should apply for the amount you need, recognising that we do have some limits on the amount we can provide in high demand areas, such as for community histories. You should also remember that we expect that applicant organisations will contribute to their initiative according to their capacity to do so.
Funding From Other Sources
We also expect that organisations will access funding from other sources if they are able to do so. For example the Department of Veterans Affairs may assist with funding towards the cost of a war memorial; the Department for Communities may assist with the cost of a community centre building where the building includes a child care facility etc.
Organisation Structure and Limits Which Apply
There are also some limits depending on how the organisation is established:
• Organisations not legally incorporated or not registered for GST can apply for single or multiple grants with a combined total of up to $15,000 in any one financial year;
• Applications should be for more than $1,000.
Please note: Grant requests must not exceed specified limits for particular types of grants. If specific grant limits exists, the limit will be clearly stated in the grant Information Package.
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Are Aboriginal organisations only able to apply for the Aboriginal grants, seniors organisations for the seniors grants etc?
Generally organisations can apply for a grant under any grant area. For example, an Aboriginal group wanting to undertake a project to conserve the natural heritage of an area, can apply for a Gordon Reid Conservation of Natural Heritage Grant. A seniors group wanting to organise an event or celebration can apply for an Events and Celebrations Grant etc.
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Are there proposals that won't be supported?
The following types of grants are outside the scope of Lotterywest's support:
• Profit making
• Primarily fundraising
• Activities outside Western Australia
• Ongoing operating costs
There are specific conditions for projects and services that are subject to Tender. Please read our Policy and contact us before applying for a grant.
Profit making and Fundraising
Our Lotteries Commission Act determines who and what we can support. While the definition is quite broad, it does not allow for grants toward 'for profit' purposes or 'fundraising'.
For fundraising initiatives, we prefer to consider the potential for direct support to the target recipients of a fundraising organisation. We may also support some infrastructure costs for a service organisation's fund raising activities.
Within Western Australia
Grant requests need to demonstrate a benefit to the Western Australian community. Applicant organisations do not have to be based in WA, but any grants must be used within WA, involve members of the WA community and have a clear benefit to WA.
Recurrent Funding
Lotterywest is not a service purchaser funding body. We do not provide for ongoing (recurrent) funding for operating costs. We may support time limited projects for up to a maximum of three years. The length of a project grant depends on each project.
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How many times can I apply?
Organisations are able to apply for more than one grant a year. If appropriate, we prefer you to submit one application which provides a total picture of your priorities for the year. Please note however that you will have to submit a separate application for any request for a grant that is managed through a grant round.
Organisations are also able to apply under different grant areas within the same year. Contact Lotterywest to discuss your needs before submitting your application and to obtain appropriate advice.
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What do I need to do to apply?
We recommend you start by talking to a member of our grants team. We can discuss your ideas with you and let you know what grant area is most appropriate for your application.
Our various information packages contain details of different types of grant opportunities and any particular requirements for the grant area. You can download the appropriate information package(s) or call us and we can send you a copy.
Generally we require an Application Form for all requests. For many grants we also require an Additional Information Form. The Information Package will let you know if you need to submit an Additional Information Form, and the appropriate form.
It is also important that you correctly complete the application form/s and submit the required information with your application. Go to the Application Must Haves section for more information and a checklist.
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Do I have to provide referee contacts or letters of support?
You must provide details of three referees who can talk to us about your organisation and its request.
A referee can be anyone from outside your organisation who can comment on the need for your proposal, your ability to undertake it, the benefit it will provide to the WA community, as well as someone who knows about your organisation and its work.
For example: for a proposal to encourage youth from your community to participate in community life through an event, your referees might include:
• A representative from your local Youth Advisory Council who can talk to us about the needs of young people in your area and the input they have had to the proposal
• A representative from your local government authority who can talk to us about how your proposal fits in with its services to youth programs, other planned events and any support they are providing to your initiative
• Local youth workers who can talk to us about how your proposal fits in with the needs and priorities of local young people
We may also seek information from other people or organisations if we think they can provide additional information.
