Prepared by: Christine May, Senior Research Consultant, Clearinghouse for Sport
Reviewed by: Australasian Sport Information Network
Last updated: 13 October 2020
Content disclaimer: See Clearinghouse for Sport disclaimer

Australian governments invest in the sport and active recreation sector by leveraging a range of inter-related public policy themes including, community participation, infrastructure, major events, and building a robust sports industry.

This financial assistance is delivered in a number of ways including the provision of grants and other concessions to organisations, community groups, and individuals. Our topic here primarily focuses on the financial assistance provided by federal, state and territory governments in Australia.

Key messages

What

Australian governments (federal, state and local) invest over AU$1.3b annually in the sport and active recreation sector.

Why

Increasing community participation in physical activity, including sport and active recreation, is seen as a key target in helping to achieve public health and social policy objectives at national, state, and local levels.

Who

Organisations, community groups and individuals can apply to access a broad range of funding programs and other concessions from government and non-government sources.

Terminology

‘Sport participation’ is generally defined as active involvement as a participant, but may also include involvement in a supporting role, such as a coach, official, administrator, or volunteer. In this topic ‘sport participation’ refers to physical activity organised by an affiliated sporting organisation for the primary purpose of enjoyment, skill development, personal health and social benefit. Competition outcomes may also be included, but they are secondary and this outcome is more important when discussing high performance sport programs and the way they are funded.

For more information please refer to the Clearinghouse for Sport topics Sport Participation in Australia and What is Sport?

Limitations

The information provided in this topic primarily targets organisations recognised by Sport Australia (formerly the Australian Sports Commission) and the state and territory departments of sport and recreation. This includes National Sporting Organisations (NSOs), their affiliated State Sporting Organisations (SSOs), and local sporting clubs representing each sport. The Australian Sports Directory provides a list of organisations recognised by Sport Australia.

There are many other organisations delivering sport and active recreation programs outside of the network recognised by Sport Australia. This summary does not attempt to estimate the contribution made by local government authorities. Clubs delivering sport at the local level may receive substantial support from local government in the form of grants, facility access, and concessions.

Similarly, this summary does not include the contribution made by schools and tertiary education institutions to the delivery of sport and active recreation programs. 'High performance' sport funding, such as scholarship sources for athletes, coaches and officials are also not included.

The final limitation to this information gathering is the amount of detail provided about government funding sources (in part or full) that comes from departments/agencies outside of the sport and recreation domain. Many government funded programs target specific initiatives, facilities, health promotions, social inclusion programs, tourism, and events that can impact upon the sport and active recreation sector.

National grants and funding

Department of Health

The Australian Government is committed to supporting sport in Australia from grass roots to elite; increasing participation in physical and recreational activities to promote physical and mental health; staging world class major sporting events; and utilising sport as a vehicle to address disadvantage and social inclusion challenges.

This commitment encourages greater participation in sport by all Australians and contributes to a competitive and clean Australian sports sector, based on the pursuit of excellence, integrity, and leadership.

Further information is available on the Department of Health website.

Department of Health
The Australian Government is committed to supporting sport in Australia from grass roots to elite.

Australian Sports Commission

The Australian Sports Commission (incorporating Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport) primarily funds and supports NSOs to coordinate and deliver sport participation and development programs, to increase participation, and achieve high performance outcomes.

Investment Allocation 2019-20 and 2020-21, Australian Sports Commission, (24 September 2020).

The ASC also partners with state and territory departments of sport and recreation to develop and deliver programs and services to build the sustainability, capability, and capacity of the sport industry in Australia.

The range of grants available are designed to develop sporting excellence and increase participation and achievement by all Australians. Some of these include:

AIS Education Scholarship. The scholarship has been established from a private donation for the sole purpose of supporting Australian High Performance athletes in their pursuit of study and educational experiences. [applications closed for 2020]
Compensation Grant Program. The purpose of the Compensation Grant program is to provide financial support to Paralympians whose Disability Support Pension (DSP) payments have been affected due to travelling outside Australia for training and/or competitions exceeding the general travel allowance of 28 days in a financial year. [one application round per financial year]
dAIS Athlete Grants. The dAIS scheme provides an opportunity for athletes in Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports to receive a direct cash grant from the Australian Government.
Local Sporting Champions. This program provides financial assistance for 12-18 year old athletes towards the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms, or equipment when competing, coaching, or officiating at an official NSO endorsed state, national, or international sporting championships, or a School Sport Australia state or national championship competition. [normally four application rounds per year]
Play For Purpose raffle. Launched in December 2018 Play For Purpose is a collaboration between the 50-50 Foundation, Tabcorp, and the Australian Sports Foundation, endorsed by Sport Australia. It aims to raise money for charitable grassroots sporting projects.
Sporting Schools. An Australian Government initiative to develop an innovative national network linking schools and sports to encourage more Australian children to take part in sport-based activities, and develop a lifelong interest in sport. Provides a program for primary schools and a targeted program for Year 7 & 8 students in secondary schools. [funding available per school term]
Women Leaders in Sport. The Office for Women and Sports Australia provide funding and support to help provide women with development opportunities to reach their leadership potential in the sports industry. In 2019 the WLIS program offers leadership workshops for individuals and organisations, development grants for individuals and organisations, and a targeted leadership development program for individuals. [applications closed for 2020]

