Funding

Federal and State Grants, Grant Fingers, Other Organisations + Crowdsourcing

Federal Grants

[See About Perth for links on WA and Australia's government's organisational structure]

State Grants

  • The Chamber of Arts and Culture WA - the State's peak advocacy body for the arts and cultural sector. The former Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA), it became part of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) whose gateway is its Culture and the arts page. Provides an Online Grants portal (register to use) and its DLGSC Arts Grants list:
    • Arts U-15K - The Arts U-15k grant program offers up to $15,000 for artists and creative industry professionals to deliver a one-off project or a program of activity.
    • Arts 15K Plus - The Arts 15k-plus grant program offers between $15,000 and $60,000 funding for artists, creative industry professionals and organisations to deliver a one-off project or a program of activity.
    • Arts Organisations Investment Program - a competitive multiyear funding program to support Western Australia’s arts, cultural and creative sector organisations.
    • Contemporary Music Fund - The Contemporary Music Fund Grant Program assists homegrown contemporary music artists with projects that enable them to produce and promote their work, building links nationally and internationally.
    • Harmony Week Grants - Funding of $2000 is available for diversity and inclusion activities to celebrate Harmony Week 2020.
    • Playing WA -A supports the costs of touring performing arts shows to regional and remote towns and communities in Western Australia.
    • Regional and Remote Festivals Fund - The Regional and Remote Festivals Fund supports arts and cultural activity at regional and remote festivals in Western Australia.
  • New Industries WA - excellent WA government resource listing funding opportunities as well as events.

Discipline-Specific Organisations

Aside from Federal and State Grants, you should look for and apply to any relevant organisations for grants.

See each Page for peak bodies and other organisations that might have discipline specific funding opportunities.

Grant Directories/Finders

  • Grants Finder - online grant search site that identifies suitable and relevant Australian government grants for community projects.
  • GrantREADY - free, searchable online listing of grants and funding programs for community and not for profit organisations and local councils.
  • Department of Local Government Grants Directory - compilation of grants available to regional and metropolitan Western Australian communities and local governments.
  • GrantGuru Community - an online listing of grants and funding programs for community and not for profit organisations and local councils. It has a free registration option, plus paid options for more services.
  • Grant Search Australia - a (paid) funding information service that highlights sources of financial support for study, travel, research, business and professional development, the arts, sport, community projects and more.

Other Funding Organisations

  • Australian Cultural Fund - a fundraising platform for Australian artists. It is managed by Creative Partnerships Australia and was established by the Australian Government in 2003 to encourage donations to the arts.
  • The Seed Fund - The Seed aims to help Australian artists from any background who create art and music across any genre to establish themselves as self-sustained, professional artists.
  • Art on the Move - administers three levels of State and Federal funding for the preparation and touring of exhibitions by professional artists.
  • Community Arts Network - promotes social change through arts, with an emphasis on community, indigenous culture.
  • Country Arts Funding
    • RAF Project Fund
    • Drug Aware YCulture Regional
    • RAF Quick Response Grant
    • Share the Risk
    • Next Level YCulture Regional
    • Regional Arts Sector Investment
  • Healthway - funds sport, arts, community activities, health promotion projects and research to inspire West Australians, especially young people, to live healthier lives.
  • Propel Grants List - an excellent summary of WA grants resources
  • LotteryWest - supports grants for charitable purposes, for non-profit organisations, generally supporting WA and its community

