Five Grant Trends in 2021
Show Notes
Here are the five top grant trends I’m seeing in 2021.
1. Funders are getting back to their normal funding schedules
Significant funding schedule shifts happened in 2020 due to both the bushfires and COVID-19. Most funders focus on people and/or the environment, and both of those areas were hit hard last year. Hence, many funding program deadlines changed due to so much shift and uncertainty.
I’m now seeing most funders return to their normal grant program deadlines. For foundations, that’s generally the end of a quarter or the end of the financial year.
2. COVID-19 funding is moving from crisis/emergency to recovery
Early on, as with any emergency, funding is primarily focussed on the initial crisis stage. Now, I’m seeing COVID-19 support increasingly moving to the longer-term social and economic recovery stage.
For example, LotteryWest has a Supporting the Most Vulnerable program currently available, which ‘supports prevention and early intervention programs that address the longer-term impacts and support social and economic recovery from the pandemic’.
3. Travel grants are being broadened, if they’re not postponed/cancelled
Last year, understandably, most travel grants were put on hold and anyone with an existing funding agreement received an extension.
This year, many travel grant programs are still being postponed or cancelled. However, I have also seen some funders continue to provide funding by broadening the scope of their program.
Sport & Recreation Victoria, for example, are allowing ‘additional items that contribute to athlete development’ in their current Athlete Pathway Grants Program round.
4. An increasing number of multi-step funding applications
More and more funders are moving to a multi-stage application process, such as an Expression of Interest (EOI), followed by a full application if the EOI is accepted. This trend itself isn’t new in 2021, however, the number of funders moving to this system is growing rapidly.
What is new, is seeing an additional step in this process. This year, the Snow Foundation has three stages to their Our Place Grants program:
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An online enquiry due 16 April
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A phone conversation with a Snow Foundation team member
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If invited, a full application due 23 April.
Increasing grant application efficiencies is always welcomed. In an example like the Snow Foundation, if you’re a grant writer you will need to make sure you have the various deadlines in your grants calendar throughout 2021, and don’t miss the initial EOI or application deadline. That’s two deadlines for the one program. Given there is only one week between the online enquiry and full application, you will also want to make sure you’re grant ready.
Side Note: Kudos to the funders who are increasing their accessibility to grant applicants. I LOVE that the Feed Grants team have created a Facebook group this year to answer any grant application questions. Such a great idea!
5. The big funding focus for 2021: Food Grants
OK, I’m calling it. It was a close tie between grants for women and grants for food, but after doing the numbers, food grants came out on top. The Feed Appeal Grants program mentioned above is just one example.
There are a huge number of food-related grants available this year, including specific areas such as:
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Emergency food for crisis situations
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Increasing healthy food options in canteens/tuck shops
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Equipment to produce healthy food options
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Reducing food waste
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Composting
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Food security
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Food relief.
I will predict, and am happy to be proven wrong by the end of the year, that we may also see grants become available for areas such as the connection between food and mental health.
A lot of this funding is State-based, so keep track of what’s available in your area. Personally, I have a grant alert set up through The Grants Hub for an organisation I’m working with at the moment, which alerts me about new food grants available every day there’s something new that comes up. It’s a huge time saver and I’m finding out about grants I would never have normally found.
So there you have it, five grant trends I’m seeing in 2021. If you’re up for it, let me know your own thoughts or insights in the comments below.
If you would like to get involved in this Grants Uncovered Podcast and join the conversation, I would love to hear from you.