Australian Sports Commission
Sport Australia primarily funds and supports National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) to coordinate and deliver sport participation and development programs.

Australian Sports Foundation (ASF)

The Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) was established to assist community organisations to raise funds for the development of Australian sport. The ASF’s listing in the Income Tax Assessment Act (ITAA) 1997 as a Deductible Gift Recipient enables donations of $2 or more to be tax deductible.

The two main ASF fundraising programs are:

Fundraising4Sport. For individual athletes, clubs and organisations alike. Whether they're raising money to build a new clubhouse, buy new sporting equipment, or fund athlete travel.
Sport4Everyone. A small grants programs dedicated to initiatives that help increase participation in grassroots and community sport across Australia.
ASF is also responsible for distributing money raised by the Playing for Purpose raffle to clubs for relevant charitable grassroots sporting projects.

In recent times the ASF has been able to assist individual athletes through direct donations. In 2018/19 the ASF supported nearly 800 athletes and helped them collectively raise over AU$2.4 million.

ASF Research and Reports

In 2017 the ASF conducted Australia's first ever study into the motivation of Australians who donate to sport. The goal of this qualitative research was to help Australian sporting clubs and organisations better understand why donors donate and how to make the donor experience more rewarding and enjoyable. The key donor motivations examined were:

Sports giving involves both our emotional heart and rational mind.
The success of fundraising campaigns depends on how well donors are engaged.
Giving to sport is like a boomerang - it returns powerful psychological rewards to donors.
Giving to sport affects people's emotional well-being.
Giving to sport is very personal and is tightly linked to dedication and commitment to the sport and the club.
The donor giving journey.
Co-creating fundraising campaigns with club members is the key.
Donors like to be present in their donation experience.
Satisfaction with the donation experience drives donors' willingness to give again (or more).

A total of 51 donors, randomly recruited from the ASF donor database, participated in the study. They included a mix in terms of age, gender, sport type, location, and donation value ranging from $20 to $1 million. The research revealed that donors are more likely to consider donating if clubs:

show that they care about the donors as individuals;
are able to connect with donors on a personal level;
have approached other funding sources, e.g. local government, State/Territory government for infrastructure projects;
have developed commercially sound business plans to base the project on, i.e. professionally developed plans including transparency of the financial situation and future directions of the club;
care about improved health and wellbeing;
demonstrate that they are doing their best for the club to prosper and increase chances for its players to win by supporting them;
advise how much goes to what and how much gest donated within a period of time, tracking donation activity, donors are likely to give more towards the project if they know the club hasn't received enough towards the cut off date;
is aligned to common civil society principles (contribution to society);
clearly communicates the ASF's brand and how it will benefit them, e.g. due diligence process and high level of accountability in handling their money, tax deductibility, reputation of the organisation among sport clubs and their members.

More information:

Why do people give to sport? Fundraising for sport in Australia. Australian Sports Foundation, (2017).
2017 Sports Fundraising Snapshot. Australian Sports Foundation, (2017).
2016 Sports Fundraising Snapshot. Australian Sports Foundation, (2016).
2015 Sports Fundraising Snapshot. Australian Sports Foundation, (2015).

Australian Sports Foundation (ASF)
ASF assists community organisations to raise funds for the development of Australian sport.

National Sporting Organisations (NSO)

Jim Stynes Scholarship fund. Provides small grants to young people experiencing disadvantage.
Bachar Houli AFL Academy. A high performance football talent program for emerging players aged between 15-18 years who are from an Islamic background.

Disaster Relief Fund. Provides assistance to lawn bowls clubs that have suffered damage due to natural disasters, such as fire or flood.

Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund. The ACIF is open to all clubs, associations, schools, councils and cricket facility managers, acknowledging the important role that these partners play in providing facilities for community cricket across Australia.

