The Future of Funding: What are the priorities and directions of Australian grantmakers?

The analysis is of more than 500,000 SmartyGrants grant applications, representing at least $6 billion of funding by more than 440 grantmakers over eight years, and reveals funders making radical shifts in spending as covid-19 hit.

The study used the platform’s classification system CLASSIE to separate grants into social sector subject areas to show how the money flowed.

Summary of our findings:

Overall, the study found that at the height of covid-19 responses in 2020:

• there was a massive spike in demand for information and communications grant applications, as applications tripled, far outpacing supply
• state and federal grant approvals leapt as governments moved to distribute smaller grants in the $1,000 to $5,000 range
• local government grant approvals slumped for grants of the same ($1,000 to $5,000) value

• the proportion of grants allocated to economic development, arts and culture, and education rose significantly
• overall funding for sport and recreation slumped as a proportion of grants.

The report also shows a detailed breakdown of priority areas for funders, including top subject and beneficiary groups.