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Giving Day to the Arts Micro Grants

Apply for micro-grants for the creation of digital content for your Giving Day to the Arts fundraising campaign.

Creative Australia is introducing a new national Giving Day to the Arts, taking place on Thursday 23 October 2025.

This program is designed to support and enable a collective action by artists and arts organisations to fundraise on one national day – increasing the visibility of arts philanthropy and encouraging greater generosity in support of the arts.

Through creating a nation-wide groundswell, the introduction of the Giving Day to the Arts aims to elevate the public value of the arts in the consciousness of everyday Australians and increase donor engagement in support of Australian creativity.

The initiative will provide micro-grants to artists and small to medium art organisations (of less than $5 million operating budget) to support the creation of digital content for fundraising campaigns across a 12-hour public campaign.

In addition to the micro-grants, the program also offers a series of free online fundraising workshops and coaching sessions, accessible to artists and arts organisations of any size, to support the engagement and capability of artists and arts organisations to attract private investment. These workshops are specifically designed to develop knowledge and confidence and maximise fundraising success in delivery of a giving day.

The program is presented as an open-access model and invites non-beneficiaries of the micro-grants to participate in the collective groundswell of fundraising on one national day, including the use of the Creative Australia digital assets that allow individual campaigns to be branded as part of the national collective campaign.

Participants will also have access to a supplier list of localised content creators. The supplier list will assist artists and arts organisations to engage with relevant expertise beyond their existing networks. Engaging with relevant local content creators will support participants to amplify their fundraising efforts and enhance community engagement in the arts sector.

Two micro-grant options will be available:

  • $2,500 for artists (and collectives)
  • $5,000 for organisations.

The micro-grants are provided for the creation of digital content for application within your Giving Day to the Arts fundraising campaign (Thursday 23 October 2025). The grant funding must be used to create digital content relevant to your fundraising campaign in the Giving Day to the Arts program.

Professional Development

Creative Australia will facilitate the following free professional development opportunities dedicated to supporting participants of the Giving Day to the Arts:

  • Workshops and training (April – August)
  • Coaching and advice sessions (ongoing)
  • Peer-led discussions (April to August).

Find workshops via this link: Giving Day to the Arts  and access coaching and advice sessions via this link: Fundraising support.

Digital Branded Assets

  • Working with external branding consultant, Marlin Communications, a suite of digital branded assets will be made available to share in support of the national initiative and to encourage momentum on the day. These digital assets will assist to create a unified online identity that builds artists’ and arts organisations’ fundraising needs while highlighting key public value and social impact messages in support of cultural philanthropy. Digital assets will be made available in mid-August 2025.

Open-Access Participation

  • Artists and organisations who are not awarded a micro-grant are welcome to participate in the Giving Day to the Arts, including accessing the professional development program at no cost, and digital assets to support their fundraising campaign on Thursday 23 October.

Supply of a Local Content Creator List

  • A list of local creative digital content producers will be made available for participants who seek it (including suppliers located within each state and territory). The list of digital content creators will be self-populated via EOI from the Creative Australia Giving Day to the Arts page and shared with participants who seek these services (service fees applicable).

Who can apply

Applicants to the micro-grant opportunity must meet the following criteria:

  • be a practicing Australian artist or a small to medium-sized arts organisation, active in fundraising for an arts and cultural project, cause or activity, with an annual operating budget under $5 million
  • be a legally constituted entity (with an ABN)
  • be 18 years or older
  • be based in Australia and are carrying out the majority of their arts activity or practice within Australia
  • work within one or more of the following artforms: First Nations Arts, Music, Visual Arts, Literature, Dance, Theatre, Emerging and Experimental Arts (EEA), Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD), and Multi-Arts
  • demonstrate capacity to deliver a fundraising campaign
  • demonstrate fundraising capability, including a minimum delivery of one fundraising campaign in the last 3 years (01 July 2022/ 30 June 2023 – 01 July 2024/ 30 June 2025)
  • active social media accounts (minimum activity of at least 12 months).

