Grant Partner Toolkit


Welcome to our Grant Partner Toolkit, designed to make the process of receiving your grant as easy as possible.

This Toolkit is for organisations and individuals who have been nominated to receive a grant, as well as our existing Grant Partners. You are most likely here after receiving an email from us notifying you that one of our funds or foundations has nominated your organisation to receive a grant.

If you have not received this notification and are seeking funding, see Support for Nonprofits.

Already know what to do? Head to our Grants Portal

Receiving your grant

Step 1. Submit your Grant Agreement

1. Log in to the Grants Portal with your email address and password.

2. Under ‘Active Requests’, you will see Grant Agreements to be completed. Click on the blue ‘Edit Application’ link to complete and submit. You can save and continue this form at any time.

3. When prompted, download and complete the EFT Authorisation Form. Electronic signatures are accepted.

 

Need help?  Download detailed instructions

 

Step 2. Receive your Grant Payment

Australian Communities Foundation pays out grants every second Wednesday. Once you have submitted your Grant Agreement, the Grant Payment will fall into our fortnightly approval and payment process. You must submit your Grant Agreement at least one week prior to a payment date. Grant Agreements received after this deadline will be paid in the following cycle.

 

Step 3. Submit a donation receipt

Grant Partners are required to submit a donation receipt within 14 days of receiving a grant. Please issue to Australian Communities Foundation.

1. Log in to the Grants Portal with your email address and password.

2. Under ‘Active Requests’, you will find the form ‘Follow up – Receipt’. Click on the blue ‘Start’ link to complete and submit.

 

Need help?  Download detailed instructions

 

Acknowledging your grant


We ask that Grant Partners acknowledge Australian Communities Foundation by including our logo in publications, promotional materials and at events that our giving community has supported.

DOWNLOAD LOGO

Please use our original blue logo where possible, and grey or white version when necessary.

Original (blue): PNG, EPS, SVG

Slate Grey: PNG, EPS, SVG

White: PNG, EPS, SVG

If you would like to publicly acknowledge the individual Named Funds and donors that have supported your organisation, contact us. Please note that some donors in our community prefer to remain anonymous.


Reporting on your grant


Grant Partners are required to submit a Grant Acquittal Report 12 months after receiving funding.

We’re committed to minimising administration for our Grant Partners, which is why we offer the option to upload already completed reports, including your organisation’s annual report for general purpose grants.

Follow these easy steps to submit your Grant Acquittal Report:

1. Log in to the Grants Portal with your email address and password.

2. Under ‘Active Requests’, you will find the form ‘General Purpose Report’ or ‘Specific Project Report’. Click on the blue ‘Start’ link to complete and submit. You can save and continue this form at any time.

If you would like to reassign the form to another person at your organisation or require an extension, please contact us.


Need help? Download detailed instructions


Frequently asked questions

Why is my organisation receiving funding from Australian Communities Foundation?

Most grants distributed by Australian Communities Foundation are directly advised by the Funds and Foundations that make up our giving community. Members of our giving community can request a grant be paid from their Fund or Foundation to an organisation aligned with their interest areas at any time.

The Fund/Foundation supporting your organisation may have seen or heard of your work from other funders, in the media, via our Funding Platform (if you have uploaded a funding proposal) or through their own research.

What is a Named Fund?

Named Funds are charitable accounts established by individuals, families, organisations and other groups who want an easy way to give strategically.

Named Funds are also sometimes referred to donor-advised funds because the donor advises the trustee (Australian Communities Foundation) on the grants to be paid from their Fund.

How long will it take to receive my grant?

Australian Communities Foundation pays out grants every second Wednesday. If you have received a grant nomination, you first need log in to our online system and submit your online Grant Agreement at least one week prior to a payment date. Grant Agreements received after this deadline will be paid in the following cycle.

Can I contact donors that have supported my organisation?

Australian Communities Foundation acts as an intermediary for most donors behind the Funds and Foundations in our community. If you want to send any reports or updates beyond the required Grant Report, please email grants@communityfoundation.org.au and we will ensure that they receive them. If a donor would like to get in touch directly, we will let you know and can facilitate an introduction.

Is it possible to apply for more funding?

Most grants distributed by Australian Communities Foundation are directly advised by the Funds and Foundations that make up our giving community.

Many people in our giving community make grants via our Funding Platform, where charities can upload funding proposals. If you have not already uploaded a funding proposal, learn more and see if you’re eligible here.

The Foundation also runs several open grant rounds throughout the year on behalf of clients and funding partners. You can explore grant rounds to see if there’s an opportunity your organisation is eligible for here.

Support for
Not-for-Profits

Funding and Resources

Support for Not-for-Profits

Funding and Resources


Supporting Australia’s for-purpose sector

Each year, Australian Communities Foundation supports hundreds of nonprofit organisations working across the country. As a national community foundation, we are a collective of givers united by a shared vision for a fairer and more sustainable Australia. Learn more about us


Has your organisation been nominated to receive a grant? Visit Grant Partner Toolkit

Community members helping with flood recovery in the Northern Rivers region. Photograph: Mark Kriedermann / Northern Rivers Community Foundation.

What we fund

In 2023/24, our giving community distributed 1,829 grants to 1,041 organisations and individuals, totalling $39.6 million.

While the majority of our grants are advised by Named Fund holders, we also make grants through our flagship funds, the Impact Fund and National Crisis Response Fund, and run open grant rounds on behalf of our clients.

View Grants


Apply for funding

Submit a funding proposal

Add your organisation to our Funding Platform – a key resource for donors in our community looking for current funding opportunities.

