You are an eligible organisation if you’re:

• a not-for-profit organisation; or
• a local government authority.

Smaller not-for-profits may prefer to be auspiced by an eligible organisation. Contact us for more information if you are considering this approach, noting that your application must be accompanied by a signed Auspicing Agreement. A template agreement is available here.

Your organisation also needs to:

• be an Australian entity and operating within Western Australia.
• not be a State or Federal Government agency, or seeking grant funds on their behalf.
• have the authority to undertake the proposed grant activities.
• have an organisational structure that does not allow for the distribution of profit or personal gain during operation and/or in the event of wind up.

Lotterywest can support initiatives with outcomes that link to the Community Investment Framework. The initiative must also result in public benefit for the WA community.

Grants can be used to support income-generating activities if they are working towards an outcome in the Community Investment Framework and have a clear public benefit.

There are a few constraints to what we support. These include:

• Initiatives outside Western Australia
• Retrospective, contingency or on-going operational costs
• Religious activities (although welfare and community service activities of faith-based groups can be funded)
• General or competitive activities of sporting clubs or codes
• Initiatives that are core business of other government agencies
• Permanent capital works structure on Crown land (unless a secure long-term lease or equivalent is provided to an eligible entity)
• Construction projects that are not ‘shovel ready’ at the time the grant is awarded
• Replacement of assets previously funded with a Lotterywest grant
• Initiatives that are not considered affordable or accessible to the general public.
• Grant requests that do not reflect, or are contrary to, Lotterywest's Good Practice Requirements.

Grant limits

• The minimum grant request is $3,000.
• Maximum $15,000 for organisations not registered for GST or that are unincorporated.
• There is no upper limit, however, grants should be reasonable and represent value for money.
• The GST component of items purchased by the grant is not eligible for support.
• Lotterywest is a complementary grant-maker and encourages grant applicants to consider how others will contribute to an initiative (financially and/or in kind). For guidance on calculating in kind support click here.

In addition, given Lotterywest’s significant annual statutory allocation to the Department of Health and the Department’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, support for medical and health research and its translation and/or dissemination is not eligible for Lotterywest support.

It can take up to four months for a grant to be assessed and approved from the point of application submission.

The process may take longer for applications that require additional information or further development. There may also be conditions that need to be met before a payment can be made. When planning your project, be sure to factor in enough time for the full process - including assessment, decision-making, and payment.

If you have a time sensitive proposal, please call our team to discuss your options. We want to make sure there’s enough time to properly assess and approve your application before your project needs to begin.

Please note: We’re unable to accept applications if there isn’t enough time for the full assessment and approval process, and we don’t fund retrospective costs.

The Western Australian Community Impact Hub supports organisations to have a positive impact in their community.

The Community Impact Hub is a central source of data, knowledge, and insights, and is also a great free resource for organisations delivering community projects, helping users to understand their community, learn from others and plan their projects using its suite of free tools.

We recommend using the Hub’s Impact Planner tools to help shape your project and strengthen your grant application. You’re also welcome to include your Theory of Change, Logic Model and Outcomes Measurement Plan as supporting material. Here’s how to get started.

Understand your community

Understanding how our community is going will help you to better target and plan your project. We provide a range of tools and resources in the Community Impact Hub to help you access community specific data for your area. Find them here. Explore the five key categories of community wellbeing in our Lotterywest Healthway Community Investment Framework.

Learn from others

Need inspiration? Explore the initiatives and grants already making their mark on wellbeing in Western Australia. From Case Studies to Reports and Evaluations, find and learn about similar projects here.

Plan your project

Being clear on what you are trying to achieve will help you figure out how best to do this. Understand your vision, plan your impact and measure on the outcomes of your project with three easy interactive tools here. You can also find additional tools and resources that can help you deliver your project successfully from start to finish!

Understand your impact

Lotterywest offers two guides to help you understand the impact of your initiative: a complete guide and a companion quick guide.

Both guides cover:

• What Lotterywest looks for in terms of evidence;
• How to measure the impact of your initiative and show it’s made a difference, and;
• How to report on your outcomes to Lotterywest.

