Organisation grants
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is dedicated to supporting organisations who are looking to increase the representation of women in sport to better reflect Australian society and create a fairer and more inclusive environment.
Change does not happen without leadership and commitment. For a sporting organisation to become more inclusive and welcoming it is vital that they have leaders who are committed to making a positive culture change.
Successful organisations will identify, recruit, and promote opportunities for a diverse range of people to take on a leadership role across the sport. These same organisations will undertake regular training and seek guidance to support their work to shift attitudes and practices to create more inclusive environments.
The ASC is proud to support eligible organisations by providing funding to undertake projects that address systemic and cultural barriers for women leaders in sport.
The Organisation Grant program aims to:
- Support organisations in the development of practices, systems and processes that lead to a sector that is more diverse and inclusive, particularly in the promotion and advancement of women leaders.
- Provide education and training opportunities for eligible organisations to support in advancing their diversity, equity and inclusion goals and commitments.
- Address systemic and cultural barriers for women leaders in sport
Funding
In 2023, up to $170,000 (GST exclusive) will be available for Organisation Grants.
The maximum funding amount available per organisation is $15,000 (GST exclusive).
Grant amounts awarded will be determined as part of the assessment process and may not be the same amount applied for. Amounts will be allocated to make the most effective use of the WLIS program funds.
Organisations need to demonstrate how the funding will support either the leadership, capability, or culture of their organisation.
- Projects that help attract, develop, or retain women
- Projects that create more leadership pathways for women
- Projects that offer career development opportunities for women (i.e., mentoring, scholarship, career planning sessions etc)
- Projects that support women in senior roles (Exec, CEO, Board, HP Coaches, Match Officials etc)
- Projects that develop inclusive leadership programs
- Projects with an enhanced focus on the career development of women from culturally diverse backgrounds, First Nations women or women with a disability
- Projects that see the organisation develop and implement new policies and practices (e.g., Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan)
- Projects that build a positive, gender inclusive action plan to embed in the organisation
- Research projects that contribute to the information/evidence base for gender equity plans
- Projects that improve the recruitment processes for women both on and off the field and addresses biases
- Projects which educate the organisation around the importance of gender equity, including improving processes, embedding gender neutral inclusive language in policy and capability, strategic planning, and communication
- Projects which educate senior leaders (Board, CEO, Executive team) around promoting, prioritising, and resourcing gender equality within their organisation
- Projects which establish ongoing communities of practice within their sport, focusing on gender equity and diversity
- Projects which educate and develop the organisation to address the systemic issues women leaders face in the workplace
- Projects which support the communications & marketing team with increasing the visibility and changing the narrative around women leaders in sport
- Projects that promote cultural and behavioural initiatives that help create an environment in which everyone is valued and can thrive.
Priority will be given to organisations who are able to clearly demonstrate how the project aligns to their strategic direction and how the organisation will continue to support, encourage, and promote women in the workplace following completion of the project.
Organisations should research and seek out acceptable providers and facilitators to assist in the delivery of the project. All successful grant projects need to be discussed with the ASC team to assist with implementation and ongoing sustainability of the project.
For successful organisations, it will be a requirement that the organisation completes an inclusive training program, which the ASC will advise and fund during 2023 as a component of the grant funding.
Organisations are welcome to nominate a course provider of their choice. View a list of example providers.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to apply, organisations must satisfy all the following criteria:
- Be a national sporting organisation, a national sporting organisation for people with a disability, be a state/territory sporting organisation of a national body that is recognised by the ASC, the Australian Olympic Committee or Commonwealth Games Association
- Have the commitment of, and a letter of support from, the Chair or CEO
- The project must be new and commence in 2023
- Organisations must co-contribute to the project either financially, through staff contribution or resources. The organisation is also responsible for all project administration costs.
- Organisation has no overdue WLIS acquittal or reporting requirements with the ASC
- Organisation is not named in the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse on its list of “Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme”.
*Your organisation is strongly encouraged to contact the WLIS team to discuss your application prior to formal submission.
Letter of support
A letter of support must accompany the Organisation Grant application (uploaded at time of application)
The following information needs to be addressed in the letter:
Please limit the supporting letter to one page
- Outline the support and commitment to the project on behalf of the organisation
- It is expected the Chair, CEO or member of the executive team have responsibility for championing this project
- Commitment by the organisation to complete an inclusive practices workshop, which the ASC will advise and fund during 2023
- Identify how gender equality/inclusion is included as a strategic priority for the organisation
- Provide any relevant statistics or data to support this priority
- Identify how will this project contribute to achieving the priorities?
- Confirm what steps will be taken to support participants following completion of the project?
- Example – is there a working group focusing on this as a priority area? Will an action plan be developed to embed this project into the business?
- The letter must be signed by the CEO/ Chair/ or equivalent
Please note: If you are the CEO, please seek endorsement from Chair or board member.