Who can’t apply

You are not eligible to apply if:

  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you have already submitted an application for this program (only one application per round is allowed)
  • you represent a large-scale organisation with an annual operating budget exceeding $5 million
  • your organisation does not work in the arts and culture sector/provide a service to the arts.

 What you can apply for

The grant will support the following activities for the creation of content:

  • digital content production, (this may include: graphic design and video editing, videography, photography, graphic design and video and photography editing)
  • Influencer or Partner Collaborations
  • purchase of technology, platform and software creation
  • paid Social Media Advertising
  • service fees and hiring contractors for content creation of digital assets.

What can’t be applied for

The program does not support:

  • projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or arts organisations
  • projects without a clearly defined public fundraising engagement component
  • projects that have already taken place
  • activities already funded by Creative Australia (e.g., through other grant programs)
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols
  • general operational costs or business-as-usual activities that are not directly related to the fundraising campaign
  • costs without confirmation or invitation from suppliers
  • support for non-Australian artists or organisations.

Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Your application will be assessed by a panel of Creative Australia staff.

Applicants will be assessed based on their capability to deliver a fundraising campaign, including a minimum delivery of one fundraising campaign in the last 3 years (2022/3 – 2024/5) and an active social media presence in the past 12 months.

View Creative Australia’s assessment information. We may seek industry advice on your application before making our final decisions. Please note no feedback will be provided on your application or the decision.

Submissions will be assessed against three (3) criteria. Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what Creative Australia may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

  1. Quality

Creative Australia will assess the quality of the fundraising activity proposed. They may consider:

  • a summary of your arts practice
  • a clearly articulated fundraising plan that demonstrates a strong likelihood of success and a well-communicated ‘Case for Support’
  • evidence of audience engagement strategies, including an ability to leverage digital tools to engage audiences online in the lead up to and during the 12-hour public campaign.
  1. Viability

Creative Australia will assess the feasibility and planning of the proposed fundraising activities, considering budget, capacity, capability and execution. They may consider:

  • evidence of any previous experience in fundraising, including previous fundraising campaign success and learnings
  • evidence of your capacity to fundraise and capability to deliver a fundraising plan (including attracting private investment from individual donations, trust and foundations, business partnerships and/or using fundraising platforms such as the Australian Cultural Fund)
  • an achievable fundraising target and evidence the budget is realistic and well-planned.
  1. Impact

Creative Australia will assess the expected impact or outcome of the opportunity on the applicant and their future capability to secure support through fundraising. They may consider:

  • evidence that your proposed plan will build skills in fundraising to support sustainable sources of revenue into the future
  • evidence that your proposed plan will attract new donors during the Giving Day to the Arts
  • evidence that your proposed plan will assist in the ongoing sustainability of your arts practice and/or organisation.

Applications for this program are submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System. If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your details to access the application form.

We do not accept entries submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your submission online, please contact Artists Services.

The type of questions we ask in the application form include:

  • a title for your project
  • a summary of your project
  • a brief description of the applicant (individual, collective or organisation)
  • information about you/your organisation’s practice, artistic experience, and previous fundraising activities
  • An outline of your proposed fundraising campaign, including what you want to do and why
  • a timetable or itinerary for your fundraising activities (including in the lead up to and during the 12-hour public campaign)
  • supporting material: relevant to your financial standing (previous financial year audited statements as evidence of less than $5 million operating budget).

Additional material must be submitted to support your application.

There are three types of support material you may submit:

1. Audited Accounts
If applicable, please provide your audited accounts for your last full year of operations.

2. Social Media Handles
Please provide you and your organisation’s list of social media handles.

3. Fundraising Activity
Please provide details of your previous fundraising activities including one fundraising campaign in the last 3 years (2022/3 – 2024/5).

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is targeted and relevant to your submission.

Creative Australia will not view any URLs that require log in or to sign up to a platform.

