This guide is for Good Things’ network organisations that have been awarded a Capacity Building Grant through the Be Connected program.
Key info about this grant
Good Things program: Be Connected | Capacity Building Grant
Target audience: Paid or voluntary digital mentors working in the Be Connected program
Grant objective: Use grant funds and Good Things training package to train and support new digital mentors, so they can work in the Be Connected program.
Grant term: 12 months
Number of people you need to support: 50 – 100 people, depending on your grant contract.
Special conditions: If you have a “Targeted” or “Specialist” Capacity Building Grant contract, you will have specific additional requirements you need to follow. This may include supporting people in remote/regional locations, or training young mentors.
Check your grant guidelines and contract in my.GoodThings website to get to know your specific requirements under this grant and learn more.
What you need to do
Over the 12-month grant period, you need to:
- Accept your contract and submit your invoice to my.GoodThings website
- Engage a Lead Digital Mentor
- Tailor the Good Things training package
- Deliver one full day of training to digital mentors
- Provide 2 hours of follow up coaching support to trained digital mentors
- Report on and acquit the grant, and complete administrative tasks
Capacity Building grant timeline
Designing your program and support
Your organisation can design the digital mentor training and coaching you provide in line with Good Things guidelines. The Lead Digital Mentor training will cover this in more detail, but here are some tips to designing your program:
- Delivery method – Support mentors online or face to face, in group sizes of your choice. You may also break up the training and coaching support into modules as long as the equivalent of 1 full day training and 2 hours follow up support is delivered.
- Training session script – Design the training package script by putting it into your own words and adding stories sharing your experiences as a digital mentor.
- Be Connected resource examples – Find examples on the Be Connected learning website to showcase that are more likely to be used by the learners your mentors are supporting.
- Case study personas – Update the case study personas in the training package to best reflect the people your mentors will be supporting.
- Coaching support design – Provide the follow up coaching support in the way that best meets your community. Good Things’ resource kit gives you ideas on how to do this.
Digital Mentor Skills Checker data – All the mentors you train will complete surveys called Digital Mentor Skills Checkers. Use the information from the Checkers to design your coaching and training to best meet the needs of your community.
Reporting requirements
There are three things you need to do to report on and acquit your grant.
- Digital Mentor Skills Checkers
Completing pre- and post-support digital mentor surveys – called Digital Mentor Skills Checkers – is a grant requirement. The links to the Checkers and their results can be seen in your my.GoodThings account. This will help you to tailor your support to meet your mentors needs. They are also essential for showing impact and helping Good Things Australia secure future government funding.
- Recording your support for digital mentors
Registering the digital mentors you train and coach in the my.GoodThings website is a requirement of your grant.
Log in to my.GoodThings website to register the digital mentors who were supported in your Capacity Building Grant program. This is essential for acquitting your grant and measuring program impact. Use our step-by-step videos and guides to help with the process:
- Mid term and final grant acquittal
You will need to complete a mid term report. This will help Good Things to understand your progress against your grant targets and support you with any challenges that may have come up. To receive the second instalment of your grant, you need to show satisfactory progress against your grant targets and mid term report.
You will need to submit a final acquittal report and audited statement of expenditure at the end of the term.
Both reports will be available to submit on the my.GoodThings website. Go to Manage Grants > Funding Award Requirement to access your online grant acquittal form.
See full reporting details in your grant guidelines.
Top Tip: Ensure all mentors are registered, your support is recorded and Checkers completed in the my.GoodThings website before submitting your grant acquittal.
Support to run your program
Resource kit
Your Lead Digital Mentor will be provided with a full resource kit to deliver this program, including:
- Slide pack and facilitation guide – full day training for digital mentors
- Coaching guide – 2 hours follow up support ideas
- Certificates of completion templates
- Lead Digital Mentor checklist
- Marketing resources
Training for your team
Good Things will provide training for your Lead Digital Mentor (appointed trainer) to support them to deliver the full day training and follow up coaching support. Support and coaching will also be provided to Lead Digital Mentors through the term of your grant.
In addition, Good Things regularly runs free webinars and skillshares for staff and volunteers running our digital skills programs, which may be of interest. See all webinars and events.
Free marketing packs
Good Things has a special Be Connected marketing pack you can order and have posted to you for free. It includes learner booklets, posters and appointment cards that the digital mentors you train can use. Some resources are also available in selected languages other than English.
Log in to my.GoodThings website to order resources.
Free downloadable resources
Good Things has created a range of free resources to help digital mentors run and promote Be Connected digital skills programs. You can find the following resources in the Good Things digital mentor resource library:
- Session plans – digital skills group sessions we have designed for you
- Learner sign-in sheets
- Tip sheets
- Activity cards
- Videos and online courses
- Social media tiles and posters to promote your sessions
- A guide to promote your event
- And much more!
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about your Capacity Building program, contact the Good Things support team at connect@goodthingsfoundation.org or call (02) 9051 9292. We’re happy to help!