A Better Way to Access Grants
Most businesses approach grants the same way.
They look for programs they can apply for.
They search for:
- Grants they are eligible for
- Funding they can win
And when they don’t qualify, they stop.
That is where most opportunity gets missed.
The Better Way to Access Funding
Instead of asking:
What grants can I apply for?
Ask:
Who already receives funding that I can work with?
Because often it is your customers or potential customers, not you, who qualify.
This is the shift most businesses never make.
Where the Funding Actually Flows
There is significantly more funding flowing into the not for profit and community sector than directly into businesses.
Take two programs in NSW:
MVP Ventures Program:
• Around $3 million per year
• Centralised
• Competitive
• You apply and hope to win
ClubGRANTS program in NSW:
• Tens of millions distributed annually, often referenced around $100 million per year
• Spread across hundreds of clubs
• Funded to community organisations, not businesses
The Only Comparison That Matters
This is not about which grant is better.
It is about how you access it:
- MVP Ventures → you apply
• ClubGRANTS → your customer or potential customer applies
That is the shift.
What Most Businesses Miss
When your customer or potential customer is the one eligible:
- You do not need to qualify
• You do not need to compete directly
• You do not need to rely on one application
You need to partner.
Where the Real Opportunity Sits
Not for profits and community organisations are very good at:
- Understanding community needs
- Meeting eligibility criteria
But many do not apply for funding at all.
Not because the opportunity is not there
but because they do not have confidence in delivery.
They ask themselves:
“If we get the funding, can we actually deliver what we promised?”
If the answer is unclear, they often do not proceed.
This Is Where the Strategy Changes
This is the better way to access grants.
Your role is not:
- Filling out applications
Your role is to:
- Shape the project
- Bring structure to the idea
- Define how it will be delivered
- Stand behind execution
You are not chasing funding.
You are enabling it.
Why This Approach Works
When you bring delivery capability:
- Applications become stronger
- Organisations become more confident
- Funding becomes more accessible
They are no longer applying with an idea.
They are applying with a deliverable outcome.
The Win for Everyone
When this is done properly, everyone benefits.
The community organisation wins
They secure funding they may not have pursued and deliver real impact.
The funder wins
They receive stronger applications and see better outcomes from the money distributed.
The community wins
Projects are delivered, not just approved.
Your business wins
You are not chasing grants.
You are getting paid to deliver funded outcomes.
Final Thought
The better way to access grants is not to apply for them.
It is to align yourself with organisations that already qualify and help them deliver.
Many organisations do not miss funding because they are ineligible.
They miss it because they cannot clearly show how it will get done.
If you can bring that:
You are not just supporting an application.
You are unlocking funding and positioning your business inside a system where everyone wins.
Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably.
Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.
Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably
Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052