Philanthropic Organisations

  • Impact 100 - Impact 100 WA and Impact 100 Fremantle are collaborative giving groups that pools its donations to make a significant difference to people in need.
  • The Ian Potter Foundation - Arts program that aims to help build the calibre and capacity of Australia’s arts organisations and support them to raise the bar of aspiration and achievement in the sector.
  • Sidney Myer Fund and The Myer Foundation - provides grants for the arts and humanities as well as the environment, education etc:
    • Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships - First awarded in 2011, the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships provide unrestricted grants of $160,000 over two years to individual Australian artists, arts managers and thought leaders in the humanities. Specific outcomes for the Fellowships are not required. Learn More
    • The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards - The Awards were created to commemorate Sidney Myer and his love for the arts. They intend primarily to enhance the status of performing arts in Australia and recognise outstanding achievements in dance, drama, comedy, music, opera, circus and puppetry. - Learn More
  • Macquarie Group Australia - Macquarie Group is one of Australia’s oldest and largest corporate foundations, and its Foundation has contributed approximately $A120 million to over 1,000 community organisations over the last 25 years.
  • Telstra Foundation – Community Programs and Grants - Telstra community grants are all about making community connections. Telstra Kids Fund contributes $1million each year to activities that connect Australian children to their local communities and their community campaigns are created to amplify digital opportunities for social impact.
  • Alcoa - Alcoa supports partnerships and initiatives that help build stronger communities for the future.
  • Rio Tinto Community Investment WA - Rio Tinto provides support for community-based programs in WA.

Crowdsourcing

[You can host a crowdfunding campaign across a range of platforms, either to support yourself as an individual (e.g. Patreon) or for specific projects (e.g. Kickstarter). You may prefer an Australian platform where trade agreements and shipping costs may affect fulfillments.]

Australian

The Australian government has a useful page regarding crowdfunding: Crowdfunding: how to crowdfund your business idea.

  • Fig - created to bring fans together to help Fig publish games of all kinds. Our goal is to strike a balance between titles from well-known independent studios as well as ones from up-and-coming indie teams. Fig campaigns that have met their goals include:
  • Patreon - start a membership business to develop a direct relationship with your biggest fans and generate predictable, recurring revenue from your creative work.
  • Pozible.com - provides the platform for project creators to present their ideas to a connected audience, worldwide. If people love what you’re creating, they can support it by pledging money. In return, project creators offer rewards matched to the level of funding commitment.
  • VentureCrowd - a professional crowdfunding model that gives you access to handpicked investment opportunities in alternative assets. All with lower fees and capital commitments, as well as reduced deal complexity.
  • ReadyFundGo - helps you get ready, get funded and get going with your great business idea.
  • myCause - allows individuals to raise money for charities, projects or people.
  • GoFundMe - allows fundraising for individuals, groups or organisations.
  • Chuffed - funrdraising platform for social, community or political causes.
  • Gofundraise - offers a wide range of features to all license types as well as a range of optional modules, with both free and paid memberships.
  • Everydayhero -helps people connect with and support the causes they love. Relevant if your creative work is cause-related.

International

  • Kickstarter - a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity and merchandising.
  • IndieGoGo - with both live crowdfunding campaigns and innovative products shipping now, there’s no better place to start the hunt for cool and clever innovations that surprise and delight.
  • RocketHub - a social network platform for entrepreneurs.
  • FundRazr - allows users to begin crowdfunding campaigns by creating pages and/or embed fundraising apps on their Facebook pages to raise money for causes such as medical care, memorials, and animal rescue causes.
  • Ulele - besides the financing aspect, Ulule supports its creators throughout this process by helping them make their ideas a reality, co-create with their communities, spread the word about their projects and make them grow. A crowdfunding pioneer since 2010, Ulule has become the leading community-backed incubator of positive impact projects.
  • Fundable - a business crowdfunding platform that enables companies to raise capital from investors, customers, and friends.
  • Quirky - is a free community-led invention platform that brings real people’s ideas to life. Quirky makes inventing and selling products possible by pairing inventors with product designers and big manufacturing companies that can bring their ideas to life. Quirky is essentially the middle man between manufacturers who need innovative product ideas, and individuals with great ideas.

Freelancing and Other Opportunities

  • Fiverr - an online marketplace for freelance services. Founded in 2010, the company is based in Tel Aviv, Israel, and provides a platform for freelancers to offer services to customers worldwide.
  • Equitise - crowdfunding allows any Australian and New Zealander over 18 years to invest in exciting early stage companies in return for equity. Investing is quick, easy and as a shareholder you can earn a return if the startup succeeds.

Crowdfunding Resources

Fundable >

Angel Investors

[An angel investor is a person with capital they seek to invest in start-ups, often for a stake of ownership equity or convertible debt.]