Plus1 is our dollar-for-dollar matched fundraising program, designed to boost the fundraising efforts of small to medium not-for-profit arts organisations.

Plus1 supports not-for-profit arts and cultural organisations to develop and run more effective fundraising campaigns, boost their fundraising skills and secure new backers.

Applications for Plus1 2023/24 is closed.

Join Matt Morse, Director of Private Investment Capability at Australia Council, to find out more about the Plus1 matched funding program for small to medium arts organisations: what it’s about, who it’s for, and what makes a great Plus1 application.

If you’re a Plus1 recipient, you’ll run a fundraising campaign designed by you, for a specified period, to raise money for a project of your choice. Whatever you raise within that period, we’ll match it up to $25,000 or $50,000, depending on the size of your organisation.

It’s called ‘Plus1’, but there are a number of benefits for arts organisations.

Organisations can use Plus1 to attract new donors, build valuable relationships and networks for new and diverse revenue sources, and boost their fundraising skills.

In addition, many supporters and investors see matched funding as a means of extending their contribution—a matched fundraising campaign can be a powerful incentive in securing first-time investment from previously untapped donors or philanthropists.

Plus1 can be used to:

  1. Attract and leverage investment from the private sector.
  2. Build stronger and broader networks with supporters.
  3. Develop fundraising skills to find new donors and build supportive partnerships.

Matched funding of up to $50,000 per organisation is available and is divided into two streams:

  • Applicants with an annual turnover in the previous financial year of up to $500,000 are eligible to request up to $25,000 in matched funding (Stream A) and;
  • Applicants with an annual turnover in the previous financial year from $500,000 up to and including $5 million are eligible to request up to $50,000 in matched funding (Stream B).

The project or activity that will be funded through your Plus1 fundraising campaign is entirely up to the applicant. It can include, but is not limited to:

  • Employment of artists or arts/culture workers (new contracts or continued employment of existing staff)
  • Core operational costs.
  • Creating and presenting new works. For example, artist’s fees, creative development, production, marketing, and touring costs.
  • Program initiatives. For example, education programs and/or scholarship opportunities.
  • Employment of new staff. For example, an artistic director, business development manager, or fundraising and marketing staff.
  • Fundraising support. For example, campaign expenses, customer relationship management, and IT software and hardware.
  • Capital works or building upgrades.

Find out more about Plus1 in our FAQs or watch the video below.

Australian Dance Party Ltd, ACT

Darlinghurst Theatre Company, NSW

Tantrum Youth Arts, NSW

Artspace, NSW

Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People Limited, NSW

OpenField Arts Festival Inc., NSW

Bach Akademie Australia, NSW

Red Room Poetry, NSW

Corrugated Iron Youth Arts, NT

Qmusic, QLD

BlakDance Australia Ltd, QLD

Vulcana Women’s Circus, QLD

Red Ridge Interior Queensland Ltd, QLD

Umbrella Studio Association Inc, QLD

Vitalstatistix Incorporated, SA

Theatre Republic Ltd, SA

Helpmann Academy, SA

Guildhouse, SA

KneeHigh Puppeteers Inc T/A Open Space Contemporary Arts, SA

Van Diemen’s Band Inc., TAS

Tasmanian Youth Orchestras, TAS

Ten Days on the Island, TAS

Arts Project Australia, VIC

Western Edge Youth Arts, VIC

TarraWarra Museum of Art, VIC

Footscray Community Arts Centre, VIC

The Push Incorporated, VIC

Australian National Memorial Theatre Limited, VIC

Sensorium Theatre, WA

The Lester Inc, WA

Western Australian Youth Theatre Company, WA

Writing WA Inc, WA

Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, WA

Philharmonic South West Inc, WA

An additional nine Queensland based organisations have received support for their Plus1 campaigns through the support of Arts Queensland through their Strategic Partnerships Fund.

Access Arts, QLD

Australasian Dance Collective Limited (ADC), QLD

Australian Festival of Chamber Music North Queensland Ltd, QLD

Ballet Theatre of Queensland (BTQ), QLD

Camerata, QLD

Dancenorth Australia Ltd, QLD

Institute of Modern Art (IMA), QLD

La Boite, QLD

Topology, QLD

Find out more at Arts Queensland’s media release here.

Image: Brisbane Writers Festival 2017 Photo: Dan Seed

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