You are not required to provide letters of support but are welcome to include them to provide an indication of the level and nature of support for your proposal. We will still refer to referees for their comment and may discuss your application with those who provided a letter.
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Is there a limit on how much information I can provide?
We have no limit on the amount of information you can provide as we encourage applicants to provide the level of detail necessary to substantiate their request. We do however ask that applicants provide only relevant information and do not overwhelm us with unnecessary detail.
If your application includes a lot of information it can be helpful if you add a summary or index to your attachments, and clearly distinguish each section. It may also be useful to provide an executive summary to give us an overview of your request.
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How detailed does the budget need to be?
Your budget needs to be detailed enough to explain your request and how you worked out the amount. For capital requests over $3,000 (i.e. for equipment, information technology or building related items) you must provide two written quotations. The Additional Information Form relevant to your grant request may contain an outline of the budget details we are requesting.
For non-capital requests over $3,000 you must also provide two written quotations, as well as show how you calculated the amount, and what information you used as the basis for the calculation. For example with salaries, you might have used the relevant Industrial Award for the proposed position.
You should also show other contributions you have received or sought, and separate these from the grant amount requested from Lotterywest. You should also make sure your budget adds up!
For some more detailed budgets we may ask you to send them to us in Microsoft Excel format (a spreadsheet) s we can work with the information to meet internal administrative requirements.
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Should I include GST in my budget?
Your budget should include a column for the cost of the budget item without GST, a second column for the cost of the GST and a final column giving the total GST-included cost.
Organisations registered for GST should not include the GST in calculating the cost of their proposal and the amount requested from Lotterywest. A grant to a GST registered organisation will not include the cost of the GST on the item(s) or service(s), because organisations registered for GST can claim back the GST as input tax credits. However, grant payments to organisations registered for GST will be "grossed up" by 10%. This is the Lotterywest GST on the grant, which the organisation must remit to the ATO.
Organisations not registered for GST should not include the GST in calculating the total cost of their proposal. This is because organisations not registered for GST cannot claim back the GST as input tax credits. You may include GST in your request if your organisation is not registered for GST, and would find it difficult to meet the cost of GST on the items requested. Grant payments will not be 'grossed up' for organisations not registered for GST, as there is no GST payable on the grant itself.
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What proportion of a grant request will Lotterywest support?
We look for organisations to contribute to their proposal according to their capacity to do so, and we expect that organisations will access resources or funding from other sources wherever possible. It is therefore important to include details of any efforts you have made to secure funds from elsewhere and the results of your efforts.
We aim for our grants to add value. For example: providing additional support to enable a new community facility, funded by the local government authority and other government sources, enabling it to serve more of the community.
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How will I know what to apply for?
It's probably easiest to start with a call to Lotterywest to discuss your ideas and the types of things we are likely to support.
Generally we are able to provide a grant for most types of requests but it is important that you access the most appropriate information on the grant area most relevant for your proposal.
The most important things to us are that your proposal has come from your community, it is well substantiated and that you are supporting the proposal according to your organisation's capacity to do so.
Your organisation's input can be 'in-kind' support, for example, your contribution towards the cost of a community playground might include members contributing their time and expertise to install play equipment or landscape the area etc.
Go to Grant Opportunities for information about other Lotterywest grants.
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Is there anybody I can talk to about my proposal?
We welcome your call and are always happy to provide you with information and advice throughout the inquiry and application process. We encourage you to read the information on our website about the grant opportunity area you are interested in and to contact a member of the relevant team responsible for grants in your area. If you are not sure about whom or what information may be relevant, talk to any member of the Lotterywest Grants Team and they will refer you to the relevant area.
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How are grants assessed?
A member of our grants team who has expertise in the particular grant area will coordinate assessment of your application.
For some grants rounds external input and advice is also provided, for example:
• Department of Housing and Works assists with Conservation of Cultural Heritage assessments
• Specialist and technical panels assist with Community Histories Grants and Interpretation of Cultural Heritage Grants.
• Advisory Committees assist with the assessment of Emergency Relief grants.
