One of the main ways that Clubs benefit from being affiliated with Arc is through funding and grants. We know that running awesome events that get your Club members excited costs money. In order to support the rich diversity of Club events held continually throughout the year, Arc provides an array of funding options to best suit the needs of your Club.
Clubs may only receive one grant per activity. For example, if a Club chooses to receive a Clubs Grant for an Activity, then they are no longer eligible to receive another grant for the activity (e.g. Student Community & Development Grant). If you think your activity is well suited to the SCDG, apply for that grant first, and if your application is unsuccessful, your Clubs Grant application deadline will be extended past the standard deadline.
The approval of all Arc Grants is subject to factors such as eligibility requirements and budgetary restrictions. Arc may pay out less than the normally calculated amount.
Clubs are encouraged to contact Arc Grants Staff to discuss their funding needs and ensure that they are operating under the scope of the Funding Policy in advance of applying for funding.
Each club has two executives that are Arc Membership Portal Admins, who will have additional access to complete applications for grants on behalf of their club.
Funding Categories
Your funding level determines the amount of cash funding available to your Clubs through the Clubs Grant. For Regular Clubs, your funding level is determined by the number of Arc members in your Club (see Clubs Handbook Section 8 - Club Membership). For Constituent Clubs, your funding level is pre-determined by the type of University body that you relate to or determined by your membership composition (whichever of these gives a higher funding level). Your funding level is automatically calculated throughout the year and applied to your grant application at the time the application is submitted.
All Clubs
| Arc member | Club Type | Annual Funding Limit | |
| 5 - 74 | Bronze | $1500 | |
| 75 - 249 | Silver | $2500 | |
| 250+ | Gold | $4000 |
Constituent Clubs
As of 2024, Constituent Clubs' funding level has been rolled into the same structure as all other clubs, where funding is determined solely by the amount of Arc members in your club.
Types of Funding
The following table provides a quick reference of the types of funding available to Clubs. These grants may include: Activity Grants (Online & In Person) Equipment, Merchandise and Publications (EMP) Student Community and Development Grant (SCDG), and other Special Funding opportunities throughout the year.
| Grant | Calculation | Maximum Amount | Type of Grant | |
| On-Campus Activities Grant (Step-by-step guide HERE) | 35% of expenses up to break-even, plus attendance: $2 per Arc member up to 200 Arc attendees. Alcohol does not count toward your funding limit if held at licensed venue. | $750 (Bronze)
$1125 (Silver) $1500 (Gold) (Per Event) plus attendance | Standard | |
| Off-Campus Activities Grant | 35% of expenses up to break-even, plus attendance: $1 per Arc member up to $100. | $750 (Bronze) $1125 (Silver) $1500 (Gold) (Per Event) plus attendance | Standard | |
| Small & Regional Campus Grant (More details HERE) | 50% of expenses up to break-even,
plus attendance: $2 per Arc member up to 200 Arc attendees. Alcohol does not count toward your funding limit if held at licensed venue. | $750 (Bronze) $1125 (Silver) $1500 (Gold) (Per Event) plus attendance | Standard | |
| Asset (Equipment, Merchandise, Subscriptions & Publications) Grant | 50% of cost for assets up to break-even. Maximum of $600 in grants per purchase. | Annual Limit: $750 (Bronze) $1150 (Silver) $1500 (Gold) Limit Per Purchase: $600 (All Types) | Standard | |
| Secretarial Allowance | Automatically received upon affiliation with Arc | Per term:
$50 (Bronze) $75 (Silver) $135 (Gold) | Standard | |
| Student Community and Development Grant (SCDG) & Event Elevation Grant | Depends on quality of applications in the round, at the discretion of application review panel. | N/A | Competitive |
Note that the club grants are the only grants which contribute to your annual funding limit
Subject to budgetary restrictions, Standard Grants are paid by Arc if:
- The information submitted is correct and the application meets all of the grant requirements
- The Club has not reached its funding limit
Competitive grants are based on how well your application meets the grant criteria and is also dependent on the number and quality of applications received.
Clubs Grant Details
The majority of Club activities, equipment, merchandise and publications will be eligible for a Clubs Grant, as long as another grant has not been approved.
Activities Grants
“Activities” include (but are not limited to) BBQs, cruises, camps and parties.
Applications for a Clubs Grant must be submitted within one month after the event (from the first day, if the event takes place over multiple days/weeks). This means that the application for an event taking place on 5 June is due to 5 July, and the application for an event taking place on 2 February is due to 2 March. Applications cannot be submitted before the event, as documentation from the event is required.
