Commonwealth and State Government Grant Schemes

From time to time the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council receives applications for small grants from LALC members and the wider Aboriginal community.

As all of you would be aware NSWALC's Governing Council took a decision last year to suspend its small Discretionary Grants Program for a number of operational and financial reasons.

Chief among these was the fact that the financial cost of meeting small grants was being progressively shifted onto the self-funded land rights system through NSWALC.

This was particularly so after the Department of Aboriginal Affairs decided to close down its grants programme.

NSWALC found the cost and time of administering the small amount of money available under its grants program was also proving to be prohibitive, particularly in processing applications and grants, and seeking appropriate acquittals.

Council took the view that future grant applications should be channeled through Commonwealth and State Government department grant schemes which are, importantly, funded by all taxpayers.

Given that we are still receiving some grant applications, I thought it might assist LALC Boards and CEO's to provide the following information on available grant schemes offered by the Commonwealth and State Governments.

The Commonwealth offers hundreds of grant schemes from sport through to culture and heritage. Information on all of these is readily available through a GrantsLink website

The website helps you find funding available under a variety of grant programs "for individuals, businesses and communities to help you to develop solutions to local and national problems, fund ideas and initiatives or provide assistance in times of hardship."

The website can be found at www.grantslink.gov.au

Numerous grant avenues are also available for sport and recreation through the Commonwealth Government.

The Australian Sports Commission provides a range of grants for individuals and organisations. Information on those can be obtained through its website at www.asf.org.au

The Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) operates the Sport Incentive Program. Specifically the program aims to increase opportunities for Australians to participate in sport, and/or excel in sports performance.

There are also a large range of grant programmes funded by the New South Wales Government. The easiest way to access information on them is to visit the government website at www.nsw.gov.au and use the search facility for grants.

I'm sure one area of particular interest would be the financial assistance and grants available through the NSW Sport and Recreation through the Department of the Arts, sport and Recreation.

These can be accessed through www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/grants/

Norman Laing
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
31 July 2009