LGBTI Community Grants Program 2017/18
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Organisational development grants
These frequently asked questions (FAQs) are focussed on the organisational development grants, and are to be read in conjunction with the ‘LGBTI Community Grants 2017/18 Guidelines –Organisational development grants’, available online at the Equality website.
This year, the individual grants stream will have a separate application process, with more information available later in the year. If you would like to know more as information becomes available, please submit your details on the Equality website via the ‘Keep me informed’ button.
If you have further questions or would like to discuss your eligibility or application, please contact DPC Equality Branch.
FAQs – organisational development grants
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What are the dates of the 2017/18 round? 3
When does the EOI period close? 3
When is the full application period? 3
When will successful applicants be announced? 3
When should we get funds and be able to start our activities? 3
When will we need to complete grant activities? 3
What support is available to applicants? 4
EOI information session 4
Grant development workshops 4
Equality website resources 5
DPC Equality Branch support 5
Organisational development grants 6
What amount of funding is available? 6
Is there a limit on the number of organisations that can receive funding each year? 6
What activities are generally unlikely to be funded? 6
How do I know if my organisation or group is a ‘legal entity’? 7
Where do we find an auspice? 7
When should we consider a partnership application? 8
How do we submit a partnership application? 8
Can we include the auspice fee in our budget? 8
Can we claim administrative costs associated with the activities? 8
Why can’t we apply for staff in this round? 9
We’re not eligible, are there any exceptions? 9
How do we decide what to apply for? 11
Is there anything we should consider before choosing our grant activities? 11
How do we identify our organisational need or gap? 11
How do we choose the best activities? 12
We have several possible activities, can we apply for all of them? 13
Are there examples of application areas? 14
How do we choose a training provider? 15
Application process 15
How do I apply? 15
What do I do if I have technical problems when trying to submit the online form? 15
Can an organisation submit more than one EOI? 16
Will I get feedback on my application? 16
If I apply this year, can I also apply next year? 17
How do I contact DPC Equality Branch? 17
What are the dates of the 2017/18 round?
Date / Activity19 October – 13 November / EOI period - Applications open for 3.5 weeks
18 October / EOI information session - Registrations online at the Equality website
January / Full application period - Applications open for 3.5 weeks
February - June / Grant assessments, approval process and contract establishment
1 July 2018 / Grant activities may commence
These dates are subject to change.
When does the EOI period close?
The EOI period is open for three and a half weeks from Thursday 19 October at 9am, and will close Monday 13 November 2017 at 2pm. No EOIs will be accepted after this time. Please note, DPC Equality Branch is staffed 9am – 5pm.
Please also see the FAQ regarding ‘What do I do if I have technical problems when trying to submit the online form?’.
When is the full application period?
The full application period will targeted to be open in January for three and a half weeks to avoid the Christmas holidays. Confirmation of dates will be available closer to the date.
When will successful applicants be announced?
The date for notification of grant outcome will be confirmed closer to the date. Once notifications have been made, successful applicants will be publically announced by the Minister for Equality, and a full list of successful organisations and groups will be available online at the Equality website.
When should we get funds and be able to start our activities?
Grant funds should be paid before the end of the 2017/18 financial year. Successful grant recipients may commence grant activities from 1 July 2018.
When will we need to complete grant activities?
Successful grant recipients will need to be complete all grant activities and submit your final acquittal report within the one or two year period of your grant:
· One year grants: 1 July 2018 – 30 June 2019
· Two year grants: 1 July 2018 – 30 June 2020
What support is available to applicants?
DPC recognises LGBTI sector organisations, groups and individuals often operate with limited resources. To reduce the burden on applicants in this round there will only be one EOI application per organisation, followed by one full application (partnership applicants excepted, see ‘Can an organisation submit more than one EOI?’). There will be information, support and workshops provided to applicants at different stages throughout the application process, and DPC Equality Branch encourages applicants with questions to call or email to discuss (contact details on last page of FAQ).
LGBTI Community Grants Program 2017/18 FAQ’s 17
· LGBT Community Grants Guidelines 2017/18 – Organisational development grants
· Frequently asked questions (FAQ) 2017/18 – Organisational development grants
· EOI information session
· Slides of EOI Information Session
· Grant development workshops
· Slides from grant development workshops
· DPC Equality Branch
· Application Guides:
- EOI Form Guide
- Budget – Guidance and templates
- Full Application Form Guide
LGBTI Community Grants Program 2017/18 FAQ’s 17
EOI information session
DPC Equality Branch will host an information session to present a brief overview of changes in the 2017/18 round of the LGBTI Grants Program and considerations regarding what to apply for in your application. The EOI information session will cover what is needed to write a strong EOI application. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session.
The session will be held in the evening after work on Wednesday 18 October 2017. Registrations to attend the EOI Information Session can be made online at the Equality website. Please allow five business days notice if you require an AUSLAN interpreter.
Presentation slides will be made available on the Equality website to prospective applicants who are unable to attend the session in person. Relevant questions from the EOI information session that have not been covered by these FAQs will be added to update this resource.
Grant development workshops
In response to feedback from applicants to the first round, DPC Equality Branch will provide grant development workshops to assist with full applications. Registrations for grant development workshops will be open to all applicants who are successful in their EOI. The EOI information session will cover what is needed to write a strong EOI application.
