Impact Frameworks
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
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.
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.
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Many of the issues grantmakers seek to tackle are complex, and large: the scale and complexity is…
The novel coronavirus has caused an unprecedented global health and economic crisis that is…
Funding innovation can involve pushing boundaries or funding the testing of ideas and theories. In…
Local government grantmakers need to be positive, persuasive and resourceful to bolster the reserve…
Switching from a small, one-off grants program to strategic, multi-year partnerships can help…
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Pooling resources with other grantmakers can increase the overall impact of the collaboration and…
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
If there's one thing we have no shortage of these days, it is disasters: record-breaking heat and…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
If a program review results in significant changes to a grantmaking program, the program will…
Running a great grants program is not as simple as signing cheques and handing them out.…
Expanding the grants officer's role can have many positive knock-on effects. When a grants…
Grantmaking is surrounded by words. Words describe overall missions and goals; they explain…
Grants staff have a tough gig - they are often pressed for time and juggling numerous roles. They…
As the world grapples with climate change, natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, droughts…
The way an organisation deals with a crisis is often remembered long after the crisis itself has…
A grants facilitator can assist community groups with their grant applications as well as…
There are times when the government has to increase its spending to compensate for falling…
Grantmakers who form true partnerships with grantees can address complex social problems - problems…
It is often assumed that in funding innovative or high-impact projects, grantmakers take a big risk…
It can be difficult to know where to start in designing a grants policy and program. This help…
Core costs are not a popular target for grants funding, but if grantseekers can't cover core costs…
To ensure that the programs you fund meet the needs of consumers, you should involve consumers in…
Opening your grants up to a wide range of organisations will give you the best chance at securing…
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
Running a great grants program is not as simple as signing cheques and handing them out.…
If you want to improve your processes and reduce the red tape associated with your organisation's…
A grants manual is a record of information about your grants program. The alternative to a manual…
Climate change has become a crucial issue for grantmakers, as governments, philanthropists and…
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
SmartyGrants users might already be familiar with the tools developed by the Our Community…
The SmartyGrants system makes it easier, faster and more efficient for your grantseekers to apply…
How do you find organisations with the right capabilities and experience to deliver your desired…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Fine-tuning your grants guidelines to ensure they are accessible and user-friendly will make life…
Understanding your organisation and your audience, networking, story-telling and long-term planning…
Grantmakers have a vested interest in helping grantseekers to find out about and apply for their…
Your website - particularly if it is your primary means of communication - can make an enormous…
A two-stage application process - where an expression of interest precedes a full grant application…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Achieving the best possible outcomes from your grants program depends on your ability to attract…
When you plan your grants program - or if you're reconsidering the direction of an existing program…
As the world grapples with climate change, natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, droughts…
Time spent filling out grant application forms is time that applicants could have spent making the…
To ensure that the programs you fund meet the needs of consumers, you should involve consumers in…
Investing in building the capacity of community groups offers a host of benefits, including…
A good application checklist can save both grantmakers and grantseekers a significant amount of…
When it comes to effective grant assessments and decisions, preparation is the key.
The Takeaway: Grant assessment panels can be made up of any combination of a variety of…
SmartyGrants users might already be familiar with the tools developed by the Our Community…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Funding innovation can involve pushing boundaries or funding the testing of ideas and theories. In…
There is risk associated with all grantmaking, which brings with it the potential for both harms…
If you want to target the disadvantaged and the marginalised in your grantmaking, recognise that…
The process you go through to help you decide which applications to fund requires you to consider…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Capital grants are not popular with grantmakers, but one US grantmaker found that there was strong…
Grantmakers have been experimenting with handing their decision making over to the general public…
You may not want to give money to unincorporated associations. But, by permitting grants to some…
It is often assumed that in funding innovative or high-impact projects, grantmakers take a big risk…
Few - if any - grantmakers are experts in the multitude of project areas they are asked to fund.…
Investing in building the capacity of community groups offers a host of benefits, including…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Local government grantmakers need to be positive, persuasive and resourceful to bolster the reserve…
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
A considerate approach to rejecting a grant application helps you retain community goodwill and can…
Investing in building the capacity of community groups offers a host of benefits, including…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Pilot programs test the validity of an organisation's approaches, but far too often they end with…
If you want to target the disadvantaged and the marginalised in your grantmaking, recognise that…
Unrestricted funding provides grantees with greater control and more flexibility. It also…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Small grants can create big change, either via a ripple effect or by strengthening social change…
All too often, successful projects end without the means to expand the good work that's been…
Right-sized grantmaking maximises the value of grants and doesn't place undue burdens on…
Taking four basic steps can help to ensure that your organisation doesn't become a victim of…
Providing funding that matches - in cash or in kind - community resources builds community capacity…
In many cases where there is a grantmaker-grant recipient relationship, there are no GST-related…
Climate change has become a crucial issue for grantmakers, as governments, philanthropists and…
Different genders are socially conditioned to occupy different roles. They face different…
The novel coronavirus has caused an unprecedented global health and economic crisis that is…
A gender-neutral approach to grantmaking does not necessarily result in equal outcomes for women…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Grants to indigenous Australians and indigenous communities are most effective when they support…
Addressing social exclusion is fundamental to creating vibrant and sustainable communities. To do…
Community groups in rural and regional areas continue to be excluded from the grantmaking process…
Applying for grants can be a challenging and frustrating process for any community group, but for…
Financial incentives are often necessary to spur private individuals to undertake environmental…
Environmental issues in general, and climate change in particular, pose some of the greatest…
The best grantmakers are empathetic grantmakers - they have a real understanding of the communities…
None of us can expect to live and work without doing some damage to the environment. We all consume…
Many people think that the most effective way to assist the disadvantaged and achieve social change…
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
The best way to address performance issues is to anticipate them, have an early-intervention plan…
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to monitoring your grants. As Our Community discovered when…
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
The measurement of outputs and outcomes, and performance monitoring, analysis and reporting can all…
If you want to improve your processes and reduce the red tape associated with your organisation's…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
Standardised acquittal reports are one way of reducing the administrative burden on grantees. The…
The measurement of outputs and outcomes, and performance monitoring, analysis and reporting can all…
We’ve worked with dozens of SmartyGrants users since launching the Outcomes Engine in late 2021.…
Small grants play a large role in keeping our communities ticking over. Small grants pay for things…
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
This toolkit is designed to walk you through the process of building, reviewing or refreshing a…
Program evaluation is a systematic, evidence-based review process that assesses how well a grants…
Independent evaluation can make a dent in your budget, but it helps maximise the return on your…
Reporting on impact is a challenge all grantmakers face, but keeping these seven principles in mind…
Every evaluation undertaken by a grantmaker should be unique, and needs to be designed accordingly.…
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Grants evaluation is not just about increasing efficiency. It's also about gaining the knowledge…
Benchmarking can assist you with planning and with continuous improvement. You can do it any time;…
Attendees at the 2016 AIGM Grantmaking in Australia Conference participated in a lively series of…
If a program review results in significant changes to a grantmaking program, the program will…
Sharing the lessons learned from your grantmaking with other grantmakers and the broader community…
Examples of grantmakers sharing lessons learned from misguided approaches are few and far between,…
Publicising information about which funded projects are the most and least effective - and why -…
Carefully considered feedback can be helpful to grantseekers, and it can also make life easier for…
Your grants program might seem to be rolling along just fine: you can see the difference you're…
Formative evaluation, which takes place as a project unfolds, can be more valuable to grantees than…
Opening up channels for grantseekers and grantees to provide you with feedback is not only of…