Sport for older adults — masters sport, active ageing programmes, and social sport for seniors — sits at the intersection of sport participation and health and wellbeing funding. Australia's ageing population makes this a growing funding priority for government and philanthropic funders alike. This guide covers the key funding sources for senior and masters sport in Australia.
Senior and masters sport can access funding from multiple sources because it delivers multiple outcomes:
- Sport: Participation in sporting activity
- Health: Physical activity for chronic disease prevention and management
- Social inclusion: Combating loneliness and isolation among older adults
- Mental health: Cognitive and emotional wellbeing through sport
This dual-outcome framing opens access to both sport funders and health/social sector funders.
Sport Australia funds community sport participation, including for older adults.
Key mechanisms:
- Investment in national sport organisations that have masters or seniors programmes
- State sport agency community sport grants
- Active Ageing initiatives through Sport Australia's participation strategy
Masters Sport Australia is the national body for masters sport competitions. Not a grant funder, but a resource for connecting with masters sport organisations that may have their own funding relationships.
State masters sport organisations (Masters Athletics Australia, Masters Swimming Australia, etc.) may have grant access through their national governing bodies.
State sport and recreation departments fund active ageing programmes:
- Victoria: Active Ageing Victoria, Sport and Recreation Victoria
- NSW: Office of Sport NSW — Seniors Sport and Recreation programme
- Queensland: Active and Healthy — community sport for older adults
- WA: DLGSC — active ageing and community sport
- SA: ORSR — active living and sport for seniors
Older adult sport and physical activity intersects with health priorities:
- Commonwealth Department of Health: Chronic disease prevention and active ageing
- State health departments: Active ageing programmes, falls prevention (exercise is evidence-based)
- Primary Health Networks (PHNs): May commission active ageing physical activity programmes
Senior-oriented sport clubs (bowls, golf, walking clubs) access gaming grants:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Category 1 (social inclusion and welfare), Category 2 (community infrastructure), Category 3 (sport)
- State gaming trusts: Community sport grants
Many clubs serving older adults (bowls clubs, tennis clubs, walking groups) access gaming trusts for equipment and programme funding.
Myer Foundation: Active ageing and social inclusion.
Ian Potter Foundation: Health and wellbeing including active ageing.
Perpetual: Various charitable clients with ageing-related interests.
Community foundations: Active ageing grants in many regional and metro areas.
Health foundations: Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia — both fund physical activity for chronic disease management.
Walking football: Slower-paced football for older players. Football codes have active ageing walking variants.
Walking netball: Modified netball for older women. Growing across Australia.
Social tennis: Clubs run social tennis sessions for older players.
Lawn bowls: Australia's iconic seniors sport — consistently well-funded through gaming trusts and state sport.
Masters swimming: Masters swimming programmes across the country.
Tai chi and mind-body: Falls prevention and balance programmes — accessible through health sector.
Exercise (including sport) is one of the most evidence-based falls prevention interventions for older adults. Falls prevention funding comes from:
- State health departments: Falls prevention programme grants
- Primary Health Networks: Exercise as medicine commissioning
- Aged care providers: Activity budget for residents
- Commonwealth: Aged care and falls prevention investment
Sport and exercise programmes that frame their work as falls prevention have access to a dedicated health funding stream.
Strong senior and masters sport applications demonstrate:
- Social outcomes: Reduction in isolation, community belonging, cognitive health
- Health outcomes: Physical health markers, falls prevention evidence, chronic disease management
- Access and affordability: Pricing that doesn't exclude lower-income older adults
- Inclusion: Disability-inclusive programmes, cultural responsiveness
- Volunteer and peer leadership: Older adults leading programmes for their peers
- Collaboration: Partnerships with health, aged care, and community services
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport and community organisations manage their grant applications, track reporting requirements, and demonstrate the health and social outcomes that active ageing funders want to see.