Parkestone Foundation Grant Guide

Grant context

Tips for Successfully Applying for a Parkestone Foundation Grant

This guide is about making the application process clearer for people and groups working with the South Australian LGBTQIA+ community.

This information is specifically focused on the Parkestone Foundation grant application process. These funds are designed to support the South Australian LGBTQIA+ community and to make funding more accessible to people who cannot access, or do not meet eligibility requirements for, other grants.

Not every strong application can be funded. Parkestone Foundation receives many applications, and unfortunately some worthwhile projects will still miss out.

You do not need to sound like a professional grant writer. What matters most is that you clearly explain your project, your goals, and how the work benefits the SA LGBTQIA+ community.

What will not count against you

What We Are Not Judging

Spelling, grammar, or syntax.
How well you can write English.
Stigmatized identifiers, including sex workers, kinksters, and other communities that are often judged elsewhere. The aim is to support and uplift people who are stigmatized and/or oppressed.
How popular a person or group is. A grant is not a popularity contest.

What the panel needs to see

What We Are Judging

Clarity and community benefit

Be clear about who benefits and why.
Clearly identify the South Australian LGBTQIA+ focus, involvement, and benefit.
If your project responds to a need, explain how you know that need exists.

Use of funds

Show where the money is going with an itemized list, written quote, or realistic estimate.
The more specific you are about costs, the easier it is to assess your application.

Uniqueness and funding rationale

If something similar already exists, explain what is different, more useful, or more relevant about your version.
Explain why the project cannot be funded another way, especially if you are a business or working with funded partners.

Realism and evidence

Describe goals that are realistic, achievable in the timeframe, and measurable for reporting.
Literature, surveys, and support letters can help, but not every community need requires formal proof.

If it helps, frame your outcome with simple, concrete goals instead of padded language. SMART goals are a useful reference point.

Application details

Filling in the Form Details

Email

Make sure your email address is correct.
Check spam or junk folders and mark Parkestone Foundation as a safe sender.

Name of Applicant

This identifies you as an individual.
It does not need to be your legal name, but it must identify you clearly.
Legal details may still be needed later for contracts or fund transfers and will be kept confidential.

Telephone

List a number that can receive calls.
If possible, enable voicemail and check it regularly.

Postal Address

This does not have to be your home address.
A PO Box, workplace, or similar mailing address is fine.

Applying on Behalf of a Group

Name the group, organisation, or business.
State your role or position within that group.

Name of Project

Keep it short and clear.
Choose something you will still be happy to see published if the application succeeds.

Description of Project

Use who, what, where, when, and why as a guide.
Make the SA LGBTQIA+ relevance explicit.

Desired Outcome

State the end goal in a sentence or two.
Explain how you will know the project is completed or successful.
Describe what participants or the community will gain.

Who Will Be Involved

Explain any collaboration and why the people involved are the right fit.
Confirm whether those people or groups already know about the project and support it.

Existing Projects and Timing

If the project already exists, briefly explain its history and current impact.
If similar work exists elsewhere, explain how your version differs, expands, or reaches a different group.

How the Project Meets Parkestone Foundation Objectives

Foster individual and community LGBTIQA+ pride.
Promote societal acceptance of LGBTIQA+ people.
Celebrate LGBTIQA+ people and their achievements.
Advocate for social and legal equality for LGBTIQA+ people.
Promote awareness of issues important to LGBTIQA+ people.
Inform LGBTIQA+ people about community-based groups and organisations.

Other Grants and Other Funding

Be clear about whether you have applied elsewhere, whether those applications are pending or unsuccessful, and why Parkestone funding is still necessary. If partner services or groups already have access to other funding, explain why they cannot cover the relevant costs.

Funding request and spend

Budget and Grant Amount

Ask for what you actually need, not automatically the full amount. Parkestone Foundation can offer partial funding or decline applications where costs are unclear or appear padded.

Catering should have a clear purpose. Dinner for its own sake is not usually fundable.
Hiring people with specific skills, such as artists, web developers, DJs, or youth workers, may be appropriate.
Resources must benefit the community rather than build private property or capital.
Venue hire, one-off event insurance, project goods, and promotional costs can all be relevant.
Wages, honorariums, or speaker fees are not typical, but exceptions can be made when you clearly explain the value and why those costs cannot be covered elsewhere.