Get Into Golf facility marketing fund, Golf Australia, (31 August 2020). The 2020/21 'Get Into Golf facility marketing fund' is designed to assist facilities across Australia in the promotion of their Get Into Golf programs with access to a $250 marketing grant.
NSW Golf Foundation. Provides opportunities for funding for participation, publicity/public relations, and innovation.

Confident Girls: Give Every Girl a Chance to Shine. Confident Girls is the main grass roots campaign of the Netball Foundation – the fundraising arm of Netball Australia and partner of the Australian Netball Diamonds team.

Para-sport Equipment Fund. A joint initiative of Paralympics Australia (PA) and Sport Australia, supported by PA's sponsors and donors. It is designed to provide opportunities for Australians with disabilities to participate and compete in Para-sport by addressing the challenges associated with the high cost of Para-sport equipment.

NSW Pony Club Association. Provides grants for Camp Assistance and Cross Country Courses.

Inclusive beaches equipment grant, Surf Life Saving Australia. If your club currently delivers or is preparing to start an inclusion program for people with disabilities to be able to participate in club activities in 2020/21 season, you are eligible to apply and receive funding. 2020 applications close 23 October 2020.

National Sporting Organisations
A number of national and state sporting organisations provide community sporting clubs with a range of grants.

State & Territory grants and funding

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Active Canberra. Grant programs are available to eligible organisations to support participation in active lifestyles through the delivery of quality programs, services, and facilities for the benefit of the Canberra community. The primary funding programs are:

Sport and Recreation Operational Program (SROP)
Community Sport and Recreation Development Program (CSRDP)
Capital Assistance Program (CAP)
Motor Sports Training & Education Program (MSTEP)
Women Sport & Recreation Participation & Leadership Program (WSRPLP)
Sports Loan Interest Subsidy Scheme (SLISS)
Inclusive Participation Funding Program (IPFP)
Nature Play Grants Program (NPGP)

ACT Health Promotion Innovation Fund. Supports innovative activities that help ACT residents to improve their health and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.

New South Wales (NSW)

Office of Sport. Financial assistance and grants are available to sport and recreation organisations through a number of sources. The range of programs include:

NSW ICC World T20 2020 Cricket Legacy Fund
Sport Development Grant Program
NSW ATP Tennis Legacy Fund
Local Sport Grant Program
Greater Sydney Sports Facility Fund
Surf Club Facility Program
Safe Shooting Program
Local Sport Defibrillator Program
ClubGRANTS Category 3 Fund
Community Building Partnership Program
Community Development Grants Program
Stronger Communities Program

Active Kids Voucher program. NSW parents can claim up to two $100 vouchers per school child (kindergarten to year 12), per calendar year, to reduce the cost of sport registration or membership fees for after-school, weekend and structured fitness or physical activity. The voucher is not means-tested and is available to every school child wanting to get active in their community through sport and active recreation. the program is due to run until 2022.

Northern Territory (NT)

Department of Arts, sport and leisure. Grants are available to organisations and individuals that facilitate sport and active recreation outcomes. Current grant programs include:

Grass Roots Program
Quick Response (urgent funding) Program
Remote sport program

Sports vouchers. All children (preschool – year 12) living in an urban school area are eligible to receive a $100 sport voucher at the start of each semester (January and July). Parents or carers need to apply online for vouchers each semester.

School age children in remote areas have access to $200 worth of sport voucher scheme: remote annually to participate in sport, recreation or cultural activities determined by the community.

Learn to swim vouchers are available for children under 5 years of age who are not enrolled in preschool or school. Each child can receive two $100 vouchers per year. Children must be registered for the water safety awareness program run by the Royal Life Saving Society before you apply for the vouchers.

Queensland (QLD)

Queensland Government. In 2019 the Queensland Government launched a 10-year sport and active recreation strategy, Activate! Queensland (2019-2029), working to further enrich the Queensland way of life through physical activity. The strategy included a suite of initiatives and funding opportunities to improve the coordination of state government investment and effort so more Queenslanders can benefit from an active life. Opportunities include:

FairPlay Vouchers. Parents, carers or guardians can apply for one voucher valued up to $150 for their child per calendar year. Vouchers can be used towards sport and active recreation membership, registration or participation fees with registered activity providers. Program is open to Queensland children aged 5-17 who hold, or whose parent, carer or guardian holds a valid Department of Human Services Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.

Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) grant. Administered by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General. The objective of the fund is to allocate funding to not-for-profit community groups to help them provide services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities. There are multiple funding rounds each year and the funding limit is between $500 and $35,000.