Explore grant rounds

We work with clients on several open grant rounds throughout the year. Explore current, upcoming and previous grant rounds.

Streamlined grants

At Australian Communities Foundation, we’re committed to minimising administration for our Grant Partners.

Our online Grant Partner Portal provides one central place for you to complete grant agreements and keep track of grants received, including grants with multiple instalments.

If your organisation has been nominated to receive a grant, our Grant Partner Toolkit will take you through everything you need to know about receiving and reporting on your grant.


Open a Future Fund

Establishing a Future Fund is an easy, tax-effective and strategic way for not-for-profit organisations to develop their long-term sustainability.

With a low-cost fee structure, a Future Fund enables you to build an endowment for a not-for-profit organisation. You gain access to our fundraising and donation infrastructure, and can enjoy greater returns than a bank account through our pooled ethical investments.


Not-for-profit organisation WithOneSeed uses a Future Fund to build long-term sustainability for its community-led forestry program in Timor-Leste.

Frequently asked questions

What do you fund? How do I apply for funding?

Most grants distributed by Australian Communities Foundation are advised by our community of Funds and Foundations, each of which supports organisations aligned with its interest areas. Together, we support organisations across almost every cause area on our shared journey towards a fairer and more sustainable future. Many funders in our giving community make grants via our Funding Platform, where charities can upload funding proposals. Learn more and add your organisation to the Platform here.

The Foundation also runs several open grant rounds throughout the year on behalf of clients and funding partners. You can explore grant rounds to see if there’s an opportunity your organisation is eligible for here.

Australian Communities Foundation also makes grants through our two flagship funds for collective giving, the Impact Fund and the National Crisis Response Fund.

View recent grants from our community here.

Do I need to have DGR1 status to receive a grant or apply for funding?

While the majority of Funds and Foundations in our community can only give to DGR1 organisations, several can give more broadly to any charitable organisation.

If your organisation does not have DGR1 status and you would like to broaden the appeal of your funding proposal to all funds and foundations, you are welcome to organise an auspice arrangement. Learn more about auspicing here.

DGR1 status is required to submit a profile/proposal to our Funding Platform. Most, but not all, open grant rounds require DGR1 status.

How often do you process grants?

Fortnightly. Grants are paid every second Wednesday.

What are the benefits of a Future Fund?

Establishing a Future Fund at Australian Communities Foundation is an easy, tax-effective and strategic way for not-for-profit organisations to develop their long-term sustainability.

Organisations that open a Future Fund enjoy the following benefits and more:

  • Ethical investing: Build an endowment for your organisation through our pooled ethical investments, where your savings will do good in the community.
  • Fundraising and donation infrastructure: Accept tax-deductible donations via a form integrated with your website or a custom donation page on our online portal, where you can have your own custom donation page. 
  • Flexible access: Access your Future Fund assets for any purpose, including operational costs. You can continue to build your endowment in perpetuity or choose to draw down the funds over time.
  • Low fees: Future Funds attract a low Fund Management Fee of 1.5% for assets up to $5 million.
  • All the benefits of our community: When you open a fund, you gain access to all the benefits of joining our community, including events and networking opportunities with givers across Australia, and use of the Community of Giving space in East Melbourne.

Learn more

I’m looking to start a charity – can you help?

Australian Communities Foundation cannot provide legal advice about setting up a not-for-profit organisation. For information and free advice see Justice Connect’s Not-for-profit Law Hub and the ACNC website.

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Promote Your Work

Add your organisation to the Funding Platform

As part of our role as a broker of change, we promote the work of not-for-profits on our Funding Platform, enabling donors to find organisations aligned with their funding interests.

You can add your organisation to the Platform provided you fulfil the criteria detailed in the ‘What You Need’ section below. Please read this information before submitting a proposal or contacting the team.

What You Need

The applying organisation must be (1) a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and (2) eligible to receive tax-deductible donations (i.e., has DGR1 status or an auspice partner). Check your organisation’s eligibility here: acnc.gov.au/charity

Expand for other things to note »

  • Your organisation must be based in Australia, or have an Australian auspice partner. Learn more about auspice arrangments at http://nfplaw.org.au/auspicing.

  • Organisations can submit a maximum of one Organisation Profile and one Project per year.

  • The average grant awarded is between $2,000 and $15,000. Please keep this in mind if submitting a funding proposal for a Project.

  • You can save and come back to your proposal at any time.

What Happens Next

Our team aims to review submissions within four weeks of receipt, and we will notify you when yours has been reviewed. Approved submissions are posted to our Funding Platform. 

Expand for more details »

  • Submitting an Organisation Profile or Project means you are consenting to us publishing it publicly on our Funding Platform.

  • Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation to the email address provided in the contact information section of the form.

  • You will receive an email to this same email address notifying you of the outcome once your submission has been reviewed.

  • Our team aims to review submissions within four weeks of receipt. This may take slightly longer during busy periods.

  • The team reserves the right to reject any submission that does not align with the values of Australian Communities Foundation or the eligibility criteria outlined in the ‘What You Need’ section of this page.

  • We will contact you if a donor is interested in supporting your work. If we do not contact you, this means your Profile/Project has not yet received donor interest.

  • Projects will remain live on the Funding Platform for three months. Organisation Profiles do not have an expiry date and will be reviewed by our team annually, who may contact you for updated information. You are welcome to request updates to your Organisation profile or Project(s) at any time via email: grants@communityfoundation.org.au

Ready to add your organisation or project?

Need help?

Got a question about your proposal before you get started?

Contact Us
Level 6, 126 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Australian Communities Foundation is a proudly inclusive organisation and an ally of LGBTQIA+ communities and the movement toward equality.