Projects that will not be considered for funding
- Projects which do not engage external subject matter experts and facilitators
- Projects that supplement the recurrent or ongoing costs of an organisation
- Projects that the ASC deem to be professional development that should be provided by the organisation as part of business as usual
- Projects where travel costs make up >30% of the project budget
Eligible expenditure items
The funding must go towards the approved project expenditure items outlined in the budget table within the application.
- External consultants (including presenters/translators/interpreters) fees
- Course or training fees
- Long distance travel (>200km) for presenters and participants
Ineligible expenditure items
- Staff wages
- Venue hire
- Catering
- Accommodation
- Purchasing of equipment, materials or resources
- Travel expenses (<200km) for presenters and participants
- Organisation membership fees
- Competition fees
Requirements
Successful grant recipients will be required to:
- Enter into a grant agreement with the ASC and abide by the terms and conditions of the agreement (Appendix 2)
- Engage with the ASC WLIS team to discuss the successful grant, its planned implementation and ongoing sustainability within the organisation
- Provide progress reports when requested by the ASC in line with key milestones
- Provide evidence of, or commit to developing in 2023 a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy
- Complete an acquittal report using the template provided by the ASC including receipts within 30 days of completing the project
- Complete the inclusive training program, which the ASC will advise and fund during 2023
- Promote the project across the organisation’s external channels (e.g. website, social media, press release etc.)
Terms and conditions
- If the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) decides to issue a grant (Grant) to the applicant under the Women Leaders in Sport Program (Program), the Grant will be made subject to these terms and conditions.
- These terms and conditions, together with the notification from the ASC providing details of the Grant award (Successful Notification), will constitute an enforceable agreement between the ASC and the successful applicant (Recipient) upon the Recipient accepting the Grant offer, as required by the Successful Notification.
- The ASC will make a single payment of the Grant amount to the Recipient subject to sufficient funding being available to the Program and the Recipient complying with this Agreement.
- The Recipient must:
- Complete the project activity as detailed in their Successful Notification (Activity);
- Promptly notify the ASC of anything reasonably likely to affect the completion of the Activity;
- Comply with all applicable Commonwealth, state and territory laws in conducting the Activity, including anti-discrimination legislation;
- Without limiting clause 4(c), comply with all state, territory and Commonwealth laws relating to the employment or engagement of people who work or volunteer with children or vulnerable people in relation to the Activity, including mandatory reporting and working with children and/or vulnerable people checks however described, and if requested, provide the ASC with evidence of compliance with this clause 4(d);
- Have an anti-doping policy in place and/or adopt the Australian National Anti-doping Policy;
- Not do anything to bring the Recipient, the Program or the ASC into disrepute;
- Only use the Grant for the purpose of undertaking the Activity;
- Keep records detailing the use and expenditure of the Grant, and make them available to the ASC or its authorised representatives, on request;
- Provide to the ASC within 30 days of completion of the Activity: (i) a statement and accompanying evidence in the form required by the ASC, verifying that the Activity has been successfully completed and the Grant has been spent in accordance with this Agreement; and (ii) a report on the Activity, in the form required by the ASC;
- If the Activity includes awarding accreditation or qualification to the participants of the Activity, provide to the ASC documentary evidence (including proof of completion) of the accreditation or qualification within 30 days of award; and
- Promptly repay to the ASC, any amount of the Grant which has not been used on approved expenditure of the Activity.
- Without limitation to any other rights of the ASC, if the ASC reasonably believes, at any time following the award of the Grant, that:
- The Recipient has provided false or misleading information in the application process;
- The Grant has been spent other than in accordance with this Agreement; or
- The Recipient will not complete the Activity or has otherwise breached any of their obligations under this Agreement,
- When dealing with Personal Information (as defined in the Privacy Act 1988), in carrying out the Activity, the Recipient agrees not to do anything which, if done by the ASC, would be a breach of the Privacy Act 1988.
- The details of the organisation (including name, state, sport, the value of the Grant awarded, a brief description of the purpose for the Grant, and any photo or video footage produced in connection with the Program) may be released by the ASC to the public and the media for the use of promotional and educational purposes.
- The Recipient must, if requested by the ASC, cooperate with ASC activities for the purpose of education and/or review of the Programs’ impact and success for future recipients.
- The Recipient is responsible for obtaining all appropriate insurances with respect to undertaking the Activity and complying with these terms and conditions.
- The Recipient agrees to indemnify the ASC and its officers, employees and contractors against any claim, loss or damage arising in connection with undertaking the Activity, or a breach of this Agreement. This obligation to indemnify the ASC will reduce proportionally to the extent that any act or omission involving fault on the part of the ASC, contributed to the claim loss or damage.
- When acknowledging the ASC’s Women Leaders in Sport grants please use the form of words below:
- This Agreement does not create a relationship of employment, partnership or agency between the Recipient and the ASC.
- This agreement is governed by the law of the Australian Capital Territory.
then the ASC may by written notice, terminate this agreement and/or require the Recipient to repay to the ASC, at the ASC’s absolute discretion, all or part of the Grant. The amount notified must be repaid within 30 days of any such notice.
‘’The ASC manages the Women Leaders in Sport program through the support of the Office for Women”