Communities in Control 2012 - GRANTS BOOTCAMP

Moonee Valley Racing Club
Melbourne, Victoria
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 9.30am-4.30pm

Grants are the lifeblood of most community organisations - don't let your group be let down by poorly framed applications, or lack of knowledge or connections.

IF YOU ATTEND ONE CAPACITY BUILDING EVENT THIS YEAR, THIS ONE HAS TO BE IT! NUMBERS ARE CAPPED - BE QUICK!

This one-day event, the curtain-raiser to Communities in Control 2012, will bring together community groups from around the country with more than 30 leading community grantmakers from philanthropy and all levels of government.

Grantmakers taking part include:

Philanthropic foundations including The Myer Foundation, The Ian Potter Foundation, The Gardiner Foundation, etc.
Corporate grantmakers such as the Telstra Foundation
Non-government/not-for-profit grantmakers such as the Community Broadcasting Foundation
State/Federal Government grantmakers
Local government grantmakers: Melton, Bayside, Parramatta, Fairfield, Moorabool, Yarra, Newcastle, etc.
Other leading grantmakers and grantmaking experts - Perpetual, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), Philanthropy Australia, ANZ Trustees, State Trustees, etc.

While not all delegates will get the chance to meet all grantmakers present, numbers will be capped to ensure participants get face-to-face time with a range of grantmakers.

Staff and volunteers from community organisations of all sizes and types who want to improve their grantseeking skills, knowledge and connections. Grassroots groups will have the most to gain.

Program Highlights

Back to Basics: Getting your house in order

Think you know all about grants? Think again. In this practical, interactive session, anchored by Our Community's grants guru Patrick Moriarty, you will learn what you need to have in place before you start your search for a grant (trust us ... a little work early on will save you bags of time later!), and how and where to get started once you're ready to go.

Who's Who in the Zoo: Grantmakers in the spotlight

Not all grantmakers are the same: some can legally only fund DGRs, others can go much wider; some prefer big-scope, big-profile groups, others are looking for grassroots organisations; some only want to give grants to long-established, low-risk groups, others seek out those working out on the very edges. Which grantmakers should your group home in on? In this session, anchored by not-for-profit communications expert and funnyman Brett de Hoedt, you'll get insights into who's who and what's what on the Australian grantmaking scene.

Practice your Pitch: Tips from our Grantmaking Coaches

In this hands-on session, delegates will be split into smaller groups and joined by a Grantmaking Coach, who will assist you in honing and practising the delivery of your pitch for a grant.

Meet a Grantmaker: Grants speed dating

Go face to face with real, live grantmakers! This is not about getting a grant (though you never know your luck). It's about meeting a number of real, live grantmakers (three per delegate), telling them who you are, hearing about what they do, making connections and asking some of your most burning questions. You don't get to choose who you see (the logistics make that impossible), but we'll try to ensure you get a good mix. Note, though, that you gotta be quick - you only get 3 minutes with each grantmaker.

What this is:

A chance to meet, one-on-one, with three real-life grantmakers and exchange contact details
A chance to test a project idea/try out your pitch
A chance to find out more about what these particular grantmakers will and won't (can and can't) fund
A chance to spread the word about what your group does (so that if/when you do lodge an application, you'll already be known to the grantmaker)

What this is not:

An opportunity to pick and choose which grantmakers you meet with
An ironclad guarantee of a grant

Come prepared with business cards, brochures, ideas and enthusiasm

Don't Do This: What not to do when applying for a grant

While no two applications are the same, there are some common mistakes that many grantseekers make when making a bid for a grant. Drawing on actual grant applications, in this session you will learn how to avoid some common pitfalls.

Linking Up: Seeking and keeping project partners

It's not enough just to have a great idea - most modern grantmakers demand a show of support for your plans: evidence of collaboration and partnership. In this session, you'll learn how to bring others on board and keep them there for the duration.

After the Grant: What's next?

You got the grant - hooray! Now you can relax, right? Wrong! What you do now - how you manage the project, how you conduct yourself in your relationship with the funder - will have a big bearing on future success. You've got to get it right. Hear our top 10 tips for post-grant conduct.

Venue:

Moonee Valley Racing Club
Members Gate 1,
McPherson Street,
Moonee Ponds, VIC

Price

$260 for Grants Bootcamp, plus $330 for Communities in Control (delegates must attend both the Bootcamp and the Conference).

Total Price: $590. Early bird and group booking discounts are available. Single-day entry not available. See Communities in Control booking form for details.