Impact Frameworks
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
Tools and Resources
When you become a SmartyGrants user, you're signing up for much more than software. You join a community of grantmakers big and small across the country and across sectors that have one thing in common: a desire to make scarce resources go as far as possible in supporting communities and creating change.
The SmartyGrants team has been collecting, distilling and disseminating best practices in grantmaking for two decades. You can pick our brains below.
Getting started
Whether you need to know more about starting up grants program, or have just landed your first role as a grants officer, our tools and resources on the right will help you get your head around the basics.
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Funding collaboratives
Many of the issues grantmakers seek to tackle are complex, and large: the scale and complexity is…
Grantmaking in a COVID-19 world
The novel coronavirus has caused an unprecedented global health and economic crisis that is…
Funding innovative projects and organisations
Funding innovation can involve pushing boundaries or funding the testing of ideas and theories. In…
Tips to increase resources for local government grantmakers
Local government grantmakers need to be positive, persuasive and resourceful to bolster the reserve…
Engaging in strategic grantmaking
Switching from a small, one-off grants program to strategic, multi-year partnerships can help…
Building compliance from the beginning
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Tips on collaborating with other grantmakers
Pooling resources with other grantmakers can increase the overall impact of the collaboration and…
Benchmarking basics
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
How to respond when disaster hits
If there's one thing we have no shortage of these days, it is disasters: record-breaking heat and…
Table Hotspot: Learning from failure
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Table Hotspot: Inserting good governance into highly political processes
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Reviewing, rebranding and reconnecting: a case study
If a program review results in significant changes to a grantmaking program, the program will…
The basics of program design
Running a great grants program is not as simple as signing cheques and handing them out.…
Maximising the grants officer role
Expanding the grants officer's role can have many positive knock-on effects. When a grants…
Avoiding jargon
Grantmaking is surrounded by words. Words describe overall missions and goals; they explain…
Managing your grants staff
Grants staff have a tough gig - they are often pressed for time and juggling numerous roles. They…
Disaster grantmaking
As the world grapples with climate change, natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, droughts…
How to survive a media storm
The way an organisation deals with a crisis is often remembered long after the crisis itself has…
The role of a grants facilitator
A grants facilitator can assist community groups with their grant applications as well as…
Grantmaking during an economic downturn
There are times when the government has to increase its spending to compensate for falling…
Grantee partnerships: adding depth to your grantmaking
Grantmakers who form true partnerships with grantees can address complex social problems - problems…
Enabling innovation and risk-friendly grantmaking
It is often assumed that in funding innovative or high-impact projects, grantmakers take a big risk…
Designing or redesigning your grants program
It can be difficult to know where to start in designing a grants policy and program. This help…
Covering core costs
Core costs are not a popular target for grants funding, but if grantseekers can't cover core costs…
Consumer review
To ensure that the programs you fund meet the needs of consumers, you should involve consumers in…
Opening your grants to groups through accessibility
Opening your grants up to a wide range of organisations will give you the best chance at securing…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Building compliance from the beginning
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Benchmarking basics
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
The basics of program design
Running a great grants program is not as simple as signing cheques and handing them out.…
Grants mapping and community support
If you want to improve your processes and reduce the red tape associated with your organisation's…
Grants manuals
A grants manual is a record of information about your grants program. The alternative to a manual…
At the crossroads: How to use grants to tackle climate change and equity
Climate change has become a crucial issue for grantmakers, as governments, philanthropists and…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
Measuring impact: How the Innovation Lab helps applicants deliver high-quality data
SmartyGrants users might already be familiar with the tools developed by the Our Community…
How to help your grantseekers find more money (and save you time) with the Funding Centre
The SmartyGrants system makes it easier, faster and more efficient for your grantseekers to apply…
Identifying outcomes agents: How to target grantseekers to reach your goals