Arc recognises that many Clubs hold regular events, such as weekly classes or monthly meetings. A separate Clubs Grant Application may be submitted for each re-occurrence for which you would to apply for a grant, however where a Club holds multiple activities per week, Arc Clubs Staff must be consulted prior to applying for funding. If these activities are similar, Clubs may be asked to consolidate Grant Applications.
NOTE: An activity will need to be an event where members are able to mingle around for an extended period of time and benefit from the event beyond just receiving freebies. For example, while a free barbecue might be a good way to increase the exposure of your Club, if the sole purpose of the event is for members to line up, receive the free food, and then leave immediately after, this will not be counted as an activity. Your Club may be eligible to a grant of 35% of your expenses but will not be eligible for a grant for the attendance.
Asset Grants
Equipment
“Equipment” refers to purchases made by the Club that are integral to the Club’s aims or activities, are durable and for the long-term use of the Club. This equipment must remain the property of the Club - examples include cash boxes, music stands, eskies, sports equipment.
It also includes subscriptions which are integral to your Club's activities - for example, game server hosting for game societies, website hosting fees, or other online service subscriptions. These subscriptions must be in the name of your society, and not in an individual member's name.
Funding will generally not be provided for resources or purchases of items that are already provided by Arc for Club use. For example, Clubs can borrow speakers from Arc, so purchases of similar items will generally not be eligible for Arc funding. Clubs that wish to receive funding for these purchases must provide satisfactory reasons as to why Arc resources are insufficient for the Club’s use. "If in doubt, it is recommended that Clubs contact the Clubs Team (clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au) beforehand to make arrangements. "
Additionally, in order to be eligible for funding, the equipment must have a continued future use that is aligned with the aims of the Club, and that will allow the Club to grow substantially. For example a soccer Club buying soccer goals would be eligible for funding, but a photography Club making the same purchase would not receive funding
Merchandise
“Merchandise” refers to items produced by the Club to promote the Club’s aims or activities. If merchandise items are being sold, when calculating the breakeven point, it is assumed that all items will be sold at the full price.
Examples include: T-Shirts, pens, membership stickers and membership cards Merchandise that is for a specific activity (e.g. T-shirts that feature a design for a specific tournament, production, camp) is not eligible for funding under through the Merchandise stream. Instead these should be included in the costs for the event/activity in the Activity stream.
Publications
“Publications” refers to items published by the Club to promote the Club’s aims or activities. Separate print runs/purchases of the same item within the same year will be considered as one, so funding for these items are subject to the same grant limits as a single purchase.
Examples include: newsletters, websites, annual journals.
How to Apply for a Clubs Grant – General Details
Joint Clubs Grant Applications
Arc recognizes that a Club may wish to hold activities with another Club, program, collective or other third party. Arc encourages such events as an important aspect of promoting diversity in student life. Joint Club activities or purchases must be submitted as a single application on the Arc Membership Portal and include a breakdown of the portion of costs incurred and income received by each Club (or other party) involved so that Arc may determine the proportion of funding to each Club.
If a Club jointly runs an activity with a group or other party not eligible to receive funding from Arc, then the Club will still only receive a proportion of the grant based on the proportion of costs incurred and income received by the Club.
Receipts & Invoices
It is recommended that Clubs keep originals or copies of receipts and invoices for their own records (see Clubs Handbook Section 18 – Club Financial Management).
Arc requires that all receipts and invoices (either originals or copies) must be submitted for grant applications and must contain the following information:
The company’s name
The company’s ABN
The date the invoice was issued
A clear breakdown of all purchases and their quantities
The total amount paid
GST information (including where tax is applied)
Where the company is not registered for GST, the receipt or invoice should say “[the company] is not registered for GST”
Receipts that do not contain one or more of the items listed above will usually be omitted from the grant. Exceptions to this can be found at the end of this section. All copies of receipts must be clear and complete (i.e. the whole receipt is visible) – where copies are unclear or incomplete, Clubs will be asked to bring the original receipt into the Clubs Office to be sighted by staff. It is recommended that Clubs make copies of receipts as soon as they receive them (before they have a chance to fade). Photographs of receipts are generally not acceptable, as often it is hard to make out important details. Make sure you’re providing a copy that it is a scan or photocopy.
Proof of payment may be requested for any payment included in a grant application.
Invoices without ABN
For any Australian purchase where the supplier is unable to supply an ABN on their invoice, they will need to complete a ‘Statement by Supplier – reason for not quoting an ABN to an enterprise’ form available HERE or from the Australian Taxation Office website. This form must be completed by the supplier and they must still provide an invoice with all of the other required details such as the name of supplier, date, breakdown of products supplied and total charges.
