Whitney Consulting

The Brilliance of Lotterywest Grants. Many West Australians may not realise just how lucky we are to have Lotterywest grants because we just see it as normal. But Lotterywest is the ONLY State Government owned and operated lottery in Australia, with ALL profits used to support the WA community. This is especially important in the current grant funding climate where the focus has shifted a lot to funding projects with economic benefits (think Regional Economic Development grants, Value Add Investment grants, Investment Attraction Fund and Commercialisation Bridge grant to name but a few State Government grants). In the 2023/24 year, Lotterywest funding injected $373 million into WA, with 375 not-for-profits and local governments benefitting from Lotterywest grants. That is a lot of money for recreational facilities and activities, parks, playgrounds, community spaces, environmental projects, events and festivals, as well as emergency relief. Lotterywest’s Community Investment Framework sets out the five priority areas that guide these grants and you can see the community and social focus, as opposed to only funding projects with a clear economic return. The priority areas for Lotterywest grants are: Inclusive thriving community (projects that increase inclusion and community connection and reduce disadvantage) Connected cultural experiences (arts, heritage and cultural projects) Protected sustainable ecosystems (environmental protection projects) Smart innovative society (innovative projects that benefit the community) Active healthy people (projects that increase physical and mental health) When applying for Lotterywest grants, it is important to keep this context in mind – they are not looking for a project that benefits a select few or that delivers an economic return on investment. Lotterywest is looking for projects that deliver social and community benefits – they prefer projects that are open and available to people who may not be able to afford a membership or entrance fee in order to reduce the disadvantage in our society. All this means you need to focus your pitch for funding on the social and community outcomes your project will deliver. So, for example, don’t highlight how your project is going to increase tourists to your town, highlight how the people in your local community are going to benefit. https://lnkd.in/gtag8MH

Grants to help people to participate in the community with the Strong and Resilient Communities Activity program. The funding body's objective is to support one-off, time limited projects that increase social and economic participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in their communities, especially among: - Young people aged 12 to 18 years who are disengaged, or at risk of disengaging, from education. - People with disability to participate in the community, and work towards becoming or remaining independent and engaged. - Women who experience, or are at risk of experiencing, isolation, or discrimination to participate in the community and increase their self-agency. - People who are unemployed to increase participation in their community and/or increase their capacity to engage in employment, training, or existing employment services. If you think you have a project that fits, either check out the full details through this link: https://lnkd.in/gw8MP44C OR... ...because we know how tricky funding jargon and language can be, give the team a call and we'll check if your project meets the requirements. Be quick though as the closing date is 20-Feb-2025, and it takes a long time to craft a great grant application that will get you noticed amongst the competition's.

We do a lot of work with local governments. This feedback was received after we partnered with the Shire of Esperance to develop a grant proposal… "Tara and her team worked with the Shire of Esperance on a funding application for the federal governments Growing Regions Program. Whitney Consulting did extensive research on our project and provided documentation to make the grant application process as easy as possible whilst addressing the grant criteria. Whitney Consulting has provided us the greatest opportunity to be successful with our grant funding. Highly recommend Whitney Consulting!!" One of the things we do better than most is research. This helps us create truly compelling narratives backed up with the evidence the funding bodies expect to see. This is part of the reason we've secured over $200 million for our clients so far.

QUESTION: What do you think the hardest part of running a remote or regional business is?

Congratulations to the City of Belmont WA on securing funding for the 'Thriving Suburbs - Belvidere Streetscape Revitalisation Project'." Your incredible project will revitalise the streetscape by transforming the main street into an activated space with alfresco dining areas, green spaces, enhanced lighting, event and market ready spaces. It will provide community space and opportunities for connection and enhanced liveability for your residents. We were so pleased you trusted us to craft your application, and we loved being a part of such a great project that will bring decades of happiness for your community.

Are you in South Australia and work for/with an organisation that contributes to supporting our most vulnerable and aspirational communities, and that celebrates diversity through building festivals, educational and capacity building events and intercultural projects? There are grants available to help multicultural organisations: - host festivals and events that celebrate cultural diversity. - expand their capacity, by upgrading community facilities or purchasing equipment to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities. - develop and deliver projects that strengthen families and communities, and improve their access to better social and economic opportunities. - registered community language schools to develop or upgrade their community-owned facilities. https://lnkd.in/gCzDgCwP All grants are open now. And don't forget that we're here to help write or review your applications to give your organisation the best possible chance of getting the funding you need to get your project into the world.

Not every project or organisation needs a professional grant writer. If your project requires less than $10K in funding then the free resources we share on the website and on social media, or our application review service or online grant writing course might be a better fit for your business. For organisations looking to build internal capacity, we also offer customised workshops to equip your team with essential grant writing skills. Coming from a regional community, we understand the value of every dollar. Let's work together to find a solution that meets your funding needs and budget.

It's so important to regularly take a step back from the 'paperwork' side of business. Entrepreneurs are almost always thinking about their business, but that doesn't mean that thinking time has to be spent in front of the laptop. Time away from the tech means spending time with your creative and imaginative side - this is the space in which the future plans and sparks of innovation live. (And if you get to do it from a beautiful island like I'm getting to right now whilst celebrating my anniversary, then all the better!) - Tara Whitney (CEO and Founder)

Regional, Rural and Remote Home Care Workforce Support Program is open until Jan 2025 so now is the perfect time to be working on your application. Writing a great application takes far longer than you'd imagine, so if you think this funding might suit you, get writing now (or hire a professional to write it for you). The focus of this grant is building the home care workforce in regional, rural, and remote locations by providing funding for an additional 4,000 Personal Care Workers to be engaged in these regions. The grant will also support aged care providers to build their capacity to expand their own local workforce and help them develop the necessary skills and training required to work in the sector. Here's the link if you think this opportunity might fit your work, https://shorturl.at/wMFRh

“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.” - Madonna