CANA Small Grants Program

Individual grant amounts range from $500 - $10,000. In your application you will be asked how much money you are seeking from this grant. The number of grants awarded each round differs.

Below you’ll find the eligibility criteria for this grant program and a few activities that you can’t use the grant money for.

Funding can be requested for core funding and project/campaign funding.

We’re passionate about removing any barriers you might have to applying for this grant so please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team with any questions about the criteria.

Criteria:

Open grant:

• Have an annual revenue below $1 million

• Be an Australian non-profit organisation operating within Australia

• Submit only one application per grant round

First Nations grant:

• Have an annual revenue below $500,000

• Be a First Nations led organisation or project

• Be an Australian Non-profit organisation operating within Australia

• Submit only one application per grant round

Pasifika grant:

• Have an annual revenue below $500,000

• Be a Pasifika led oganisation or project

• Be an Australian Non-profit organisation operating within Australia

• Submit only one application per grant round

You must meet all of the above criteria to be eligible for the grant.

Please note that First Nations and Pasifika organisations with an annual revenue above $500,000 (but below $1 million) are welcome to apply for the open grant.

Small Grant Recipients may not:

• Use grant funds for electoral expenditure or the creation or communication of electoral matters (as defined in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918), or to incur electoral or political expenditure or communicate political or electoral matters under any similar applicable state or territory legislation

• Register with the Australian Electoral Commission as a Significant Third Party without written permission of CANA

The below outlines the criteria that your application will be assessed against. Please note that you are not required to fulfil every criteria but you will be asked in your application which of these criteria your group or project meets.

The program prioritises organisations and projects with a climate justice approach to their work. You can read more about what climate justice means above.

• Led by diverse communities: The organisation or project seeking funding is led by diverse communities across Australia who are most impacted by climate change. For example:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

  • Pasifika communities

  • People of Colour

  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities

  • People living with disabilities

  • Youth (below the age of 35)

  • Rural and regional communities

  • Groups based in areas that don’t regularly receive climate funding

• Builds new relationships: The project seeking funding builds new relationships in communities most impacted by climate change. This includes consideration for the number of times recipients have received CANA small grants previously.

• Builds capacity: The group or project seeking funding builds the capacity of a community that is most affected by climate change to take action on climate change and advocate for solutions that work for them.

• Suitability: The group or project seeking funding are the right people to undertake and deliver the work with demonstrated relationships and trust within the community they are working in.

• Impact: The group or project will have a positive impact and demonstrates clear outcomes for creating climate solutions.

We experience a large volume of applications and while we wish we could support all projects we’re not always able to fund every project that meets all the selection criteria.

Applications are assessed and grants are awarded by a Small Grants Committee via a scoring and discussion process. The committee comprises experts from across the climate movement with skills ranging from organising, campaigning and philanthropy. There is also a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant on the committee.

It takes 4 weeks from the application closure date to receive the outcome of your application. During the assessment process you may be contacted by the committee to discuss your application and provide further information.

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. Applications received

2. Initial vetting against eligibility criteria by CANA staff member

3. Shortlisting via a scoring process by two committee members

4. Final assessment via a scoring and discussion process with committee members

5. Applicants notified of outcome via phone

6. Contracts signed and funds provided to successful applicants.

• CANA Webinar details and recording

• Budget template

• How to draft goals, objectives, outcomes and a theory of change

• Support from the CANA team or the First Nations and Pasifika committee members

• Assistance to find a suitable auspice organisation if you project is not associated with an incorporated organisation