For the most part, in section A-3 of the form, the reason for not quoting an ABN will be because ‘The supplier is an individual and has given the payer a written statement to the effect that the supply is made in the course or furtherance of an activity done as a private recreational pursuit or hobby’. Keep in mind that the reason and the subsequent legal declaration made will be at the discretion of the supplier. If a supplier declines to provide an ABN or complete this form, your Club should not make purchases from that supplier and should pursue other alternatives.
This form should only be used as a last resort if you are unable to find a supplier that has a registered business and ABN. Only in unique circumstances (such as purchases of niche or unique items) will this option be plausible for your Club.
If you have any questions about this form or the situations in which it could be used, contact clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au.
International Purchases
Some Clubs may wish to make purchases internationally. In these cases, the invoices and receipts will not contain an ABN, and the Club’s payment may be made in a foreign currency. It is the responsibility of the club to provide a translation of receipts or purchasing documents when applying for Grants from international purchases. This should be submitted alongside the original receipts.
When processing the grant application, the value of the purchase will be calculated at the exchange rate on the day of the purchase (i.e. the date stated on the invoice or receipt).
The following additional charges are eligible for grant funding (where invoices end/or receipts are provided):
- delivery fees charged by the international supplier
- delivery fees charged by international couriers
- international transaction fees charged by a financial institution when a payment is made directly from an Australian account to the international supplier
The following examples are additional charges that are ineligible for grant funding (this is not an exhaustive list):
- transport fees for someone in a foreign country who is helping your Club to transport the purchase
- exchange rate transaction fees where the payment is not being made directly from an Australian account to the international supplier (e.g. a Club Executive makes the payment overseas in person)
How to Apply for a Clubs Grant - Activities
Click here 🔗 for your step-by-step from start-to-finish guide on how to get Arc Clubs funding for your events!
How to Apply for a Clubs Grant - Asset (Equipment, Merchandise or Publications)
Before your purchase:
If the item/s you want to purchase are already provided by Arc for Club use, contact Clubs & Grants Staff to confirm whether your purchases will be funded by the Clubs Grant. As mentioned above, you must provide satisfactory reasons (in writing) as to why Arc resources are insufficient for the Club’s use.
For merchandise, publications or customised equipment, make sure the Arc Clubs logo appears in a prominent, visible position in your designs. High quality jpeg and eps downloads of the Arc Clubs logo can be found on the Arc website. If you’re worried about the size or placement of the Arc Clubs logo, run it past the Grants Staff before your purchase.
All Publications must contain the statement: “This <Student Club> publication is proudly supported by Arc”, in addition to the Arc Clubs logo.
After your purchase:
For standard equipment (i.e. equipment that isn’t customised), pick up a sticker with the Arc Clubs logo from the Clubs Office and attach it to the item.
Have a Arc Membership Portal admin complete the Clubs Grant – Asset form which will require:
- Receipts or invoices proving the total cost of the Equipment, Merchandise or Publication. You must provide proof of payment for all invoices.
- The design of all Merchandise, customised Equipment or Publications OR a photo of the equipment showing that the Arc sticker is attached (whichever is relevant).
Submit the application within one month of the invoice or receipt date.
Extra tips for the Clubs Grant:
- Grants Staff will not process incomplete or late grant applications. Make sure to complete the application form correctly, attach all documents prior to submission and submit your full application through the event on Arc Membership Portal.
- Events must be published on the Arc Membership Portal PRIOR to your event start date.
- All applications must comply with the Arc Clubs Alcohol Policy and have a ticket pricing structure consistent with the requirements listed above. No exceptions will be made – noncompliant applications will be rejected.
- For applications where the attendance list, event photo (showing the Arc Clubs logo) or event marketing (showing the Arc Clubs logo) are not provided or do not meet the requirements, Clubs will receive one (1) warning. Any further breach of the requirements on Clubs Grants submitted after two (2) warnings will be penalised by 30% of the total grant (for each issue identified). Where two (2) issues are identified, 60% is deducted, and where three are identified, the application is rejected.
- Late applications will be immediately rejected, unless an exception has been granted by Grants Staff in advance. If you anticipate your application being late, please contact Grants Staff beforehand.
- The attendance list must be provided if the Club provides alcohol at the event, otherwise the event will be ineligible to receive a grant (due to non-compliance with the Arc Alcohol Policy).
- If your application needs clarification, Grants Staff will contact you via the email address you provided on your application.
