Grants & Funding Coordinator

Help keep community theatre thriving.

Waterdale Theatre Inc. is a not-for-profit community theatre company based in Melbourne's northern suburbs. We create high-quality musical theatre while fostering an inclusive, welcoming community for performers, creatives and volunteers. We're looking for a passionate volunteer to take over our Grants & Funding portfolio. Over the past few years, successful grant applications have played a significant role in helping Waterdale produce productions, invest in equipment, and keep theatre accessible for our community. This role is essential to our ongoing success.

About the Role

As our Grants & Funding Coordinator, you'll identify funding opportunities, prepare and submit grant applications, working closely with our Treasurer to develop budgets and supporting information for applications. This is a largely autonomous role, ideal for someone who is proactive, motivated and enjoys taking initiative. We're looking for a self-starter who is passionate about supporting the arts and can independently manage the grants portfolio while collaborating with the committee when needed.

You can choose to:

• Join the Waterdale Committee as a Committee Member with responsibility for grants; or
• Volunteer independently and manage the grants portfolio without joining the committee.

What You'll Do

• Research grant opportunities from local, state and federal governments, as well as philanthropic organisations.
• Prepare and submit grant applications.
• Work with the Treasurer and committee to gather information, budgets and supporting documentation.
• Maintain a calendar of upcoming funding opportunities and application deadlines.
• Track the progress of submitted applications and assist with reporting where required.

About You

We're looking for someone who:

• Has excellent written communication skills.
• Is organised and able to manage deadlines independently.
• Is a self-starter who enjoys working autonomously.
• Is passionate about making a difference in the community and supporting the arts.
• Has experience with grant writing, fundraising or similar work (desirable but not essential).

You don't need to have a background in theatre—if you have experience securing funding and want to use your skills to support a local not-for-profit, we'd love to hear from you.

Time Commitment

This is a flexible volunteer position that can be completed primarily remotely. While Waterdale is based in Melbourne's northern suburbs, most of the work can be done from home. The Waterdale Committee meets once a month, and if you choose to join the committee, you'll be invited to attend these meetings. If you prefer to volunteer solely in the grants role, you'll simply liaise with the Treasurer and committee as required. The workload varies throughout the year depending on grant opportunities, making it well suited to someone looking for a flexible volunteer role.

Why Volunteer with Waterdale?

Your work will directly help bring live theatre to our community. Every successful grant helps us produce shows, support emerging performers, improve accessibility, and create opportunities for performers, creatives and audience members each year.