Funding to develop LGBTIQA+ community leaders
Find out how to apply for the LGBTIQA+ Leadership grant. This grant supports LGBTIQA+ people who want to develop their leadership skills and contribute to LGBTIQA+ communities.
Applications close 18 May 2025
LGBTIQA+ Leadership Grant
This grant supports people who want to develop or improve as an LGBTIQA+ leader.
Applications open 4 times a year. The final round for the financial year is 17 March to 18 May 2025.
The grant is part of the Capital of Equality Grants Program. The program aims to achieve:
- improved understanding of LGBTIQA+ experiences
- improved wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people
- increased participation of LGBTIQA+ communities
- increased capacity and leadership.
Who this is for
The grant is for new and established LGBTIQA+ community leaders.
What you get
You can get a grant of up to $1,500.
Depending on the location of your opportunity you can apply for up to:
- $650 in the ACT
- $1,000 in NSW
- $1,500 elsewhere in Australia.
Check if you can apply
You can apply if you:
- do not have professional development support from your employer and cannot afford the opportunity
- live in the ACT region
- provide a support letter about your LGBTIQA+ leadership.
If you're under 18, you'll need your parent's consent.
You can apply for this grant if you're on a temporary visa, as long as it expires in 2 or more years.
If you've previously received an ACT Government grant, you must have submitted the final report.
What you can do
This grant can support you to increase your leadership skills. You can use the grant to take part in:
- community conferences (for example, Better Together conference)
- academic workshops
- mentorships
- training sessions (for example, NGO governance, sexual and reproductive health).
We cannot give funding for activities which have already happened.
You can only get one LGBTIQA+ Leadership Grant each financial year.
Before you apply
You can contact us to check your eligibility or ask any other questions.
Read tips for writing an application
You can preview the questions in the online form.
In your application you'll need to show:
- how the opportunity increases your skills
- your financial need for the grant
- how your new skills will benefit LGBTIQA+ people in Canberra, including those from diverse backgrounds.
You'll also need to prepare a budget:
- Income includes any money which will be used to fund the project. This may be the grant amount only.
- Expenses are everything you'll spend to deliver the project. If the cost of the opportunity is more than the grant amount, you'll need to cover the difference.
- The income and expenses must match.
- If you're travelling, you'll need to include travel costs such as transport, accommodation and meals.
Check what you'll need to apply
You'll need:
- proof of residency in the ACT or surrounding region
- your CV
- one letter of support from a community member about your LGBTIQA+ leadership.
Make sure your support letter tells us about:
- your leadership journey
- why you need to take part in this opportunity.
Apply
To apply online:
- Register or log in to your account.
- Follow the instructions to complete your application.
- Submit your application before the close date.
After you apply
We'll assess your application and let you know the result within 20 business days.
Assessing your application
To be successful your application must:
- meet the eligibility criteria, aims and objectives of the grant
- show why or which leadership skills you need to develop
- show how your skills will benefit LGBTIQA+ people in Canberra.
If you get the grant
We'll transfer the grant directly to your bank account.
You must:
- use the grant for the opportunity you've applied for
- return any unspent funds to us
- submit a final report when the grant has finished, including all receipts.
You're encouraged to acknowledge this grant publicly, but this is not a requirement.