The role of a grants facilitator
A grants facilitator can assist community groups with their grant applications as well as supporting their organisation's own grantseeking, as one Victorian local council has found. And the best part is that the role pays for itself.
Why would we consider employing someone in this role?
Creating a role that combines responsibility for seeking grants with providing support for community grantseekers is a unique approach, and one that makes sense. The knowledge and skills that a staff member must have to successfully seek grants for their own organisation (such as a local council) can be shared with others in the community who are applying for grants, whether from that same organisation or from elsewhere.
Grantseeking is a time-consuming process, one that many staff don't have time to do justice to on top of their everyday tasks. A grants facilitator can take overall responsibility for the task, or can provide grantseeking support to colleagues who have exclusively grantseeking roles. They can also support their own organisation's grantmaking staff by carrying out the capacity building work associated with the grantmaking program. (For more information see our help sheet on Capacity Building.)
What would a grants facilitator do in practice?
- Ensure that the community is aware of funding opportunities
- Help community groups to develop the skills they need to find and apply for funding
- Help community groups to prepare grant applications
- Identify funding opportunities for the employing organisation
- Ensure the appropriate people within the organisation are aware of funding opportunities
- Help to develop projects that will attract funding
- Prepare and submit grant applications on behalf of the employing organisation
- Provide demographic or other supporting information to other staff preparing grant applications
- Check and put the finishing touches on grant applications prepared by other staff members.
Tips and further information
This dual role can be a big job for one person, particularly in a large organisation. Consider the potential workload and develop a work plan to ensure the position is sustainable before filling the role.
For more information on grants-related roles, see out help sheet on Human Resources.
Thanks to the City of Casey, Victoria, for sharing information about its grants facilitator role.