Matched Funding for Organisations – Advanced - 2026

Matched Funding for Organisations – Advanced supports small to medium arts and cultural organisations to lead and evolve sophisticated private sector fundraising practice and embed it for long-term sustainability within their organisation.

This opportunity provides matched funding over two years, alongside a structured approach to support ambitious fundraising innovation and future-proofing. Matched funding is provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis for eligible private sector income raised, up to $50,000 per year, for two years. 

Matched funding is used as a catalyst to help Advanced organisations pursue transformational private sector fundraising opportunities.  

The fund aims to help organisations: 

• deliver ambitious, multi-year fundraising strategies aligned with organisational priorities
• strengthen and extend established fundraising systems and practice
• grow and develop significant private sector income, including new or higher value private income streams
• deepen and strategically manage complex supporter relationships
• pursue transformational fundraising opportunities that would not be achievable without this support. 

This opportunity is delivered over two years with an integrated suite of capability development activities, alongside matched funding. 

This supports organisations to strengthen, apply and stretch advanced fundraising practice across a two-year period, focusing on:

• planning and alignment – refining or extending fundraising strategy in line with organisational priorities, growth opportunities and long-term sustainability
• fundraising delivery – delivering multi-stream or multi-year fundraising activity, strengthening supporter engagement and growing private sector income
• consolidation and embedding – integrating fundraising leadership, governance and decision-making across the organisation to scale private sector growth, diversify income and sustain advanced fundraising performance over time.

Across this two-year framework: 

• organisations are expected to build on existing capability and apply it strategically
• fundraising is expected to be established and embedded, with this opportunity supporting organisations to extend, strengthen and scale this practice across the organisation, including directors/Board, leadership and staff engagement
• delivery and capability development occur concurrently, rather than as separate activities. 

Participation requires: 

• commitment over the full two-year period
• active director/Board and leadership ownership of fundraising, including clear involvement and accountability
• a whole-of-organisation approach to fundraising delivery and retention of skills.