Community Funding & Grants Guide

How to Secure Funding for a Wall to Wall Festival in Your Town or City

A practical, easy‑to‑use guide to help communities, councils, and organisers identify, apply for, and secure the right funding to bring a street art festival to life.

1. Understand the Funding Landscape

Local Government Funding

  • Arts & Culture budgets

  • Economic development funds 

  • Tourism activation budgets 

  • CBD revitalisation or placemaking programs

  • Community development fund

Business Sponsorship

  • Local business contributions

  • Medium to Large Regional employers

  • Brands seeking cultural partnerships

  • Hotels and Accommodation

State & Federal Grants

  • Tourism/event attraction funds 

  • Creative industry development grants 

  • Youth engagement funding 

  • Social impact / community wellbeing program

  • Economic Development 

Community Fundraising

  • Donations from locals

  • Crowd Funding

  • Merchandise packs

  • Local fundraising events

2.Define Your Funding Strategy Early

Different funding types have different timelines. Grants are highly competitive. We recommend covering all bases and creating as much diversity within your strategy as possible. Many hands make light work, and the same goes for event funding. The more revenue streams you have, the lighter the load on each funding party.

Create a Funding Mix: 

  • 40–60% Council support

  • 20–40% Grants

  • 10–30% Community fundraising 

Why a mixed model works: 

  • No single body carries the whole cost

  • More resilience against grant rejections

  • Wider community buy‑in

3. Build a Strong Funding Case

To secure funding, you’ll need a compelling narrative. Funders want clear community, economic, and cultural benefits. They are after professional, well-developed applications that show a clear pathway to a successful event.

Your funding case should include:

  • Why your town wants a festival

  • The walls you’ve identified

  • The community benefits (tourism, vibrancy, youth engagement)

  • Projected visitor numbers

  • A high‑level budget

  • Your project timeline

  • Evidence of community support

4. How to Approach Council for Funding

Before your meeting:

  • Prepare your top 3 walls

  • Collect photos & create wall mockups

  • Build a simple one‑page budget

  • Bring examples of murals from other festivals

Explain to them:

  • The festival’s benefits

  • Economic uplift (cafes, retail, tourism)

  • Social benefits (youth engagement,

  • pride of place)

  • Timeline and deliverables

  • Your requested level of support

What councils love:

  • Community backing

  • A proven festival model (Wall to Wall)

  • Clear risk management

  • A credible delivery partner (Juddy Roller)

  • Statistics

5. Writing Strong Grant Applications

Always Include: 

  • A clear vision statement

  • Evidence of community need/benefit

  • High‑quality imagery + references

  • A strong project plan

  • Realistic budget + contingency

  • Evaluation plan (how you’ll measure impact)

  • Letters of support (council, business owners, artists 

6. What grant assessors look for:

  • Community impact

  • Artistic merit

  • Feasibility & readiness

  • Financial responsibility

  • Alignment with strategic prioritiets

7. Sponsorship Pathways

Local Sponsors:

  • Cafes, restaurants, retailers

  • Local tourism operators

  • Real estate agencies

  • Tradies and building companies

Regional + National

  • Paint Company

  • Lift Hire (Kennards, Coates)

  • Local Banks

  • Media (local papers)

Offer sponsors:

  • Logo placement

  • VIP tours + events

  • Social content inclusion

  • Co‑branded signage

  • Media exposure

8. Community Fundraising

Local Trade businesses often donate:

  • lifts / EWPs

  • paint / tools

  • labour

  • scaffolding

  • storage

  • meals or vouchers

Every $1 in-kind = $1 more for the mural budget.Business donation program

Crowdfunding Ideas

Offer rewards like:

  • stickers

  • limited edition prints

  • mural postcards

  • a signed polaroid with artist/s

  • Wall naming rights

  • private mural tour

  • Tickets to VIP “Artist Dinner” / Event launch

A $50–$100 reward tier ALWAYS performs better than basic donations.

9. Funding Timeline Template

Ideal planning window: 6–12 months before the festival

  • Month 1–2: Identify walls, approach council

  • Month 2–3: Research grants, begin applications

  • Month 3–6: Secure council support + grants

  • Month 4–7: Meet sponsors + confirm contributions

  • Month 6–12: Lock artists + production planning

Need Help With Funding?

Juddy Roller has successfully secured funding for dozens of mural festivals via councils, grants, sponsors, and community contributions. We can assist with: - Grant writing - Pitch decks - Sponsorship proposals - Council engagement Budgets & project planning

Reach out and book a call.

Frequently asked questions

  • Most regional towns run successful festivals with budgets between $80k–$350k, depending on wall size, number of artists, access equipment requirements, and event programming.

  • Not always — but it helps enormously.
    Many grants require a letter of support or a formal acknowledgement. If the council isn’t ready to commit funds yet, a support letter is usually enough to move forward.

  • Absolutely.
    Some of the strongest examples, Tumby Bay, Brim, and Lameroo started with tiny budgets and a massive community drive.
    Grants, local sponsorship, and community fundraising can bridge the gap surprisingly quickly.

  • Great applications always include:

    • a clear vision

    • photos/mockups of proposed walls

    • a realistic budget

    • community support evidence

    • tourism & economic benefits

    • strong partners (Juddy Roller / Wall to Wall)

    • a feasible timeline

    • letters of support

    Assessors look for impact + feasibility + community alignment.

  • Ideally 6–12 months out.
    Some grant rounds open only once or twice a year, and funding takes time to process.
    However, sponsorship and community fundraising can often be activated in under 4–8 weeks.

  • It happens, but it’s not the end.
    A strong strategy uses multiple funding streams:

    • grants

    • council support

    • sponsorships

    • community fundraising

    If one area falls through, others keep the project alive.
    Many towns run a festival successfully after 1–2 rejected grant rounds - persistence is key.