Know your purpose and only apply for grants relevant to it
Less is more! Keep your application clear and concise and focused on your purpose.
Be prepared! Make sure you have an accurate budget, recommendations and supporting material ready to go
Grants. You know they are out there. You know people and organisations that actually get them.
Pitchfork went in-depth on the different arts funding models around the world and spoke to 2016 APRA Songwriter of the Year Courtney Barnett about how funding from Australian granting agencies at the early, crucial stages of her career supported her so that she could make music and perform overseas on her own terms.
“Government grants gave me creative independence when I was starting out, because it meant I was worrying less about impressing for label and publishing advances, and I was less reliant on taking some big-company sponsorship to fund a tour,” Barnett told the publication. The rest, as they say, is history.
So, how do you become one of those lucky recipients? You don’t get lucky, you do the work. Let’s break it down and demystify the application process.
Know what it is that needs support – your debut EP, your regional tour through Victoria, your all-ages, solar-powered music festival, etc.
Your purpose might be amazing, but if you need funds to record your debut EP and the grant specifically does not fund recording, please do not apply. It is imperative to know what it is that the granting organisation is supporting, as well as its timeframe and deadlines. Don't change your purpose to suit the grant, it detracts from the focus on your project.
Want to get a grant for being a first-time showcasing artist at BIGSOUND but you subbed as the bass player in a band a couple of years ago? Call and ask – and try to gather all of your questions and get them answered in one call.
Read any grant writing tips list (for instance, here, here and here) and you will see that the key ingredient to a successful application is keeping it clear and concise and focused on your purpose.
Grant expert extraordinaire and CEO of MusicNSW Emily Collins told The Brag, “Do not submit a budget that doesn’t balance. We don’t want to see you $3k in debt, or make a $3k profit from a project in which you’re asking for a $2500 grant.”
Be mindful that these organisations are looking to award grants to meaningful projects that benefit the greater good, e.g., your burgeoning live career that employs Australian crew, or funding a residency that gives you skills to bring back to your community. Make a point of those benefits in your application.
Recommendations, supporting material, your ABN and so on are usually a requirement. If so, afford yourself the time to gather these very important components. Chances are you will want to ask a very supportive music industry mentor for recommendations in the future, so don’t ask them a day before the deadline to write 500 words. Ask them a few weeks before the deadline and give some context as to what the granting agency is looking for.
Spellcheck can be a fickle friend. You have been staring at this document for so long, be sure to have a fresh pair of grammar-inclined eyes read the application before you hit submit.
Yay! You got a grant! But that's not the end of the process. Granting organisations require a post-report called an Acquittal form, so they can see the outcomes from the funded activities.
Make sure you keep track of your spending, media coverage, outreach results, and anything that is measurable like audience sizes, social media growth, community involvement and so on. It's really important to follow through or you will seriously jeopardise your chances for further funding or the funding of future applicants. Also, send a thank you note for the personal touch.
If you weren't successful on your first go, you can try again. Keep doing what you're doing and focus on that purpose.
Where to find the grants
Keep tabs on these resources and organisations.