South Australia (SA)

Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing. A wide range of funding is available to help organisations and individuals provide high quality active recreation and sport facilities, programs and activities. These include:

Active Club Program
Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program
Grassroots Football, Cricket & Netball Facility Program
South Australian Sport Institute (SASI) Individual Athlete Program
Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program
Sport and Recreation Sustainability Program
VACSWIM Program

Sport Vouchers. All primary school students are eligible for one $100 voucher per calendar year, towards reducing the cost of fees in sport, dance or learn to swim programs.

Tasmania (TAS)

Communities, Sport and Recreation. Funding is available to increase opportunities for participation in sport and active recreation and to assist the ongoing development of Tasmania’s sport and active recreation sector. Clubs, not-for-profit organisations, and local government entities that provide sport and recreation opportunities to the community may apply for grants.

Minor Grants Program
Major Grants Program
State Grants Program
National/International Sport Championships Program
Sporting Competitions Access Fund 2020-21
Improving the Playing Field Grants Program

Ticket to Play. Provides two vouchers up to $100 each towards club membership for children aged 5-18 years and listed on a Centrelink Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card or in Out of Home Care. Vouchers can be used either both at one activity provider, or at two different activity providers.

Victoria (VIC)

Sport and Recreation Victoria. Grants and funding are available to support groups from local community clubs through to the elite level. Funding is available for a range of activities, from improving or building new facilities to putting in place community projects and programs.

Together More Active program
Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program
Country Football & Netball Program
Change Our Game Scholarship Program
Sporting Club Grants Program
Athlete Pathway Travel Grants Program
Better Indoor Stadiums Fund
Female Friendly Facilities Fund
Significant Sporting Events Program
Change Our Game Workforce Development Program
Gender Equality in Victorian Sport and Recreation Pilot Program
Community Sports Infrastructure Fund
Shooting Sports Facilities Program
World Game Facilities Fund
Emergency grants: Sports Equipment
Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme (low interest rate loans to deliver community sport & recreation infrastructure)

VicHealth. VicHealth’s strategic approach focuses on making physical activity part of everyday living as well as increasing participation in competitive and social sport. VicHealth Sport Investments provides a number of different opportunities for community organisations to apply for grant funding throughout the year. Some grants include:

Growing Participation in Sport
Regional Sport Program
Innovation Challenge: Sport
Active Club Grants
Innovation Challenge: Physical Activity

Grants Victoria. The Victorian Government grants directory enables you to search for government grants and assistance within the state of Victoria. Find community, education, legal, and business grants or financial assistance that are available.

Western Australia (WA)

Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. The Department provides funding to organisations and individuals that facilitate sport and active recreation outcomes. Grant and funding opportunities include:

Active Regional Communities Grants
Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF). Includes Small, Annual and forward planning grants.
Country Sport Enrichment Scheme
North West Travel Subsidy
Regional Athletes Travel Subsidy Scheme
Regional Organisation Grants
Targeted Participation Program

Sport Vouchers. The KidSport program enables eligible Western Australian children aged 5–18 years to participate in community sport and recreation by offering them financial assistance towards club fees. A maximum of $150 is paid directly from the local government to the registered KidSport clubs participating in the project. Vouchers are available to children who apply in the local government area in which they live, are aged 5-18 years, and have a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card. KidSport vouchers have a 90-day expiry period from the date issued.

Healthway WA. Various grant opportunities for sport and recreation. Organisations may apply for grants to fund new approaches to promoting healthy lifestyles through changing community attitudes and behaviour, and creating environments that support people to make healthier choices.

Local Government

Many local government agencies and councils provide grants or funding opportunities to sporting organisations and individuals. Contact your local council directly to find out what opportunities are available in your area. Some examples of types of programs include:

Better Aging Fitness Development Subsidy Program, City of Parramatta (NSW)
Grants and Partnerships. Townsville City Council (QLD)
Grants and Sponsorship. Liverpool City Council (NSW)
Individual Sporting Grants. Knox City Council (VIC)
Recreation and Sports Funding. Adelaide City Council (SA)

Further resources and reading

Grant finders

Community grants: a quick guide to key internet links. Parliamentary Library guide provides links to selected sources of financial assistance to community groups. It does not include links to scholarships, fellowships, or research grants.
GrantGuru Community. Database of nationwide grants and funding programs for community based and not-for-profit organisations.
Grants and Assistance. Provided by the Australian Government: Business find support, funding, assistance packages and loans for your business from all levels of government.
Grants Calendar, Good Sports, (accessed 8 October 2020). Provides links and information about a wide range of grants including application periods and closing dates.
Grants Victoria. The Victorian Government grants directory enables you to search for government grants and assistance within the state of Victoria.
Sports Community. Synopsis of broad range of grant for Australian community clubs and how to access grant programs.

