A selection of publications recently supported by the Foundation

Aims, Guidelines and Application Procedures 2025

Aims

The Gordon Darling Foundation is a perpetual public charitable trust, established in 1991 to "support Australia-wide, activities of importance in the Visual Arts."

It will give priority to exhibitions of Australian art, and will also consider exhibitions of Asian, Pacific or other international art.

It will assist with the costs of research, travel, publication, to promote knowledge and enjoyment of all aspects of the visual arts to the widest possible audience.

The Foundation encourages applications Australia-wide.

Who can apply?

The Foundation can only provide funding to Public Institutions in Australia. Applicant organisations must have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.

Individuals wishing to apply for funding for projects must partner with a Public Institution which then takes on responsibility for the project.

The Trustees will normally award only one application per organisation in any twelve-month period. Darling Travel Grants are considered a separate funding stream and do not preclude an organisation from applying for or receiving a grant.

What we do

Funding may be provided for:

• catalogues and publications:
• that are scholarly, with well-researched new information.
• that provide a permanent record of an exhibition, collection, or work of an artist or movement.
• professional education initiatives, including individual professional development.
• collection management initiatives, including database development, digitisation and conservation.
• research projects leading to the recognition and publication of material of significance.
• internationally known speakers for symposia.

In relation to catalogue projects, preference will be given to exhibitions which will tour multiple venues, sharing costs, staff and experience.

Applications for international travel can only be made through the Darling Travel Grant / International program - see Application Procedures below.

What we don't do

The Foundation usually does not fund:

• capital works, acquisitions, prizes or commissions.
• general or core operational activities.
• retrospective funding.
• recurrent funding of a project or exhibition.

Guidelines for publication funding applications

In assessing applications for publication funding, several key factors will be considered, in addition to well-planned, scholarly content:

• pricing should be as accessible as possible and suited to anticipated audiences.
• print runs should be appropriate to reasonable anticipated demand.
• plans for distribution beyond the applicant’s venue/s should be noted, and are encouraged.
• circulating a large proportion of a print run as complimentary copies is usually discouraged, though gifts to a limited number of local, state and higher education libraries would be welcomed.
• the expectation is that exhibition catalogues will be available from the launch of the exhibition.

Grant reports received by the Foundation continue to show that publication print runs are often far in excess of sales, regardless of the quality of the publication. Applicants are encouraged to carefully consider anticipated sales when deciding on a print run.

The Foundation usually does not fund:

• publications to be given away.
• major publications which largely replicate existing publications.
• catalogues for commercial exhibitions.
• "vanity publications", whether of the institution, author or subject of the application.
• souvenir or promotional publications.

Application procedures

General Grant Program

1. Read these guidelines to ensure that your project is a good fit.
2. Contact the Gordon Darling Foundation to request the current year's application form:
   
   • Email: - a brief description of your project would be advantageous.
   • Phone: 03 9820 3168
   Administrators: Alister Shew / Sherrie Antonio
3. Applicants should phone the Foundation to discuss their proposed application prior to submission.
4. Applications must be made using the current year's form and emailed to by 5pm (AEST/AEDT) on the closing date. The main application form should be submitted in the original Microsoft Word format. Supporting material should be submitted in A4 PDF format.
5. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged by email.
6. Applicants will be advised of outcomes by phone, and then by post.

Submissions will be examined by the Trustees of the Foundation three times a year.

The application closing dates for 2025 are:

• Friday 3 January (outcomes advised in late February)
• Friday 30 May (outcomes advised in early July)
• Tuesday 30 September (outcomes advised in late October)

Darling Travel Grants / International

The aim of these grants, offered once a year, is to provide visual arts professionals employed by Australian public institutions with the opportunity to undertake international travel. Travel must be for a specific purpose and deliver benefits for both the individual and the institution. Applicants should have written support from their Director or Board Chair to undertake the travel.

Applications for the 2025 Darling Travel Grants / International have now closed. Applications for 2026 will open in November 2025, with outcomes advised in early March 2026.