Student Community and Development Grant (SCDG)
When to apply for an SCDG
Student Community and Development Grants (SCDGs) are designed to allow Arc and UNSW to provide support to students who seek to contribute to the campus community & develop Graduate Attributes through hosting or participating in activities.
The SCDG suits a wide variety of activities. Examples of activities funded in the past include participation in debating tournaments, cheerleading tournaments, environmental summits, student forums, art shows and publication writing. To be successful in receiving an SCDG, applicants are required to be able to prove how their event matches the criteria of the SCDG.
How to Apply for an SCDG
The SCDG is assessed against the following criteria:
- The contribution towards the development of graduate attributes.
- The cultural, social, historical and reputational significance of the event and the contribution to campus culture and community.
- The nature, topic and size of the event.
- The degree of planning and preparation for the event.
- How innovative the activity or approach is.
- The number of Arc members likely to benefit from the event and/or the ability and dedication of the participant/s to use the experience gained from the event to benefit Arc members and the campus community.
- Other avenues of funding support.
- Previous dealings between the applicant/s and Arc.
Since the SCDG is a Competitive Grant, in order to be successful in receiving a SCDG applicants must address each of the above criteria points in detail.
The SCDG Application Form is on the Arc website and requires the following information:
For an Individual Arc Member - Participant
- Bank details
- Activity description (3000-word limit)
- What graduate attributes will be developed? (List the applicable graduate attributes and expand on how these criteria will be developed.
- How does the activity contribute to UNSW student life, particularly with respect to campus culture?
- How will you communicate your experiences to Arc members and the wider campus community?
- Details of the activity's host e.g. letter of acceptance
- Planned budget
- Post activity report
For an Individual Arc Member - Host:
- Bank details
- Activity description (3000-word limit) o What graduate attributes will be developed? (List the applicable graduate attributes and expand on how these criteria will be developed.
- How does the activity contribute to UNSW student life, particularly with respect to campus culture?
- How will you communicate your experiences to Arc members and the wider campus community?
- Details of the activity's host e.g. letter of acceptance
- Planned budget
- Attendance summary
- List of organisers
- Expense quotes
For a Club or Group of Arc Members - Participants:
- Bank details
- Activity description (3000-word limit) o What graduate attributes will be developed? (List the applicable graduate attributes and expand on how these criteria will be developed.
- How does the activity contribute to UNSW student life, particularly with respect to campus culture?
- How will you communicate your experiences to Arc members and the wider campus community?
- Details of the activity's host e.g. letter of acceptance
- Planned budget
- List of attendees (with student numbers)
- Post activity report
For a Club or Group of Arc Members - Host:
- Bank details
- Activity description (3000-word limit)
- What graduate attributes will be developed? (List the applicable graduate attributes and expand on how these criteria will be developed.
- How does the activity contribute to UNSW student life, particularly with respect to campus culture?
- How will you communicate your experiences to Arc members and the wider campus community?
- Details of the activity's host e.g. letter of acceptance
- Planned budget
- Attendance summary
- List of organisers
- Expense quote
- Post activity report
Post activity report
Arc requires all Student Community & Development Grant recipients to acquit the funds received under your respective Grant program. Please submit this form within 30 days of the formal completion of your project, or within 30 days of being notified of the grant amount awarded for your application, whichever is later.
Failure to acquit your project may result in restricted access to all Arc resources. In addition, Arc will also take this inaction into account in all future grant applications.
Through this form, you will be required to submit:
- A brief statement about your project and its aims (300 words max)
- Attendance of your event (and demographic), if applicable. For an applicant-hosted event: attendance numbers and number of people involved in the organization of the event, both divided into Arc members and non-Arc members.
- Costings - a statement of the actual income & expenditure, including the dollar amount and in-kind payments
- Were the funds used in the manner specified in the grant application (and if not, explain why)?
- Receipts & Invoices - copies of all receipts and/or invoices for all above costs
- Outcome Summary - statements regarding the impact of the SCDG funding on the event, and how you communicated the experience to UNSW students & Arc members (preferably upload pictures and/or examples of print media)
- Photographic evidence of the project (at least 2 photos required)
Executive-specific Events
Events that are Executive-specific and not for the general membership of your Club have now ceased. If you submit an Executive-specific grant application, it will be rejected.
FAQs
How do I know if my Club is categorised as Bronze, Silver or Gold?
Your club category is updated real time on the Arc Membership Portal. The ‘Finances’ tab in your club page will show what funding category your club is currently placed in.
Which types of funding count towards my Club’s annual funding limit?
