Writing a great sports grant application is tremendously rewarding when it all comes off and your Club project becomes reality. But it is a detailed process! You have to put together the right documents and you have to plan it all out. It can be an effort. We’ve put together a few tips to make the process a little easier and to assist you and your sporting Club to develop a great sports grant application.
Identify What You Are Funding
Before submitting your application, determine exactly what you want the grant for. A clear concept and funding scope will help you your application on tack.
- Is it sporting equipment?
- Is it facility upgrades such as improvements to your club house or change rooms?
- Is it infrastructure such as sports lighting or scoreboards?
Most grants tend to favour a single project being funded rather than multiple projects so try to stay focused on what will bring the most benefit to the Club. This will help you to explain why you need the grant and establish the strength of your case.
Check Your Eligibility
Eligibility is one of the most important aspects of any grant application. If you devote time into writing a sports grant application, how frustrating it would be to discover you were excluded from the start! Carefully review grant application guidelines and pre-requisites to ensure your Club is eligible to apply for funding. Don’t hesitate to contact the relevant sports grant authority to ask them whether you are eligible.
Carefully Plan Your Application
Become familiar with all the documents related to the application, and ensure you have correctly completed all forms.
Especially important is knowing the application opening and closing dates – don’t get caught out by not getting your application in on time OR having a half done application because time ran out. Set yourself a timetable from the start with milestone dates so you know you are on track.
What to Include in your Application
Make sure you address all aspects of the grant application requirements. This may include:
- Club background and detailed project description
- Project objectives
- Project benefits – both for your sports club, members / players, and also the broader local community
- How your project matches the purpose of the grant
- Detailed project budget
- Project timeframe and key deliverables
- How you will measure the project’s success
Use A Storytelling Approach
Storytelling is a powerful and compelling way to approach your application. Write in short, hard hitting sentences and perhaps consider hiring a copywriter or proof reader for maximum impact and accuracy.
Submit a Realistic Grant Application
Setting expectations too high (e.g. applying for unrealistic funding) is going to reduce the chances of your grant being approved. Ensure your application is realistic – a compelling and reasonable case is your best chance of your grant application being accepted.
Provide A Detailed Budget Breakdown
Your application must be realistic. Can you show that a great project will be delivered for the amount of the sporting grant you are seeking? You must have a budget that is detailed, cost-effective and well thought out. This helps to provide a compelling case as to why your sporting grant application should be accepted.
Consider the Decision Maker
Who is likely to be reading and evaluating your application? Consider the grant decision maker/s and write to cater for your likely audience. Sports grant funding is highly competitive so ensure you write your grant with your audience in mind. As well as addressing all requirements, you should:
- Build a strong case and consider how your application will stand out from others.
- Check again the guidelines for the grant application. What is the important outcome the sports grant decision makers are looking for? Is it the benefits to your club? Or the benefits to the local community Or the value for money?
- Communicate your project with passion while still being factual and concise.
- Use spell check and avoid vague writing.
- Ensure others proof-read the application and use any grant application checklists provided.
- Respond promptly to questions or requests for further information.
- Grant writing takes time and dedication and is often an under-appreciated job in many sporting organisations.
By following our sports grant writing tips we hope the process will be a little easier. You will certainly be thrilled when your Club is successful and a great project is delivered.
Get Your Quotes
You are almost certainly going to need quotes to support your application, and you will need to work on this early in the process. This is not something that can be done in the final days before the closing date. Depending on the complexity of your project a supplier may take a week or more to prepare a quote. It’s important to not inflate costs and obtain accurate pricing. For instance, if you are applying for a sports infrastructure grant for a new scoreboard, obtain a quote from a reputable Australian scoreboard manufacturer. Seek out quotes as early as you can.
Identify Other Funding Sources
In many instances a sports grant application is more likely to succeed if the project is co-funded. Other funding sources could include:
- Local councils
- Other government departments (State and Federal)
- Club member donations (particularly if they own businesses)
- Local members of Parliament
- Local business sponsors such as sporting goods stores, licensed Clubs and Pubs.
Some grant applications require letters of support. Connect with your sporting community and demonstrate how a grant will benefit them. If they are in support, the more valuable your application can become. You should also aim to include supporting evidence and statistics regarding the need and benefits the grant will deliver. If your project will foster sporting participation then you may be able to demonstrate benefits to the whole community.
Struggling to source grants for your club?
Check out our guide to Where to Find Grants for Sports Clubs in Australia.
Consider Using a Professional Grant Writer
An alternative approach can be to use a professional grants writer. They bring experience and knowledge that you may not have and don’t have the time to develop. You can ask them whether their fee can be included as a part of the grant application. If you choose this path you need to act quickly as the time required may be significant.
If you need a fast and detailed electronic scoreboard quote to support your sports club grant application, please contact the AusSport Scoreboard team.