Please do not provide links to applications or documents that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to sites or files that are private or password protected, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

You can provide up to three (3) URLs and three (3) file uploads.

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Other accepted file formats

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

  • video (MP4 and Windows Media)
  • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
  • images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
  • written material (Word and PDF)

To attach your support material, provide URL links or use the [+] button in the Application Management System to upload files.

Recipients of the micro-grant are required to report on the results of their Giving Day to the Arts fundraising campaign and project.

Templates are provided to the recipient prior to the report due date via Fluxx (our Application Management System). 

Acquittal report requirements will include:

  • how grant funding was spent
  • amount of funds raised including if target was achieved (by percentage)
  • the number and type of campaign contributors, including reporting on the number of new donors
  • evaluation of their campaign strategy, including assessment of unexpected problems, challenges and opportunities encountered through the campaign
  • additional information as desired, including testimonials, media, promotional material and details of ongoing donor relationships.

Watch here or on YouTube.

Applications close: Tuesday 3 June 2025, 3pm AEST (2.30 PM ACST; 1.30 PM ACST; 12.00 PM AWST)

Notification: Applicants will be notified of application outcome by Friday 8 August 2025.

Giving Day to the Arts: Thursday 23 October 2025

Apply now

If you need advice about applying, please contact the Business Development and Partnerships team:

Phone: 02 9215 9000
Toll-free: 1800 226 912
NRS: 1800 555 677 | Visit the NRS
Email: enquiries@creative.gov.au

Frequently asked questions

Fundraising refers to the process of securing financial support for a cause, project, or organisation from private sector sources. This can include both philanthropy and business partnerships. Philanthropic sources can be both from individual donations and trust and foundations.

The Giving Day to the Arts aims to promote fundraising in the arts sector by helping artists and small to medium sized arts organisations generate financial support from private sector sources for their creative projects.

A giving day is defined as a 12 or 24-hour fundraising event aimed at bringing communities together to raise awareness for a specific cause, increase engagement, and drive donations.

Giving days are unique, in that they allow nonprofits to reach brand new donors (and keep them engaged) through means like social and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising, which are becoming steadfast methods that nonprofits rely on to attract new supporters.

The national Giving Day to the Arts is a new program designed to support artists and small to medium arts organisations to fundraise on one national collective day of action. It will take place for the first time on Thursday 23 October 2025.

This program will be dedicated to recognising the vital role that the arts play in our communities and ensuring that artists and organisations dedicated to creative expression continue to thrive.

This new program is an invitation for everyone to give back in a way that directly impacts the future of arts and creativity. It’s not just about financial contributions — it’s also about recognising the incredible work of artists, educators, performers, and creators who enrich our world every day.

The national day is scheduled to take place on Thursday 23 October 2025.

“Public activity” refers to the visible and active components of a fundraising campaign, such as the 12 or 24-hour period where the campaign is publicly promoted and fundraising efforts are actively highlighted. On the other hand, “quiet phase” or “non-public activity” refers to the behind-the-scenes work that happens before the public launch of the campaign. This includes activities such as securing pledges, organising matching gift opportunities, and engaging donors in advance.

A successful giving day campaign typically involves a quiet fundraising phase that lasts six weeks or longer, helping to build momentum and lay the groundwork for a successful public campaign.

Participants can:

  • apply for a micro-grant to create digital fundraising campaign content
  • launch a digital fundraising campaign (you are welcome to fundraise on any digital infrastructure you choose)
  • access the Creative Australia digital branded assets to promote a Giving Day to the Arts campaign
  • participate in the free fundraising professional development workshops, peer-led discussions and coaching and advice services on offer at Creative Australia
  • encourage public engagement by sharing online the fundraising story of artists or organisations you support
  • donate to the arts on this day.

Applications for the project open on Wednesday 2 April 2025 and close on Tuesday 3 June 2025, 3pm AEST (2.30 PM ACST; 1.30 PM ACST; 12.00 PM AWST).

Recipients will be notified, and funds will be dispersed in August 2025 (or sooner).

