Financial wellbeing is a key part of living and performing at your best. For athletes, managing income, expenses, and planning for life beyond sport can be challenging, but it’s also empowering. Understanding your finances helps reduce stress, build confidence, and create stability through every stage of your sporting journey. Whether you’re learning to budget, planning for study or travel, or setting up for your post-sport career, developing strong financial habits now will set you up for long-term success.
There are a range of grants, scholarships, and funding opportunities available to support athletes in their development. Exploring these options can help ease financial pressure and allow you to focus on what matters most, your performance and wellbeing.
The Athletics Foundation is dedicated to building a sustainable future for Australian athletics by increasing access and opportunity for athletes, coaches, clubs, and communities. Working in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation provides funding and scholarships to help individuals and organisations achieve their goals.
Athletes, coaches, clubs, and communities can now raise funds directly through The Athletics Foundation. Simply contact the team to set up a fundraising page and start making an impact.
The Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) operates Australia’s only sport-specific and tax-deductible fundraising platform. Starting an online fundraiser with the ASF is easy, and you get a personalised webpage with an online donation form. The fundraising portal allows you to track live donation information and gives you access to tools, tips and templates to make your fundraising journey easier.
Athletes are encouraged to explore local and state-based grant and funding opportunities; these are often available across all levels of sport. Helpful links and further information can be found on the Clearinghouse for Sport and the AIS Grants and Funding page. Athletes are encouraged to explore any opportunities that interest them and to carry out their own research for more detailed information.
https://www.ausport.gov.au/grants-and-funding/opportunities
https://www.ausport.gov.au/clearinghouse/evidence/participation-grants-and-funding
Budgeting is an important skill that anyone can learn. A personal spending plan or budget can be an empowering financial tool. It helps you track your income and expenses, make informed choices, and stay prepared for opportunities and challenges in both sport and life. By taking the time to work out a plan of where your money comes from and where you spend or save it, you are gaining the knowledge and skills you need to make smart financial decisions.
Money Smart, by the Australian Government, is a website with tools and resources to assist you with topics such as managing your money, reducing your debt, planning for your future, growing your wealth as well as providing resources for budgeting and understanding your personal spending habits.
The Financial Wellness Program provides athletes with a comprehensive and understandable guide to managing their finances during and beyond their sporting career.
Supporting Australia’s elite athletes with access to innovative accounting and tax automation platform HNRY to empower athletes to manage their taxes with ease and confidence, ensuring they achieve both financial and athletic success.
