Glossary of Grant Provision and Obfuscation

Grant Owner

The government department or agency that designs the grant, defines eligibility, and chooses the selection process. Ultimately responsible for structural exclusion or inclusion.

Selection Process

The formal mechanism chosen by the grant owner for awarding funds—e.g., open competitive, closed non-competitive, invitation only—often used to restrict access.

Community Grants Hub

A shared service managed by the Department of Social Services, often administering grant applications but not responsible for grant design or eligibility.

GrantConnect

The central Australian Government publishing platform for grants, managed by the Department of Finance. Responsible for technical publishing, not content or policy.

Platform Obfuscation

A governance tactic in which publishing platforms standardise visibility while displacing accountability for content or structural access decisions.

Invitation-Only Grants

Grants not accessible via open application—limited to handpicked entities, undermining transparency and equitable opportunity.

Closed Procurement

Funding directly awarded to select providers without public application processes, usually justified as essential services or frontline contracts.

DGR Gatekeeping

Use of Deductible Gift Recipient status requirements to limit funding access to large, institutionally recognised charities.

Performativity in Funding

The act of appearing to support inclusion or equity through symbolic grant opportunities that are functionally inaccessible to those most affected.