How do you find organisations with the right capabilities and experience to deliver your desired…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Best practice for writing grants guidelines
Fine-tuning your grants guidelines to ensure they are accessible and user-friendly will make life…
10 tips on advertising your grants
Understanding your organisation and your audience, networking, story-telling and long-term planning…
Providing additional support for grantseekers
Grantmakers have a vested interest in helping grantseekers to find out about and apply for their…
How to make sure you have a website you can be proud of
Your website - particularly if it is your primary means of communication - can make an enormous…
Two-stage applications
A two-stage application process - where an expression of interest precedes a full grant application…
Table Hotspot: Improving applications
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Table Hotspot: Clearer simpler forms
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Sourcing grant recipients: four possible models
Achieving the best possible outcomes from your grants program depends on your ability to attract…
Scanning the landscape: finding the best targets for your funds
When you plan your grants program - or if you're reconsidering the direction of an existing program…
Disaster grantmaking
As the world grapples with climate change, natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, droughts…
How to design great application forms
Time spent filling out grant application forms is time that applicants could have spent making the…
Consumer review
To ensure that the programs you fund meet the needs of consumers, you should involve consumers in…
Capacity building
Investing in building the capacity of community groups offers a host of benefits, including…
Application checklists
A good application checklist can save both grantmakers and grantseekers a significant amount of…
Help Sheet: Assessment Panels
The Takeaway: Grant assessment panels can be made up of any combination of a variety of…
Measuring impact: How the Innovation Lab helps applicants deliver high-quality data
SmartyGrants users might already be familiar with the tools developed by the Our Community…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Funding innovative projects and organisations
Funding innovation can involve pushing boundaries or funding the testing of ideas and theories. In…
Weighing up risk on investments
There is risk associated with all grantmaking, which brings with it the potential for both harms…
Making your grants program accessible to individuals with a disability
If you want to target the disadvantaged and the marginalised in your grantmaking, recognise that…
Table Hotspot: Funding core and operational costs
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Providing capital grants: a case study
Capital grants are not popular with grantmakers, but one US grantmaker found that there was strong…
Grantmaking by public vote
Grantmakers have been experimenting with handing their decision making over to the general public…
Funding Unincorporated Associations
You may not want to give money to unincorporated associations. But, by permitting grants to some…
Enabling innovation and risk-friendly grantmaking
It is often assumed that in funding innovative or high-impact projects, grantmakers take a big risk…
Deciding who to fund and frameworks to help you choose
Few - if any - grantmakers are experts in the multitude of project areas they are asked to fund.…
Capacity building
Investing in building the capacity of community groups offers a host of benefits, including…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
How to end a partnership amicably
Local government grantmakers need to be positive, persuasive and resourceful to bolster the reserve…
Building compliance from the beginning
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
How to say "No" nicely
A considerate approach to rejecting a grant application helps you retain community goodwill and can…
Capacity building
Investing in building the capacity of community groups offers a host of benefits, including…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Scaling up after small trials
Pilot programs test the validity of an organisation's approaches, but far too often they end with…
Making your grants program accessible to individuals with a disability
If you want to target the disadvantaged and the marginalised in your grantmaking, recognise that…
Unrestricted funding
Unrestricted funding provides grantees with greater control and more flexibility. It also…
Table Hotspot: Funding core and operational costs
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Small grants
Small grants can create big change, either via a ripple effect or by strengthening social change…
Scaling up a successful program
All too often, successful projects end without the means to expand the good work that's been…
Right-sizing
Right-sized grantmaking maximises the value of grants and doesn't place undue burdens on…
Preventing grantseeker fraud
Taking four basic steps can help to ensure that your organisation doesn't become a victim of…
Matching grants to strengthen communities
Providing funding that matches - in cash or in kind - community resources builds community capacity…
GST on grants
In many cases where there is a grantmaker-grant recipient relationship, there are no GST-related…
Social responsibility
Make sure you're reaching all members of your community with this range of help sheets.
