Auspicing guidelines

Sometimes individual artists or groups can benefit from the support of an organisation to manage grants and activities on their behalf. This practice, which involves pay ing a fee in exchange for services like the financial management of grant funds, and other kinds of operational or administrative support, is called auspicing.

When applying to Arts Tasmania’s grant programs, you can nominate an organisation to auspice your grant.

If your application is successful, we will ask for a fully signed copy of the auspicing agreement in place between you and the organisation before any funds can be paid. This agreement must outline all services to be offered and the fee to be paid.

If you nominate to have your grant auspiced, both you and the auspicing organisation will need to sign the grant paperwork. Grant funds will then be paid to the organisation to manage on your behalf.

Arts Tasmania does not allow auspicing where:

• the artist is an employee or director of the auspicing organisation
• there is not a genuine fee-for-service relationship in place
• the auspicing arrangement is not supported by a signed agreement
• an organisation wants another organisation to auspice funds on its behalf.

Please note that auspicing cannot be used for loans, Roving Curator time or public art commissions under the Tasmanian Government Art Site Scheme.

The Not-for-profit Law program, through Justice Connect, has a helpful guide to auspicing for more information.