CLUB SPONSORSHIP GRANT - TERMS & CONDITIONS
- Club Grants are direct funding allocations designed to fund or subsidise projects, events, and programs that are significant, impactful, visible and/or unique.
- Club Grants are not available for use on minor or incidental costs, nor is there a guaranteed annual allocation of funds available to every club.
- To be considered for a grant, a club must demonstrate a specific need for the grant, and outline the objectives and outcomes that will be met should the grant be awarded.
- The onus is on the club to make a strong case for why their grant application is a worthy use of club grant funds.
- Attaining a grant from the Guild is a competitive and merit-based process, and amounts allocated are dependent on how well grant objectives are met.
- Grant applications may be submitted prior to, or within 2 months after, expenditure.
- For applications where the grant will go towards expenses for an event, you must gain event approval. To gain event approval, please review the approval process on the Guild website here.
Minimum Requirements
- Only available to clubs currently registered with the Curtin Student Guild
- Minimum amount to be requested is $100 per application.
- Funding for Club Grants is limited and applications cannot be accepted once the annual funding allocation has been exhausted. The Guild recommends clubs submit applications as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
- Grants must be of benefit to the wider club membership base, and the benefits must align with the club’s core objectives.
- In applying for the grant, the club must clearly demonstrate benefits – i.e. viability of the event, or significant enhancement or improvement of the quality or accessibility of the event/project/etc. (e.g. funding will enable the club to significantly reduce ticket price, book better AV equipment, etc.)
- Any equipment requested must be regularly accessible by the majority of the club’s members.
- Evidence required for grants is:
- For grant requests submitted prior to expenditure - evidenced with formal quotes, invoices, or other evidence of actual costs with intended supplier/s.
- For grant requests submitted within 2 months after expenditure - evidenced with receipts.
Ineligible Grant Expenditure Requests
- Events, campaigns, and promotional items related to political parties
- Any costs associated with off-campus activities or events except where it can be demonstrated that the activity / event cannot be held on campus.
- Conference registration fees, accommodation, travel expenses, camps or retreats.
- Gifts for presenters or guests (this does not include formal presenter fees / contracts)
- Alcohol
- Excessive catering expenses - clubs are not permitted to apply for more than two (2) instances of catering using Club Grants, per year. The Club Grant is intended to fund significant or unique events/projects and repeated provision of food at multiple small events does not meet these requirements. The Guild also provides alternate forms of sponsorship that provide catering options for clubs.
- Please note that clubs are welcome to self-fund the aforementioned expenses, should they deem them important or necessary to the club’s objectives.
Other Requirements
- Grants must be spent in accordance with the club’s application and any conditions imposed by the Guild.
- Clubs must promptly notify the Guild if a grant is not able to be spent, and/or acquit funds in accordance with the Grant conditions/requirements
- Upon request, Grants must be returned to the Guild, in full or in part, if they have not been spent in accordance with the Grant conditions/requirements.
- Timeframes to acquit grant expenditure are outlined below.
- Unless the Guild has granted an extension in writing, grant funding must be returned if not acquitted in the required timeframe.
- Purchase of any item of equipment valued at $2000 or more qualifies as a significant asset purchase. All significant assets purchased with Guild grant funding will be recorded on the Guild’s central club database, and must also be recorded on the club’s own asset registry.
Communications and Forms
- Communication to clubs (including forms) regarding grants will emphasise that:
- Grants are assessed and awarded based on the demonstrated merit of the application, as well as the available grant funds at the time of application.
- The Guild may elect to not reimburse significant asset purchases until the item has been purchased and is in the club’s possession.
Application Process
- Club to submit an online application form containing their overall grant proposal (with rationale/case for consideration), objectives, itemised list of expenses, itemised evidence of expenditure (i.e. quotes, price lists / online shop screenshots, or invoices/receipts), current membership lists, and draft promotional material (if for an event).
- If the expenditure has already occurred, the grant acquittal part of the form must be completed at the time of application and receipts attached. For assets, photographs must be attached.
Approval Process
Staff will decline applications that do not:
- Align with club objectives, and/or
- Meet Guild requirements for grants.
Provided that an application is not declined in the prior step, staff will assess and award applications based on:
- Available grant funds,
- Prior grant requests made in same year, and
- Benefits of grant expenditure. Benefits include:
- Significant number of Curtin students, or large percentage of club members to benefit from event / project / equipmentEvent or project is accessible (consider entry price, location, equity, age restrictions, etc.)
- Event or project is targeted primarily at Curtin students (consider ratio of Curtin students to benefit compared to others)
- Grant is financially necessary for the event or project's execution; or provides significant additional benefit to event/project
- Event or project is highly visible and/or will be promoted and marketed strongly
- Proposed event or project will take place on-campus
- Event or funding proposal is unique and/or innovative
- Proposal will improve club finances and/or resources for future events and/or projects ("capacity building”)
- Guild services have been used if/where possible and/or practical
- Event, project or initiative portrays the club and the Guild in a favourable light
- Event / project / initiative promotes active uptake of new members
Final outcomes are:
- Approve in full,
- Approve in part (i.e. reduced funding or reduced scope – with explanation provided), or
- Decline (with explanation provided)
Next steps are:
- If expenditure has occurred (non-asset expenditure):
- Payment transfer to Club bank account
- If expenditure has occurred (asset expenditure):
- Payment transfer to Club bank account.
- For equipment valued over $2000:
- Club advised that the asset must be recorded on the club’s own asset registry.
- Asset is recorded on the Guild’s central club database.
- If expenditure has not yet occurred (non-asset expenditure):
- Payment transfer to club bank account
- Club advised to retain all purchase receipts for acquittal via a Grant Acquittal form.
- If expenditure has not yet occurred (asset expenditure):
- Payment transfer to Club bank account.
- Club advised to retain all purchase receipts for acquittal via a Grant Acquittal form.
- For equipment valued over $2000:
- Club advised that the asset must be recorded on the club’s own asset registry.
- Asset is recorded on the Guild’s central club database (on receipt of Grant Acquittal Form).
Grant Acquittal
- Unless an extension is granted by the Guild in writing, Grant Acquittals must be submitted for all grants via the online grant acquittal form before the latter of:
- The end of the semester in which the grant was initially sought,
- 4 weeks after the planned date of expenditure (in the application), and
- 4 weeks after receipt of funds.
- The grant acquittal must provide all requested information and will include:
- Attendance list (for events)
- Photos
- Receipts
- Written evaluation
- Failure to properly acquit a grant(s) within the required timeframes will result in that club’s access to further grants in that year, or the following year, being removed. Additional remedial action may apply.