When you apply, you’ll need to provide the following information. We recommend that you start getting these ready early.

• Your organisation’s rules or constituent documents
• List of current Directors/Board or Management Committee members
• Bank statement in the name of your organisation
• Budget and quotes
• Annual report and AGM minutes
• Financial statement
• Any other supporting documents e.g. project plans
• Referee details
• For auspiced applications, a completed and signed Auspicing Agreement. A template is available here.

We may ask for more information during assessment of your application.

The application will ask you a series of questions to help us understand your initiative, what it’s trying to achieve and what is needed to make it happen.

Below are the key questions asked in the application and some helpful tips from the team on what to think about when answering them.

Question: What is the issue/opportunity in your community?
Team tip: Tell us about the need/opportunity that you are seeing in your community. Who is being affected by this issue? If possible, use data, stories, research or feedback from people in the community.

Question: What difference will your proposal make and what change will you see in your community?
Team tip: Tell us what your idea is to address the need/opportunity. Include information about why you know this is the best way forward and what other ideas you have explored.

If all goes according to plan, what change would you want to see after finishing your initiative?

If your grant relates to a community initiative, service or event tell us about how the lives of the people involved will be different as a result.

If your project relates to infrastructure and equipment, focus on what the equipment or capital works will do for your organisation and the wider community.

Think about how you could show that the Lotterywest grant helped to address the community issue.

Depending on your project, this might include:

• Surveys of the community before and after to show what has changed
• Using research or data to support your outcomes
• A full evaluation of the project
• Case studies or stories that highlight real-life impact

Question: What Community Investment Framework outcome(s) will your grant contribute to?
Team tip: Check out the Community Investment Framework and consider which priority area and outcomes your grant might align to. If you are having trouble, please call us and we will work through this with you.

Question: How many people in total are expected to benefit?
Team tip: Consider all the people that will be involved in and benefit from your initiative. This could include volunteers, people attending activities or services, staff etc. Think direct & broader impact but be realistic. Remember, you’ll need to measure it later!

Question: Please select the primary region in WA that will benefit from this grant.
Team tip: Select from the following list:

• Gascoyne
• Goldfields/Esperance
• Great Southern
• Kimberley
• Mid-West
• Peel
• Pilbara
• South West
• Wheatbelt
• Metropolitan
• Statewid

Question: What resources do you need to do this?
Team tip: Think about all the things your organisation will contribute and what you need from others. This includes the amount you need from Lotterywest and any other financial contributions or program partners.

Before you can apply for a grant, you will need to register your organisation on our Grants Portal. You will be asked to provide the following information for a new organisation:

• Your organisation’s rules or constituent documents
• List of current Directors/Board or Management Committee members
• Annual report and AGM minutes
• Financial statement
• Bank statement.

We may ask for additional information depending on your organisation’s structure to confirm your eligibility. After you have submitted your registration, our team will review the information and validate your account. This will take up to five business days, or longer if information is missing.

When you register a new organisation, you’ll also be asked to provide your details and the details for your organisation’s legal signatory(ies) so your user accounts can be created. Each user account requires a unique email address and you will use this account to log on to the Grants Portal to submit, view and manage your organisation’s grants.

If you organisation is already registered, please check that your organisation’s information is up to date before submitting a grant request. You can use the new user option to register yourself, and we’ll link you to the organisation’s profile once we’ve confirmed your details.

Once you have registered your organisation and Lotterywest has validated your account, you’ll be able to submit a grant request through the Lotterywest Grants Portal.

Simply complete the Request Form in the Grants Portal under the heading ‘Request Funding’. You can find an example of the Lotterywest Grant Request Form here.

You can save your progress and return to your application at any time. Other registered users from your organisation can also review and collaborate on the application before it is submitted.

Call us if you require any help with completing the form online. We’re here to support you through the process.

A decision is generally given within 4 months of receiving a complete grant application.

You’ll receive an email letter notifying you of the outcome of your application.