Top Tips For Writing a Winning Grant Application
Landcare groups tell us finding money for projects is their number one challenge. Alandi Durling (our Environmental Grants Coordinator) shares her Top Tips for Writing a Winning Grant Application for the May 2025 issue of Landcare In Focus.
Alandi Durling is the Environmental Grants Coordinator at Landcare Australia, where she works closely on grant rounds for community groups and identifies potential projects for funding with support from corporate partners. With 13 years of experience supporting landcare groups, Alandi has written numerous grants.
She is also an active member of her local group, the Burgoigee Creek Landcare Group in Victoria. She has been actively supporting the group to engage young farmers in landcare and provide learning opportunities to support their farming businesses.
Discover Alandi’s do's and don'ts for a winning grant application:
your go-to checklist!
What to consider before applying?
- Read the Grant guidelines in full, don’t just skim.
- Understand the grant’s objectives and ensure your organisation is eligible to apply.
- Check if partnerships with other organisations are required and start forming those relationships.
- Determine if letters of support or landowner consent are necessary, especially for on-ground projects.
- Identify if mapping of ongoing ground project sites is needed and plan for it.
- Develop a project plan outlining the what, why, who, and how to make answering grant questions easier.
- Ensure your project aligns with the objectives and addresses relevant local, regional, state, or national strategies.
- Familiarise yourself with your local, regional or state Natural Resource Management strategy and how your project may potentially address it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t assume that the grant assessor knows anything about your group, local area or the challenges your community faces. You must include this information. It’s important to tell the full story and ensure the assessor gets the complete picture.
Ensure your answers fully address each question. It’s worth having someone who isn’t closely attached to the application read it before submission to ensure clarity and it’s addressing the question.
If two questions seem similar, seek clarification as they may require different responses.
Avoid being vague with the budget. Provide a clear, detailed breakdown of how the funding will be used. Explain each item, and if something has a high cost, justify it—it shows you’ve done your homework and aren’t just making up numbers.
Watch out for typos! Draft your responses in a Word document to check grammar and spelling before pasting them into the application form.
What makes a standout application?
You directly answer the questions and clearly connect to the outlined objectives. It demonstrates that you’ve read the guidelines and can articulate how your project will help achieve the grant’s goals. This is essential for showing that the grant funds projects that are aligned with its purpose. Anyone can craft a compelling, winning application—no expert grant-writing experience required!
Clear timelines and a well structured plan that details how you will deliver the grant, what will happen and when. This gives grant assessors confidence that you are ready to launch and that you have a clear strategy to deliver results successfully and on time.
High quality photos can help tell your story! Sharing photos of your group’s activities, the work you’re doing and the location can create a compelling narrative. This strengthens your application and builds the story of your group and project.
Additional grant resources
- Check your state and local government websites for additional funding opportunities.
- Sign up for your local landcare community newsletter to receive grant updates.
- Subscribe to regional NRM newsletters for more funding opportunities.
- GrantConnect
- Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
- The Grants Hub
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You can read this article and many more insightful and inspiring stories from the landcare community in the latest edition of Landcare in Focus Magazine. Subscribe to receive the May edition in your mailbox.
