Funding FAQs

Regional WA is made up of nine regions outside Perth: Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne, Mid West, Goldfields-Esperance, Wheatbelt, Peel, South West, and Great Southern. 

You can consult the Australian Government Department of Health Modified Monash Model to see which areas of WA are considered regional or remote.

Please note: Some programs and grants may use different definitions of “regional impact”. These definitions will be clarified within their independent guidelines.

Regional Arts WA requires grant applicants falling under the following categories to be auspiced by a legally constituted organisation:

• Individuals without an ABN
• Unincorporated community groups
• Young people under the age of 18

The auspice body is responsible for accepting the grant monies on behalf of the grant recipient, paying the grant monies to the grant recipient and ensuring that funds are acquitted once the project is completed.

The auspice organisation is not responsible for the artistic direction or artistic quality of the project.

Examples of what an auspice organisation may do to keep track of grantee spending during the project are:

• Accept grant monies on the grantees behalf
• Pay grant monies to the auspicee in accordance with the conditions of the grant
• Make sure the grant money is spent as per your funding agreement
• Support you in keeping financial records of spending your grant money
• Provide a financial report for all money spent on your project

It is recommended that grant recipients enter into a written agreement with their nominated auspice body highlighting respective rights and responsibilities. Every auspicing relationship will be different and there may be specific things to include in your individual auspice agreement. The following resources can be of help:

• Sample auspice agreement, Arts Law Centre of Australia
• Arts Law Centre of Australia, for further information
• Auspicing guide, Not-for-profit Law

In-kind support/contributions are when an individual, organisation or group support your project by providing something you require for your project at no cost (e.g. venue hire, volunteer hours, donations of materials).

This has a value or cost that can be shown in the sections marked for “in-kind” on your budget.

Regional Arts WA has put together the Application and Resource Guide to assist in writing your application. We have also published Five tips for writing successful grant applications if you are looking for some quick tips and tricks.

You can find other resources over at The Grants Hub.

If you have any arts funding application questions you are welcome to call us on 9200 6200 or 1800 811 883 (regional freecall) or email us at investment@regionalartswa.org.au.

Your SmartyGrants link can be found under “Links and Downloads” on the web page for that specific funding program. You can find all funding programs on our funding webpage.

Bookmark this page to use as a guide, as it will contain other useful information you may require.

If you are unable to find the grant’s webpage, please use the below links as a general guide:

All Regional Arts Fund programs which opened before 30 June 2021

• RAF Project Grant, RAF Quick Response, Artlands, RAF Relief, Recovery, RAF Renewal, RAF Annual Event

All Regional Arts Fund programs which opened after 1 July 2021

• RAF Quick Response monthly rounds, RAF Cultural Tourism Accelerator, RAF Project Grant, and any other federal funding rounds which will open in the future

All other funding programs managed by us from other sources

• Drug Aware YCulture Regional, Next Level Regional Grants, Regional Arts Sector Investment (RASI), Regional Arts Network, Regional Arts Resilience, Regional Artist Fellowships, Community Presenter Professional Development Fund, and IOTA participation grants)

If you are still unable to access the SmartyGrants portal contact us on 9200 6200 or 1800 811 883 (regional freecall) or email us at investment@regionalartswa.org.au.

Your conditions of grant form will be in your Smartygrants account, under the application in which you were successful with. If you are having trouble accessing SmartyGrants, please read “How do I access the SmartyGrants portal?”

Logos and acknowledgers are specific for each funding program. They can be found under “Links and Downloads” on the web page for that specific funding program. You can find all funding programs on our funding webpage.

If you are looking for Regional Arts WA’s logo, you can find it on SharePoint.

When taking photos for Regional Arts WA acquittals you must first seek image permissions for all people photographed. You can do this by having them sign a Talent Permission Form before being photographed. 

If it is not possible to get permission from everyone in attendance, an additional option is to post a notice that ‘filming and photography are taking place at this event’. This notice should be clearly displayed at the event on the day, giving people an option to not be photographed if they do not wish to be.

Taking photos and documenting your project is important and can help give funding bodies a solid impression of the project that has taken place. You can use these photos to raise your own profile and apply for future funding rounds. They’re also a great way for us to update the arts community about your work in publications such as Regional Arts WA’s eNews, website, and social media.

When submitting photos in your acquittal it’s important that you include captions which include the name of the photographer, the names of those pictured, and some context about the what, where, when and why of the image. If you are submitting photos outside of a grant acquittal, you may be required to submit an Image Use Permission Form.

Most funding programs are assessed by members of the Investment Pool. 

The Investment Panel is made up of independent artists, arts workers, and community members from across Western Australia. Their purpose is to assess applications submitted to Regional Arts WA grant programs using the guidelines of the relevant grant program.

For more information on how grants are assessed, see our funding assessment FAQ’s.

For a list of other state and federal grant providers or organisations who can provide support for regional artists and arts workers, visit the Other Funding Support page.

If your question has not been answered on this page, you can also try the following links:

• General FAQs
• Funding Assessment FAQs
• Presenting Resources
• Governance Resources
• COVID-19 Resources
• Publications and Research

If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can send us an email at info@regionalartswa.org.au.