Home Grants Criteria

Am I eligible to apply?

The Voiceless Grants Program is open but not limited to animal advocacy organisations and sanctuaries; animal lawyers and law educators; humane educators; animal studies academics and creatives, environmental and wildlife scientists; First Nations groups; and diverse community and religious groups. If you do not fall within these groups, you may still be eligible.

 

WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES IN PROJECTS:

  • Addressing root causes of exploitative animal-based systems
  • Transformative and disruptive ideas
  • Vegan philosophy
  • Promotion of animals’ flourishing
  • Out of the box, blue sky, innovative and creative thinking
  • Solutions based ideas
  • Raising human consciousness beyond speciesism and anthropocentrism.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES IN PEOPLE:

  • Aligned with Voiceless’s mission and values
  • Passionate about animal protection
  • Committed to the animal protection movement
  • Tenacious in their approach
  • Creative and out-of-box thinking
  • Youthful, in age or spirit.

WE ARE LOOKING TO INVEST IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

  1. Education: humane and animal protection education
  2. Law and Policy: legislative reforms and progressive policy/lobbying work
  3. Social values: Increasing animal-rights values and reducing speciesism, qualitative and quantitative (academic or grassroots) research that contributes to understanding in these fields
  4. Science and Technology: positive solutions-based alternatives to animal use and cruelty
  5. Network and coalition building: conferences, symposia, cohort programs, grassroots organizing, organisational alliances, First Nation or faith-based community organising
  6. Creativity: blue sky thinking, innovative and visionary initiatives, research, organisations, and efforts that go beyond longstanding and traditional animal advocacy work, expanding the thinking.

VOICELESS IS NOT LOOKING TO INVEST IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES AND / OR AREAS:

  • Animal protection issues that are small or localised – in order to see maximum impact for animals, we want to focus on large institutionalised, industrialised, national or international issues.
  • Animal welfare: minimising suffering for animals in captivity, minimising suffering for animals that will be used by humans in some way
  • Projects that use animal products (animal-based food, leather, etc.)
  • Projects or organisations that benefit, support, or are impartial to animal agriculture or other exploitation of animals
  • Anything where the ultimate focus is human well-being versus animal flourishing.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF APPLICANTS:

While Voiceless is an Australian-based organisation, we are open to expanding our support for people and organisations internationally / wherever they may be located. We are focusing on the outcome for animals and less on the geography of a grant application.

We are delighted to announce that we are partnering with The Pollination Project for all Voiceless grant-giving in the areas of Africa, the Middle East, South America and Asia. We encourage applicants in these regions to apply via The Pollination Project’s website.

ORGANISATIONAL STATUS:

Preference will be given to not-for-profit organisations and/or animal advocates. However, Voiceless may be open to opportunities for ‘impact investing’ with small grassroots companies or start-ups with bright, innovative ideas in the vegan space. Note: All profits will be returned to the Voiceless Grants Program.

SELECTION CRITERIA & PROCESS:

All grant expressions of interest are subject to a standard due diligence process and will be assessed based on a pre-determined selection criteria. Our team of Voiceless Grant Advisors will be involved in the selection process and are comprised of some of Australia’s most prominent animal lawyers, scientists and advocates. Click here to view our 2023 Voiceless Grant Advisory team.

 

Expressions of interest (EOI) timings and processes for 2023:

  • EOI will be open from Wednesday, 1st February 2023 at 9am AEST
  • Voiceless will run two grant rounds per calendar year
  • EOI deadlines are:
    • Round 1: 30 June 2023
    • Round 2: 30 November 2023.

STEP 1

Fill in an EOI via our website and if the project is of interest to Voiceless, we will be in touch to arrange a Zoom meeting.

STEP 2

Voiceless will review and assess EOI. Please note, EOI may take up to two months to be reviewed.

STEP 3

Voiceless to request supplementary information / points for clarification for a complete application (if necessary).

STEP 4

Notification of successful applicant and preparation of their grant funding agreement.

STEP 5

Notify unsuccessful applicant with feedback on their application.

Criteria Areas

The selection criteria for applications are based on addressing and meeting the following four areas of merit:

 

ORGANISATIONAL FIT & RELEVANCE:
  • Why should we make this grant?
  • Is the project or idea unique?
  • How well does it fit with our overall Voiceless strategy (vision, mission and objectives, theory of change) and the root cause needs within the animal protection space?
CATEGORICAL FIT & RELEVANCE:
  • Does this project or idea fit within one of our key focus categories?
  • Has the grant application described what its short and long-term impact will look like within this category?
  • What are the benefits and what are the risks of making this grant?
FUNDING FIT:
  • How much funding is required?
  • What is the breakdown and allocation of spending?
  • Will the applicant by able to measure the return on investment?
  • Does the grantee have other funding sources or are they solely reliant on a Voiceless grant?
TIMELINE FIT:
  • What is the projected timeline for the project or idea to launch?
  • When will the impact be seen / realised?

 

NOTE: the awarding of a Voiceless grant is the final decision of Voiceless and further correspondence will not be entered into.

GRANT FUNDING

Voiceless has an annual sum to invest in organisations, people or projects.

  • All grants are single-year. However, grantees who have demonstrated real impact, may apply again the following year.
  • Grant sizes are typically between AUD $10,000 to $30,000, and will be available within our 6 focus categories.

 

 

Apply for the Voiceless Grant Program

 

If you are a changemaker dedicated to protecting animals, we would love to hear from you. Click to read our eligibility criteria and expression of interest form to apply.

 

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