Only funding through the Clubs Grant counts toward the annual funding limit. Successful SCDG grants are not included in this. Additionally, if you receive grants or reimbursements for Arc run events, this funding is in addition to your annual limit.
Can my Club access grants before it has been approved for affiliation?
Where the grant is specifically for Arc-affiliated Clubs, your Club will not be eligible for funding for events held and purchases made before your Club has been formally approved for affiliation. The Student Community and Development Grant is open to individual and groups of Arc members, so non-affiliated Clubs are eligible for funding.
Can I still get funding for an event that happens outside of term?
Yes, as long as the grant application is still submitted by the specified timeframe. Over summer, some Clubs Grant deadlines are extended (these extensions are announced in the Clubs Newsletter).
Can I use a photo of a receipt as proof of purchase instead of scanning it?
Yes, however make sure that all the important details are clearly readable.
Can I use an EFTPOS receipt as my proof of purchase?
No, EFTPOS receipts usually don’t have an itemised breakdown of the expenses or the businesses ABN, which are required features of receipts in order to be accepted.
Can we apply for a Clubs Grant for a fundraising event?
There are two parts to the Clubs Grant calculation:
- Expenses & overall profit/loss
- Number of Arc members attending the event
For events that have made a profit (the goal of all fundraising events), there is no funding for the first part of the calculation. While your Club may be raising money for charity and might consider the donation to be an expense of the event, Arc funds events for the benefit of students rather than charities, so these payments are not included in the calculation.
The specific nature of the event will determine whether the second part of the calculation is applicable. For events such as a bake sale, students making purchases would not be considered to be “attending” an event – they are simply making a purchase and continuing on their way. On the other hand, for events such as a Trivia Night where individuals are at the event for an extended amount of time, your Club would receive funding for attendance.
For the Clubs Grant, can I claim prizes and gifts as expenses? Are cash prizes allowed?
Generally, prizes and gifts can be included the same as any other expense for the event, however you do need to be able to provide a receipt, so cash prizes would not be suitable.
Can I apply for a Clubs grant if my Club participated in Arc Events?
If your Club is just participating in the event in a capacity that is expected of Clubs involved with the event (such as having a stall at O-Week), then your Club won’t be eligible for funding for that activity. If, however you run your own event (e.g. a meet and greet during O-Week), then this is eligible for funding.
What if I can't submit my grant within the 30 days after the event?
Let us know before the 30-day deadline has lapsed and provide the reason. As long as there is a good reason (e.g. waiting for an outstanding invoice), most likely we will be able to extend the deadline. Extensions are generally not granted if you contact us after the deadline has passed.
Do I get attendance funding for events like bake sales and ticket sales?
Attendance funding is for events where students are participating in an event for an extended period of time, not just passing by and purchasing an item, so generally having a stall of some kind does not qualify for attendance funding. Ticket sale income is included in the event that students are buying tickets for, but you cannot get attendance funding for a stall held to sell the tickets.
Can I apply for Clubs Grant funding for Executive-specific events?
No, Executive Grants were phased out in 2022.
For the Clubs Grant, how is the funding split between Clubs holding the joint event?
We will split the grant funding based on information that you provide about how the expenses were split and how you want the attendance funding to be split. Refer to information on joint Club grant applications earlier in this document. Note: only Arc-affiliated Clubs are eligible for funding through the Clubs Grant. If you run a joint event with an external Club, you can apply for funding for expenses that your Club covered.
What if the company/person I have made a purchase from does not have an ABN?
Refer to information regarding invoices without ABNs above.
What if the company/person I have made a purchase from is international?
Refer to information regarding international purchases above.
How can I calculate GST on an invoice/receipt?
See: ATO Tax Invoices
How early can I put an application in for the Student Community & Development Grant?
You can apply as early as you like, though in some cases your application may be held until a round closer to your event.
Where can I get more information/examples regarding the Student Community & Development Grant?
We run info sessions for potential applicants before each deadline. See the SCDG website for dates and times.
Is there a preferred template to base our application off for the Student Community & Development Grant?
Come to one of the info sessions, or schedule to have a chat with one of the CGOs for tips on how best to write your application.
For Student Community & Development Grant (SCDG) applications, what if the event has not happened yet, how do I budget for it?
If the event has been run previously, base the budget off the actual expenses and income from previous years, with added adjustments for the current year’s plans.
If the event is being run for the first time, provide quotes for different expenses (search around for quotes and provide links and proof of that for your estimates).
Where can I find out more information?
Divide by 11 – 7 common questions about GST including food and contractors