Grant finders

Grant writing guidelines and online resources

Each funding program or scheme will have criteria specific to eligibility, application procedures, expenditure, reporting, and assessment. It is important to clearly identify what your organisation wants to fund/do and then assess whether you will meet the criteria for the funding opportunity before you apply. Make sure you can also articulate what issue or program requires the funding and what solution the funding will provide.

Some resources for writing grant applications include:

Fundamentals of Grant Writing presentation, Regional Development Australia (Tasmania), Tasmanian Early Years Foundation, Tasmanian Government, (accessed 8 October 2020).
Grants, Club Help. Provides brief tips and information on grant writing including Understanding grant guidelines; The write up; Planning for grants; and additional resources.
Grants Help Centre, The Funding Centre. Provides a variety of resources and information for the grant process from deciding to apply, writing the application, and monitoring the project.
How to win a grant, Sports Community. Provides a brief overview and tips for understanding what grants are; who offers grants; where to find them; and strategies for writing successful grant applications.
Sponsorship Proposals, NSW Office of Sport. Provides information on writing sponsorship proposals.
What Makes a Good Grant Application? Australian Government Community Grants Hub. Guidance on how to prepare a Commonwealth Government grant application and effectively address selection criteria.
Writing Your Application, Sport England. Although this resource is aimed at organisations applying for Sport England funding it contains relevant principles and guidance that can be applied to other grants and funding opportunities.
OurCommunity.com.au – where not-for-profits go for help. Website provides advice, tools, resources, and training for not-for-profit organisations.

Grant writing guidelines and online resources

Supporting evidence

When writing grants you may need to provide information and evidence to support your application. This could include demographics or statistics for your club/region/sport, or evidence to support why your sport/program will benefit a specific or broader community objective. The Clearinghouse for Sport Knowledge Base provides access to a broad range of expert evaluated information resources covering good and promising practice. Some topics and resources that may be relevant include:

Population and participation trends and statistics:

AusPlay survey (AusPlay). AusPlay is Sport Australia's large scale national survey to track the sporting behaviours and activities of the Australian population.
Australia's Health Tracker. An interactive website from the Australian Health Policy Collaboration provides up-to-date Australian data on chronic diseases, conditions, and their risk factors by area.
Mapping Australia's Population (MAP). MAP is a Monash University initiative, with the support of the Scanlon Foundation. It provides information and data on Australian immigration and population issues including trends, population maps, and public opinion of immigration and population issues.
Sport Participation in Australia. Clearinghouse for Sport topic.

Sport & Government Policy Objectives (how sport/physical activity can contribute to meeting government objectives):

Persons with Disability & Sport. Clearinghouse for Sport topic.
Physical Activity. Clearinghouse for Sport topic.
Women in Sport. Clearinghouse for Sport topic.

Supporting evidence

Program links

Clubs NSW Club Grants program. ClubGRANTS funding is available to community groups, charities, and sporting teams across NSW.
Hyundai Goals 4 Grassroots. Program is designed to help promote the game of football within local communities by offering financial assistance to junior clubs throughout the Hyundai A-League season.
Sport Access Foundation. Founded by para-triathlete Katie Kelly Sport Access Foundation provides grants for Australian children with a disability so that they can have the opportunity to play and participate in sport.
SportsPass. A member rewards program which adds value to Australian sporting memberships while providing a new and ongoing funding source for local grassroots sporting clubs and associations. Half of the cost of every activated SportsPass membership is returned direct to your nominated club.
Telstra Kids Fund. Provides $1,200 grants to fund activities and projects run by local non-profit organisations and community groups that connect kids across Australia to their local community in some way: through the arts and culture, the environment, education, or sport and recreation.
Wally Foreman Foundation. Provides scholarships from registered Western Australian athletes or coaches who have a specific financial need to assist their progress towards sporting honours.

Program links

Participation Grants and Funding for Sport and Recreation

Key messages

Terminology

Limitations

National grants and funding

Department of Health

Australian Sports Commission

Australian Sports Foundation (ASF)

National Sporting Organisations (NSO)

State & Territory grants and funding

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

New South Wales (NSW)

Northern Territory (NT)

Queensland (QLD)

South Australia (SA)

Tasmania (TAS)

Victoria (VIC)

Western Australia (WA)

Local Government

Further resources and reading

Grant finders

Grant writing guidelines and online resources

Supporting evidence

Program links

Related Topics

Participation Grants and Funding for Sport and Recreation

Key messages

Terminology

Limitations

National grants and funding

Australian Football

Bowls

Cricket

Golf

Netball

Paralympics Australia

Pony Club

Surf Life Saving

State & Territory grants and funding

Further resources and reading

Related Topics