At the crossroads: How to use grants to tackle climate change and equity
Climate change has become a crucial issue for grantmakers, as governments, philanthropists and…
Applying a "gender lens" to your work
Different genders are socially conditioned to occupy different roles. They face different…
Grantmaking in a COVID-19 world
The novel coronavirus has caused an unprecedented global health and economic crisis that is…
Investing in women
A gender-neutral approach to grantmaking does not necessarily result in equal outcomes for women…
Table Hotspot: Improving access for small and emerging grantseekers
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Supporting indigenous Australians
Grants to indigenous Australians and indigenous communities are most effective when they support…
Social inclusion
Addressing social exclusion is fundamental to creating vibrant and sustainable communities. To do…
Rural and regional grantmaking
Community groups in rural and regional areas continue to be excluded from the grantmaking process…
Funding multicultural groups
Applying for grants can be a challenging and frustrating process for any community group, but for…
Funding financial incentives for environmental conservation
Financial incentives are often necessary to spur private individuals to undertake environmental…
Environmental grantmaking
Environmental issues in general, and climate change in particular, pose some of the greatest…
Empathetic grantmaking through grantee representation
The best grantmakers are empathetic grantmakers - they have a real understanding of the communities…
Protecting the environment
None of us can expect to live and work without doing some damage to the environment. We all consume…
Is advocacy for you?
Many people think that the most effective way to assist the disadvantaged and achieve social change…
Impact Frameworks
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
How to prepare for when something goes wrong and how to respond when it does
The best way to address performance issues is to anticipate them, have an early-intervention plan…
Monitoring grants funding
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to monitoring your grants. As Our Community discovered when…
Building compliance from the beginning
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Benchmarking basics
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
Table Hotspot: Timelines
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Table Hotspot: Providing high-quality support
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Table Hotspot: Performance problems
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Performance measurement
The measurement of outputs and outcomes, and performance monitoring, analysis and reporting can all…
Grants mapping and community support
If you want to improve your processes and reduce the red tape associated with your organisation's…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Table Hotspot: Providing high-quality support
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Table Hotspot: Feedback
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Table Hotspot: Clearer simpler forms
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Standardised acquittals
Standardised acquittal reports are one way of reducing the administrative burden on grantees. The…
Performance measurement
The measurement of outputs and outcomes, and performance monitoring, analysis and reporting can all…
Outcome Engines Myth Busting
We’ve worked with dozens of SmartyGrants users since launching the Outcomes Engine in late 2021.…
How far does a $5000 grant go, and how much evaluation can we ask for in return?
Small grants play a large role in keeping our communities ticking over. Small grants pay for things…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
The SmartyGrants Grantmaking Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Program evaluation from design to implementation
Program evaluation is a systematic, evidence-based review process that assesses how well a grants…
Independent evaluation
Independent evaluation can make a dent in your budget, but it helps maximise the return on your…
The seven principles of impact reporting
Reporting on impact is a challenge all grantmakers face, but keeping these seven principles in mind…
Establishing a strategy for evaluation
Every evaluation undertaken by a grantmaker should be unique, and needs to be designed accordingly.…
Evaluating the impact of your grants
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Building compliance from the beginning
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Benchmarking basics
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
Table Hotspot: Learning from failure
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Reviewing, rebranding and reconnecting: a case study
If a program review results in significant changes to a grantmaking program, the program will…
Reporting lessons from your grantmaking
Sharing the lessons learned from your grantmaking with other grantmakers and the broader community…
Reporting hard-won lessons: a case study
Examples of grantmakers sharing lessons learned from misguided approaches are few and far between,…
Publicising outcomes
Publicising information about which funded projects are the most and least effective - and why -…
Ten top tips on providing feedback
Carefully considered feedback can be helpful to grantseekers, and it can also make life easier for…
The basics of program reviews
Your grants program might seem to be rolling along just fine: you can see the difference you're…
Formative evaluation
Formative evaluation, which takes place as a project unfolds, can be more valuable to grantees than…
How to get the feedback you need
Opening up channels for grantseekers and grantees to provide you with feedback is not only of…
