Apply for working capital for your nonprofit
Two separate programs — an Australian track for ACNC-registered charities, and a US track for 501(c)(3) organisations. Recoverable structure: capital comes back when your future revenue lands, so it can fund the next nonprofit. Not a grant. Not a loan. Not a competition you win — a programme you apply to.
Pick the country where your charity is registered
Each program has its own application form, eligibility check, and total cap. Apply to the one your organisation is registered in.
per recipient · AUD$150,000 total programme cap
Direct Charitable Working Capital Agreement (CWCA) between Elevate and the recipient. ACNC registration required (DGR or non-DGR both eligible). Milestone-based recovery on a future revenue event.
per recipient · USD$100,000 total programme cap
Routed via a US Donor Advised Fund (DAF) recoverable-grant structure. Active 501(c)(3) status required. Compliance handled by the DAF custodian; Elevate facilitates the match and the recovery template.
The kind of project we're looking for
The recoverable model works when there's a clear bridge purpose and a plausible recovery path — a future revenue event the advance unlocks.
- →Bridge between an executed grant and the next contract starting (gap of 3-9 months)
- →Equipment purchase ahead of a confirmed funding tranche where the equipment generates revenue
- →Working capital to scale up a contracted service before reimbursement payments arrive
- →Pre-funding a measurable program with a clear milestone-based recovery path
- →Capacity-build for a confirmed but delayed major grant
Bridge purpose: Bridge financing to deploy Read Along educational technology in 3 Sub-Saharan markets ahead of a confirmed Google Foundation grant tranche.
Recovery: First Google milestone payment May 31, 2026 — recovery on the milestone. Capital then redeploys to the next NFP in the queue.
Why it's the model: Real bridge gap, clear recovery path, identifiable revenue event, story-strong: education tech reaching scale.
How recoverable is different from a grant
If your future revenue doesn't materialise — we treat it as a regular grant. Worst case is what would have happened anyway. No personal guarantees, no asset claims, no debt on your books.
Merit-based, not a lottery
We review every application against four criteria:
- Clarity of bridge purpose — what the funds enable that wouldn't otherwise happen
- Recovery realism — plausible plan to repay from a future revenue event
- Story strength — case-study value to the broader recoverable-capital field
- Geographic + sector diversity — under-served regions or sectors get equal weight
See the full terms and conditions.
Key dates
- Applications close: 30 June 2026 (23:59 AEST)
- Recipients announced: within 3 weeks of close (late July 2026)
- Funds disbursed: within 4 weeks of selection, on signing the recoverable agreement
We need real recipients to seed the recoverable model
Recoverable charitable capital is the structural redesign Elevate is building. To prove it works at scale, we need real recipients running real cycles. AUD$150K across the AU programme + USD$100K across the US programme gives us the proof of pipeline and the case studies to scale the model into a continuous flow of working capital across the sector.
The recipients aren't guinea pigs. They're anchors. We work with you on the structure, share your story (with consent), and use the data to attract the next cohort of donors who want to back recoverable capital.
Know a nonprofit that needs working capital?
Share on LinkedIn so the right charity finds it. The more applicants we have, the better the match.