The workshops are designed for applicants with little to no grant writing experience, and will discuss how to frame and pitch your proposal and basic grant writing skills to assist in preparing a full application. Applicants with competent grant skills need not attend. Slides from the workshops will be made available and further guidance will be contained in the Full Application Form Guide.
Attending a workshop will help applicants with little previous grant experience, but it does not guarantee that your application will be successful.
Equality website resources
There will be resources available online at the Equality website.
Guidelines and FAQs
The guidelines and this FAQ document will contain all information required to submit an application for the organisational development stream of the grants program. Please ensure you have read both of these documents carefully and discussed any questions or clarifications with DPC Equality Branch before submitting an application.
Budget template
A budget template will be available on the Equality website which will contain basic guidance and examples for applicants. Applicants must use this template when submitting their budget.
Slides of EOI information session
The slides of the EOI information session presentation will be available online at the Equality website after the EOI information session.
Slides from grant development workshops
The slides from the grant development workshops will be provided to participants at the end of each session, and will also be made available to all full application round applicants.
Application Guides
In this round there will be two application guides available to assist applicants:
· EOI Form Guide
In this round we will be providing a new resource specifically focused on how to fill in the EOI online form and prepare your responses. This will allow applicants to see the whole form in advance of starting an application online and progressing screen by screen. It will show all fields and questions that you will be required to answer and provide advice regarding how to fill in responses. This resource will be available online at the Equality website after the EOI information session.
· Full Application Form Guide
Similar to the EOI Form Guide above, this resource will provide an outline of the full application form online, along with guidance in how to prepare your responses. Applicants will be emailed this resource when they are invited to submit a full application.
DPC Equality Branch support
Throughout the application process, DPC Equality Branch is available to respond to questions regarding the grants program, applicant and proposed activity eligibility, as well as provide information, general advice and support as you navigate the application process.
Please note, DPC Equality Branch cannot tell you what to apply for, and cannot assist with drafting or proof reading of your application. DPC Equality has no role in the final selection of applications for funding, and guidance from DPC Equality Branch does not ensure your application will be successful.
For more information regarding what feedback is available and how your application will be assessed, please see ‘Will I get feedback on my application?’ and ‘How will applications be assessed?’ respectively.
Organisational development grants
What amount of funding is available?
In this round, $700,000 has be dedicated to organisational development grants. Applicants may request funding over one or two years, up to a total maximum of $80,000.
Is there a limit on the number of organisations that can receive funding each year?
There is not a set number of applicants that will receive funding in this round. The number of successful applications will depend on the calibre and quantity of applications, and the funding pool available. There are no set quotas for recipients from specific subsets of LGBTI communities, however the selection panel will seek to spread the benefit of funding broadly across LGBTI communities.
What activities are generally unlikely to be funded?
There are some activities which are generally unlikely to be funded:
· activities or study outside of Victoria
Applications that involve courses or activities outside of Victoria are unlikely to be funded. To be successful they would need to demonstrate there was not an equivalent course or opportunity within Victoria, or show strong benefits to wider Victorian LGBTI communities as a result of the activity or study.
· flights, accommodation, or travel reimbursement
These items do not fall within the objectives of this program. There may be exemptions for regional and rural applications, or applications that demonstrate that capacity building activities will not be possible without this assistance, however this element of your application may not be funded. Ensure the success of all activities are not reliant on these items.
· ongoing running costs like phone, internet or industry memberships
These grants are intended as one-off financial supports for organisational development activities. They are not intended to support ongoing costs.
· advertising campaign costs (e.g. a run of online or in print advertising)
The application would need to demonstrate how it fits with larger strategic goal of raising the profile or accessibility of the organisation or group, and how these activities would be sustainable beyond the grant. It must be of a generalised nature, and not to advertise specific events, programs or initiatives.
· conference attendance
Conference attendance is permitted, however the chosen conference will need to show strong alignment with objectives of the program. The application must demonstrate how the conference is beneficial to increasing organisational capacity through the experience or knowledge gained, as well as flow on benefits to broader LGBTI communities.
If you are unsure about whether your proposed activities will be eligible, please contact DPC Equality Branch to discuss.
How do I know if my organisation or group is a ‘legal entity’?
If you are unsure about your ‘entity status’, you can check online by searching your legal name or Australian Business Number (ABN) on the Australian Business Register using ABN Lookup. If you are registered your entity status will be listed. Common examples of a legal entity include an incorporated association, company, partnership or trust.
If your organisation or group is not a legal entity, your organisation or group will need to enter into an auspice arrangement with a legal entity so that the legal entity can enter into a funding agreement on your behalf. If your application does not have an associated legal entity when the full application period closes, then your application will not be eligible for funding.
If you have any questions, or are unsure about your organisation's ability execute a funding agreement with the State, please call DPC Equality Branch to discuss well in advance of submitting your full application.
Where do we find an auspice?
If you are unsure where to seek an auspice, you can consider starting a conversation with: larger LGBTI organisations; organisations you have existing partnerships with; larger organisations in a similar sector of services; or local councils. DPC Equality Branch cannot assist you directly with arranging an auspice. However, below are several links that may be useful regarding auspicing:
Not-for-profit Law
· What is auspicing?
· Not-for-profit Law Guide – A guide to auspicing for auspicing organisations and those delivering auspiced projects