AusArt Day is a national initiative designed to support and enable a collective action by artists and arts organisations to fundraise on one national day – increasing the visibility of arts philanthropy and encouraging greater generosity in support of the arts.

It aims to elevate the public value of the arts in the consciousness of everyday Australians and increase donor engagement in support of Australian creativity.

For 2026, AusArt Day will take place on Thursday 22 October 2026, building on the momentum of its inaugural year. AusArt Day offers two grant opportunities, as follows:

To support the creation of digital content for use within your AusArt Day campaign:

• artists and collectives – $2,500
• arts organisations (of less than $5 million operating budget) – $5,000.

An opt-in dollar-for-dollar matched funding to incentivise your donor engagement during your AusArt Day campaign:

• artists and collectives – $2,500
• arts organisations (of less than $5 million operating budget) – $5,000

The matched funding initiative encourages donations during AusArt Day by matching each contribution dollar-for-dollar, effectively doubling the value of every donation up to a set limit (limits outlined above).

Applicants who opt in to the matched funding component are required to demonstrate how matched funding will be applied strategically to strengthen their campaign and maximise donor engagement.  Applicants may receive one or both granted opportunities.