Whitepaper: Unrestricted funding - why grantmakers need it
If you're serious about making a big difference to the organisations you support, you must consider…
Best Practice Grantmaking
When you become a SmartyGrants user, you're signing up for much more than software. You join a community of grantmakers, big and small and of all types, that have one thing in common: a desire to make scarce resources go as far as possible in supporting communities and businesses and creating change.
The SmartyGrants team has been collecting, distilling and disseminating best practices in grantmaking for more than two decades. Our materials are used by auditors, grantmakers, journalists - all those with an interest in better quality grantmaking. You can pick our brains below.
Australian council rolls out outcomes system in a fortnight
The grantmaking team at Camden Council took only a fortnight to sign up to the Outcomes Engine,…
When you feel the need for speed, start your Outcomes Engine
Wannon Water is an urban water corporation responsible for water and sewerage in Victoria’s…
Impact Frameworks
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
Whitepaper: Risk management and the grantmaking lifecycle
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
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…
Whitepaper: Risk management and the grantmaking lifecycle
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
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…
Whitepaper: Unrestricted funding - why grantmakers need it
If you're serious about making a big difference to the organisations you support, you must consider…
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…
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…
Assessment: How to make good grants decisions
When it comes to effective grant assessments and decisions, preparation is the key.
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…
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…
Working out which applications warrant funding
The process you go through to help you decide which applications to fund requires you to consider…
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…
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…
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…
Impact Frameworks
Coming up with a list of outcomes or an outcome framework can be a daunting task, especially when…
Whitepaper: Risk management and the grantmaking lifecycle
SmartyGrants experts have delved into the myriad of ways that proper risk management will ensure…
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…
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…
Just one in four “grantseeker outcomes” is an outcome, analysis reveals
City of Greater Dandenong Council's Community Development and Funding Project Lead When the City…
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…
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…
Grantmaking News