Apply for a grant
Groundswell gives grants to strategic, high-impact climate advocacy. We support organisations working to shift systems, influence policy, and build momentum for a safer, more just world.
Our Next Grant Round Is Now Open
We are now inviting not-for-profit organisations to register to apply for our upcoming grant round.
Please note: this is not a full application — it’s a quick way to flag your interest so we can check for alignment before inviting you to submit a full application.
Key dates:
– Registrations close: 17 July
– Invitations to submit full applications sent: by 18 July
– Full applications due: 31 July
– Shortlisting: August
– Grants distributed: September
We expect to award $40,000 grants to successful applicants. The total number of grants will depend on donations received.
Our Grantmaking Process
Step 1
Register your interest
Let us know you’d like to apply by completing a short form. Please read the grant criteria below before registering.
Step 2
Full application (if invited)
If your registration is successful, we’ll invite you to submit a full application. You’ll receive the form by email and have two weeks (minimum) to complete it.
Step 3
Shortlisting
Our rotating grantmaking committee, made up of Groundswell members, will review and shortlist 6–8 applications.
This committee changes each round and is supported by an advisory group with First Nations, energy policy and advocacy expertise.
Please note: We take conflict of interest seriously. All committee members disclose any conflicts at both the shortlisting and voting stage. Where First Nations members have connections to applicant organisations, we encourage them to share insights that can enrich the group’s decision-making process.
Step 4
Member vote
All Groundswell members are invited to vote on which shortlisted organisations receive funding. As our membership grows, so does our collective funding pool!
What We Fund
We provide project funding and core, unrestricted funding for climate advocacy that aligns with our strategic focus:
– Build the movement: Community-led organising that grows a strong, diverse climate movement.
– Change the story: Narratives and communications that inspire climate action and shift public opinion.
– Shift the money: Campaigns that move capital away from fossil fuels and into renewables.
– Change the politics: Advocacy that drives political leadership and ambitious climate policy.
This framework for action was developed collaboratively by climate leaders including Sam La Rocca (The Sunrise Project) and Climate Action Network Australia.
Is a Groundswell grant for you?
If you’re a not-for-profit organisation working to reduce emissions to safer levels this decade, then you’re exactly who we fund. If your work focuses on climate justice and making sure no one is left behind in the race to decarbonise, then we’d also love to hear from you.
When it comes to protecting the environment, we know reducing waste & reforestation initiatives are incredibly important, but these issues sit outside our funding mission. If this is your focus area, you’re not eligible for a Groundswell grant. When it comes to conservation initiatives, we are open to applications that are focused on changing laws for state or national impact, and review these on a case-by-case basis.
We recognise First Nations peoples protection and care of Country as a fundamental and urgent climate solution and strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to apply for our grants.
We believe in the outsized impact grassroots groups can have and are conscious that small to medium sized organisations have the least access to funding, so if your revenue is less than $5 million a year we strongly encourage you to apply.
Please note, only organisations in the Australia Pacific region with DGR1 status or working in partnership with a DGR1 organisation are eligible to apply. If you have questions about this, please contact admin@groundswellgiving.org
How we assess applications
Our members and shortlisting committee consider the following:
– Strong theory of change: Why this work? Why now? Why your organisation?
– Strategic opportunity: Is there a viable opening for impact based on the current context?
– Capacity to deliver: Does your team have the skills, relationships, and approach to succeed?
– Organisational alignment: Are your values aligned with Groundswell’s vision of a healthy, just and sustainable world?
– First Nations leadership or engagement: Is your work led by, or directly supporting, First Nations people and communities?
– Budget and impact: Does your budget make sense? Will a $40k grant make a meaningful difference?
We aim to balance rigour with accessibility. We want enough information to make a good decision, without overburdening under-resourced organisations.
Our approach to political advocacy
Groundswell is political, but not partisan. We support charities campaigning on political issues to advance their purpose, as long as it complies with charity law.
We can fund:
– Advocacy for or against laws, policies or practices
– Public campaigns that build support for change
– Submissions to government or parliamentary processes
– Promotion of charitable purposes to elected officials
– Publishing and distributing issue-based research
We can’t fund:
– Activities that are unlawful or against public policy
– Support or opposition for political parties or candidates
– Electoral material or expenditure as defined under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
For more information, see the ACNC’s charity advocacy guidelines.
Have questions?
We’re here to help. Contact our Grants Manager here.