Pride Foundation Australia Small Grants Program
PRIDE FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM
Pride Foundation Australia (PFA) runs a Small Grants Program throughout the year that supports projects proposed by individuals, organisations and/or communities who would otherwise be limited by the constraints of other funding programs.
The project must directly or indirectly assist, involve and benefit LGBTQIA+ people and promote positive social outcomes and mental health in the community.
This year, the Small Grants Program will look to prioritise LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds and intersections in the following grant rounds:
- First round: Transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people and communities
- Second round: Healthy ageing for older people
- Third round: Regional and rural communities
Noting that general funding is still available, however, priority will be given in each of the respective rounds.
The Foundation welcomes applications that are particularly creative and innovative. In addition, projects that work as partnerships between individuals and organisations are regarded as favourable.
Applications can be up to the value of $1,000.
Before you apply, read the guidelines below or download here.
ABOUT PRIDE FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA
Pride Foundation Australia (PFA) is a national philanthropic foundation specifically focused on funding lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual and other (LGBTQIA+) community issues in Australia.
The Foundation advocates for systemic change to advance LGBTQIA+ equity and inclusion and provide direct support to affected communities/individuals.
PFA raises awareness of LGBTQIA+ disadvantage and works to increase philanthropic support for the Australian LGBTQIA+ and allied communities through fundraising, grant giving, collaboration and commissioning projects – prioritising funding to LGBTQIA+ communities traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced.
Guidelines
Funding considerations
Individuals
An application needs to satisfy at least one of the following intended outcomes. Through the project, LGBTQIA+ community members will:
- be more connected to each other and to their community
- have improved skills and knowledge
- have enhanced wellbeing and resilience
- participate more fully in their community
Additionally, PFA will consider the following:
- Will the project provide merit and meaningful skills development, leadership development or social outcomes for the individual?
- Will the project have adequate resources and support, and is it well planned?
- Is the budget appropriate for the project, and has the applicant made a contribution or sourced money or in-kind support from other organisations or people?
- Will the project encourage future projects in the community?
Organisational capacity
An application needs to satisfy at least one of the following intended outcomes. Through the projects, the organisation will:
- be better able to recruit and retain volunteers and members
- work better with the community and/or other organisations
- improve the skills and knowledge of volunteers/members
- develop the resources it needs to undertake its work
communities
An application needs to consider the following for the LGBTQIA+ community and its members:
- Will the project provide merit and meaningful skills development, community development and social outcomes?
- Do the community members and/or facilitators have cultural development skills appropriate to the project? If so, please provide brief details.
- Will the project have adequate resources and support, and is it well planned?
- Is the community involved in the planning and management of the project, and will they be involved as participants when the project begins? If so, please provide brief details.
- Will the project encourage future projects and/or events in the community?
Eligibility
ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
Examples include, but are not limited to funds towards:
- Venue rental for meetings or social events
- Advertising and marketing costs for events
- Speaker’s fees
- Artist’s fees
- Website maintenance costs
- Website hosting fees
- Catering costs for community events
WHO CAN APPLY?
Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a citizen or permanent resident, or a community group that is operating in Australia
- Group applicants need only be a group of people with a common interest
- It is preferred that individuals/groups apply through an Auspice organisation, but it is not a necessary requirement
- If you are applying as an individual, it is not essential to have an Australian Business Number (ABN). If you do not have an ABN, please input ‘00000000000’ in the field to continue your application
- Applications for funding beyond $1,000 will not be considered
RESTRICTIONS
The following are ineligible for funding:
- Projects that do not benefit the LGBTQIA+ community
- Projects that have commenced or been completed
- Projects that are not based in Australia
- Projects that are considered the core business of an organisation
- Funding for individual travel expenses, however, there will be consideration given to travel expenses if they relate to rural and regional travel (in exceptional circumstances)
- Costs of organising and running competitions, prizes, awards, or fundraising events (for example, judges’ expenses, administration and infrastructure costs)
- Projects managed by grantees who have not acquitted previous grants from Pride Foundation Australia
- Grantees that received a PFA small grant in the previous 2 years
- Limited and Proprietary Limited companies, which are for-profit organisations
REFEREE
A referee may be contacted in support of the individual or the project, but it is not a requirement.
Video Responses
We understand that some people find it easier to talk about themselves and their project verbally, rather than in writing.
Pride Foundation Australia’s Small Grants Program now accepts a video upload in response to some of our grant application questions.
If you would like to create and upload a video, please tick “Video” in the “Grant Application Response Preference” section.
If you make and upload a video, please be aware that there are some other written questions that you still need to tick boxes or write short answers to. Make sure you answer all the other questions too.
How to apply
To access and submit a grant application, you must be logged into the Australian Communities Foundation Grants Portal and enter the access code PFASGP2026.
If you already have an account through Australian Communities Foundation, please use your existing username and password. Make sure to note your username and password, as you will be able to save and continue the form at a later date.
Please note: All applications must be submitted in full by 11:59pm AEDT on the closing date of each round. Any incomplete applications or applications received after 11:59pm AEDT will fall into the next grant round.
Processes and timeframes
The Small Grants Program is open throughout the year with particular cut-off dates for assessment purposes. If you miss the cut-off date for a particular grant round, you will be able to start and complete a grant application within the timeframes of the next available grant round.
The grant rounds for 2026 are as follows:
- First round opens at 9am AEDT Monday 19 January 2026 and closes at 11:59pm AEST Monday 13 April 2026.
- Successful and unsuccessful applicants to be notified in mid-May 2026.
- Apply for this round if your project/program activities commence late-May 2026.
- Second round opens at 9am AEST on Monday 4 May 2026 and closes at 11:59pm AEST on Monday 13 July 2026.
- Successful and unsuccessful applicants to be notified in early-mid August 2026.
- Apply for this round if your project/program activities commence in late August 2026.
- Third round opens at 9am AEST Monday 3 August 2026 and closes at 11:59pm AEDT on Monday 16 November 2026.
- Successful and unsuccessful applicants to be notified in early-mid December 2026.
- Apply for this round if your project/program activities commence after late December 2026.
Need help?
If you have any questions in relation to the grant guidelines or require technical assistance with the application process, please contact Charlene Yum (Grants Manager, Australian Communities Foundation) at [email protected] or 03 9412 0412. Australian Communities Foundation’s office hours are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.