Your fundraising activity or project must include a dedicated public digital fundraising campaign on the national Giving Day to the Arts, taking place on Thursday 23 October.

The Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) is a free digital fundraising platform for Australian artists and arts organisations, enabling tax deductable fundraising online, with 100% of donations going directly towards a creative project.

The ACF is operated by Creative Australia and was established by the Australian Government in 2003 to encourage donations to the arts.

Through the ACF, artists upload their project, start their fundraising campaign and invite art lovers and supporters to donate. Donations over $2 are tax deductible, and supporters get the chance to make a real difference to the work of Australian artists.

If you do not already have an online crowdfunding platform, the ACF is a great tool to consider using in your Giving Day to the Arts. Find out more at this link.

Yes, we do. More information is available on our website: Languages other than English.

Creative Australia staff are available to assist you in understanding the purpose of the grant, application requirements and submitting your application. Creative Australia staff can assist over email, phone and video calls. We cannot review application drafts.

Additional support can be discussed where needed. Where the additional support is beyond the scope of what staff can provide, we may recommend speaking to an appropriate organisation for further assistance.

All applicants based in Australia must have an active Australian Business Number (ABN).

The name of the applicant must match the name of the ABN and the name of the bank account we pay the grant into. If you cannot provide an ABN and bank account that are in the same name as the applicant, you will need to nominate an administrator for your grant.

The administrator must be another individual or a legally constituted entity with an Australian Business Number (ABN). If your application is approved the grant will be paid directly into the administrator’s bank account.

If you are GST-registered when you receive a grant, we will pay the grant amount plus GST. The budget provided in your application should exclude GST.

Yes. We expect that artists professionally employed or engaged in the digital content creation of your fundraising campaign or activities will be paid for their work, in line with industry standards. Payment of artist fees should be reflected in your application budget.

For more information, see our Payment of Artists page.

Yes, if applicable. Administrative costs should be reasonable and directly related to project delivery. They should generally not exceed 10% of the total budget. If those costs are higher, your application may be less competitive.

Two types of micro-grants will be offered:

  • artists and collectives – $2,500
  • Arts Organisations – $5,000.

The micro-grants are provided for the purposes of digital content for application to the ‘Giving Day to the Arts’ fundraising campaign (Thursday 23 October 2025). The grant funding must be used to create digital content for participation in the Giving Day to the Arts program.

Yes, artists and arts organisations not awarded a micro-grant can still run an independent fundraising campaign on the Giving Day to the Arts, Thursday 23 October 2025, and can access Creative Australia’s Giving Day to the Arts digital branded assets and fundraising support services.

A list of local creative digital content producers will be made available for participants who seek it (including suppliers located within each state and territory).

If you are a local creative digital content producer you are invited to register to be part of the content supply chain for campaign participants. This initiative helps reinvest grant funding into local creatives. Register via this link (register before Friday 1 August 2025).

The list of local suppliers will be provided to grant recipients who seek support to create the digital content for their fundraising campaign.

More details on additional programs will be shared as they become available through Creative Australia’s ongoing initiatives.

An advertorial and editorial campaign will be implemented to support momentum for the Giving Day to the Arts, including:

  • digital content and video promotions (August–October)
  • media marketing to raise awareness
  • support for participating artists and arts organisations in amplifying their fundraising efforts.

The 2025 Giving Day to the Arts is the inaugural pilot program of a possible three-year investment by Creative Australia. The program’s impact will be evaluated at the end of 2025. As an inaugural presentation and pilot initiative, we welcome your feedback.

Several Australian arts organisations have successfully implemented giving days, including:

  • Queensland Ballet (2019) – raised $1.03 million through a quadruple matched-giving campaign: The Show Must Go On

If you need advice about applying, please contact the Business Development and Partnerships team:

Phone: 02 9215 9000
Toll-free: 1800 226 912
NRS: 1800 555 677 | Visit the NRS
Email: enquiries@creative.gov.au