Developing your organisation can help you look ahead, build sustainability and grow. Lotterywest grants can help your organisation learn, explore options and plan for the future.
Application Form
When to apply
Applications can be made at any time. Please note that applications must be made at least four months before you require a decision from Lotterywest.
Who can apply?
These grants are available to not-for-profit organisations and local government authorities.
What can we support?
We support all kinds of development activities that benefit your organisation and the WA not-for-profit sector including:
- Developing strategic, business, marketing and fundraising plans
- Undertaking feasibility studies, including for a sector wide initiative
- Setting up operating policies and procedures or training materials
- Developing sound financial, human resource or industrial relations practices
- Travelling to explore and establish best practice
- Training and development for volunteers and Board members
- Carrying out a staff training needs assessment
- Developing quality assurance strategies
- Awards initiatives that support a specific not-for-profit sector or broader community development activities
- Supporting compliance with the new Incorporated Associations Act 2015 (Act) where organisations are challenged to cover the costs. See the Department of Commerce website for details on changes to the Act.
- Improving your organisation’s ability to carry out fundraising activities
- Supporting not-for-profit organisations to access philanthropy
- Supporting the ‘social’ elements of a social enterprise
Any time limited costs can be considered, including professional and consultancy fees, printing, as well as staff relief and travel.
Most importantly, we want to understand what your needs and ideas are. Please talk to us.
Conferences (including seminars and workshops)
We may consider costs towards the hosting of a national or international conference or seminar including event management and promotion, speakers, venue hire and interpreting services.
We may also consider a contribution for travel, accommodation and subsidised registration fees for people who could not otherwise afford to attend a relevant, locally held conference or seminar. We may also support organisations to send delegate(s) to a conference or seminar. This may involve interstate or overseas travel if there is no suitable alternative within WA.
Please discuss your conference proposal with a member of our Grants team before making your application.
Professional development
We may consider a grant up to $5,000 for an individual’s professional development to build management and leadership skills. Our grants may also support staff, volunteers and Board members for development activities where learning will be retained by the organisation and lead to improved effectiveness. We may consider up to 75% of costs such as course fees for education or training, travel and staff relief.
Awards initiatives
Lotterywest will consider providing grants for awards initiatives that support a specific not-for-profit sector or broader community development activities. The awards should achieve a strategic purpose with their value lasting beyond the event e.g. create an ongoing ambassadorial role for winners or contribute to the recruitment and retention of staff in a particular sector.
Lotterywest may contribute towards the costs of running awards initiatives that are not the responsibility of another government department or agency. This support may include travel and accommodation costs for regional and remote finalists and reasonable ticket subsidies to enable smaller organisations to attend the awards ceremony. Any grant support for award prizes must be spent on not-for-profit organisational development activities.
Lotterywest would not expect to be the principal funder for an awards initiative.
Fundraising
We may consider support for projects or activities that enable you to be more effective at raising money for your own organisation or others, as long as the beneficiaries of your fundraising would themselves be eligible to apply for a Lotterywest grant.
The grant should result in significantly more money flowing to the organisation(s) benefiting from the fundraising than if they had approached Lotterywest directly for a grant that would meet their needs.
For example, support could be given towards developing a fundraising strategy or purchasing an asset such as a BBQ to help raise money for not-for-profits.
Philanthropy
We may consider support to assist not-for-profit organisations seeking access to philanthropy. Lotterywest grants must go beyond simply growing and encouraging philanthropy itself. For example, support could be considered for:
- Costs associated with bringing not-for-profits and other funding partners together to scope out collaborative approaches to addressing complex social issues
- project costs or time-limited wages to trial social impact and other measurement tools which can be shared with the sector to build capacity in this area
- training to be made broadly available to support not-for-profits to tell their stories effectively, pitch their ideas and market themselves for different audiences
We welcome collaborative relationships with other donors/philanthropists to identify areas for co-support in a given sector/locality.
Social enterprises
Some not-for-profit organisations run commercial activities to generate income for their work and/or create social good through trading. As long as your organisation is eligible to apply for a grant, we can explore ways to support your charitable work.
A Lotterywest grant may be appropriate to add value to your enterprise if your organisation needs support for activities or services directly related to the social benefit of what you do. Lotterywest grants are not available to help organisations to establish or maintain their core business.
For example, a Lotterywest grant could support costs associated with enabling a disadvantaged group to participate in the workforce (e.g. equipment or technology to support the employment of people with a disability). We may also consider supporting organisations seeking to work with others to address a social issue or develop a business case for the ‘social’ aspect(s) of what you do.
What we look for:
- Suitability of the development activity for your needs
- On-going benefits for your organisation/your sector/the community
- Likelihood of organisational or sector improvement
- Opportunities to retain learning within your organisation and share knowledge gained with others
- Opportunities to share new and innovative work, outcomes and experience
- Involvement of your Board, staff and volunteers
- Affordability, a sound budget and the inclusion of other income sources
- Evidence that the beneficiaries of any fundraising would themselves be eligible for a Lotterywest grant
- Demonstration that any fundraising activities supported will result in more money being available to not-for-profit organisations than if those organisations had just come to Lotterywest for the support that they need
- A viable and sustainable business model. Grant support should add value beyond the core costs associated with establishing and operating a social enterprise
Documents we need:
- A completed Lotterywest Grant Application Form
- Your latest Annual Report if you have one, or AGM minutes if you don’t and the most recent audited financial statements
- A copy of your Constitution
- Two written quotes for items over $3,000; a written estimate, advertised price, or one written quote for items under $3,000 (low value, miscellaneous items can be grouped together to $1,000)
- Minutes of the board meeting endorsing the proposal
- Full details of the conference or seminar including the program and proposed speakers and budget (if applicable)
- Details of how and why you selected any consultants involved and their credentials (if applicable)
- The individual’s curriculum vitae and a course outline (for professional development requests)
- Your organisation’s fundraising plan, business model and/or case for social enterprise (if applicable to your request)
If your group is unincorporated, there are other things we need from you. Please refer to what we need.
Please see Resources and Links for more information.