For each application we receive a report is prepared with a recommendation. This report is provided to the General Manager of Grants and Community Development (and to the Chief Executive Officer for requests over $100,000) for sign off. All recommendations are presented to our Ministerially appointed Board. The Board's recommendations are presented to the Premier.
The attached chart shows the Lotterywest Grants Process.
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How likely am I to be successful?
Currently Lotterywest supports approximately 96% of the applications we received either in full or in part. We want to support your proposal if we can. However you should be aware that some grant rounds, such as the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, are very competitive and a much lower percentage of applications are successful.
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Can I get feedback if my proposal is not successful?
Yes, you will generally receive feedback along the way from the member of our Grants Team who is assessing your application. If your application was not successful you will also receive feedback in the letter we send you to tell you the result of your application. Our team focuses on building relationships in regions and sectors and we are always happy to provide more feedback and to offer suggestions for how a future application may be strengthened.
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How long is the process?
The process takes approximately four months for most grants, and is often longer for grants rounds where an external technical panel or advisory committee is involved in the assessment process.
For example, the process for Conservation of Cultural Heritage Grants takes around five months due to the need for outside technical assessment of heritage projects
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Can Lotterywest help me prepare a grant application?
Whilst we cannot prepare your application for you, a member of the relevant team responsible for grants in your area, will be happy to discuss your proposal with you and provide information to help you prepare and develop the application.
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Can we submit a joint application with another organisation?
We strongly encourage collaboration and partnerships with other organisations but can only accept an application from one eligible organisation.
We encourage organisations involved in partnerships to formalise their partnership wherever appropriate. For example before an application is submitted you should clarify aspects like the respective roles and responsibilities of each organisation, including who will be the applicant and take on responsibility for the management and acquittal of grant monies. Any partnership arrangements should be outlined in the grant proposal.
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What is involved with being accountable for the grant?
The back of the Application Form sets out the Grant Conditions for every grant. These conditions must be signed before an application can be considered. When organisations receive a letter advising that they have been awarded a grant, they will also be reminded about these grant conditions.
Additional grant conditions, often relating to payment, may form part of the Grant Approval Schedule. For some grants, such as certain projects grants, we may also require you to enter into a Grant Agreement with specific requirements relevant to your project.
All grant conditions need to be met for a grant to be acquitted. If a grant is to be paid in instalments, then you will often have condition/s to meet before receiving the next payment, e.g to provide progress reports on the project and demonstrate expenditure of previous payment.
It is very important to read the Grant Conditions and conditions in the Grant Approval Schedule provided with your Grant Approval letter.
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Can I apply for another grant if I already have a Lotterywest grant that I haven't acquitted?
Yes, we understand that it is not always practical to acquit a previous grant before the need to apply for a grant for another purpose emerges.
However we will need to discuss with you the reason why your previous grant hasn't been acquitted and make a decision on your current grant request taking this information into consideration.
We will sometimes make the payment of the new grant subject to the successful acquittal of the previous grant i.e. you can submit the application but will not receive the grant monies until the previous grant has been acquitted.
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Can I apply for a grant towards items for a project or service that is or has been subject to Tender?
Please read our Policy.
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Can I request that a grant decision be reviewed?
Lotterywest can accept a request for a review of a grant decision.
The request should be presented in writing and signed by the applicant's Chairperson or Authorised Delegate within 60 working days of receiving formal advice of the decision.
The request should set out the reason the review is requested and what the organisation seeks as resolution to the matter.
The organisation will be advised in writing of the review outcome where possible within 30 working days.
A request for a review will not impact on the consideration of any subsequent applications received from the organisation.
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Can retrospective requests be considered?
Lotterywest recognises that there are occasional instances where there are unforseen and unavoidable needs for a community organisation to commit or spend funds ahead of a grant approval.
The need to make a retrospective request may be considered in certain exceptional circumstances. Organisations seeking support for a retrospective request should be aware that there is no guarantee that a request will be approved and that they bear the full risk of proceeding with a purchase or commitment for an item before the approval for a grant has been provided.
It is important that any retrospective request is discussed and that you contact us at the earliest possible time.
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Go to Grant Opportunities for information about other Lotterywest grants.