Community Grants and Funding Opportunities

The Stronger Communities Programme provides grants for community projects to strengthen and benefit local communities and is part of the Government’s 2024-25 Budget initiatives.

The objective of the program is to deliver infrastructure projects that provide social benefits for local communities, by supporting one or more of the following:

• support or encourage interstate or international tourism
• support or celebrate Indigenous Australians
• commemorate Australians killed or injured in war or who contributed to Australia’s war efforts
• support veterans and defence force members and their families and communities
• support the participation and settlement of newly arrived (i.e. within the last 5 years) immigrants who are not citizens
• support the acquisition or deployment of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation measures
• support the dignity of persons (including children) with disabilities by enhancing their access to public infrastructure
• support access for children to public infrastructure which enables interstate or overseas travel, accommodation, or education or health care infrastructure or services
• address gender inequality or discrimination in access to public infrastructure or sport
• provide medical services or facilities, or services or facilities incidental to the provision of medical services
• provide benefits to a specific cohort or cohorts of students
• enable or foster the use of electronic communications.

The intended outcomes of the program are to:

• encourage and support participation in local projects
• improve local community participation
• contribute to vibrant and viable communities.

You can apply if you:

• are invited to apply by your MP
• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• meet the eligibility requirements in section 4.1 of the grant opportunity guidelines.

The James Frizelle Charitable Foundation has been established to support those who have contributed to our great country but may have unfortunately through no fault of their own, fallen on hard times and can no longer speak for themselves.

They have a range of grants including:

• Community Health Grants
• Disadvantaged Grants
• Domestic Violence Grants
• Homelessness Grants
• Housing and Accommodation grants
• Mental Health Grants
• Natural Disaster Grants

The Building Early Learning Places Program aims to help not-for-profit providers in the early childhood education and care sector create more spaces for children aged 0 to 6 for communities with the greatest immediate need.

The program’s overarching objectives are to:

• Support the accessibility and affordability of ECEC, by assisting not-for-profit community preschools and long day care centres to deliver additional ECEC places through capital works.
• Increase the number of ECEC places through these capital works projects, leading to accessible, inclusive, and culturally safe environments that attract enrolments from children with disability, children with additional needs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and culturally and linguistically diverse children.
• Generate insights, evidence and lessons learned to guide future capital initiatives that may be delivered by the Fund Board in the years to come.

Who can apply

To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet each of the following criteria:

• be registered or incorporated in Australia
• be a not-for-profit organisation/association or local government entity operating on a cost recovery basis
• be an approved early childhood education and care provider operating at least one existing and open approved service under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations (2011)
• intend to deliver ECEC places for a priority group as identified in these program guidelines:
  • deliver eligible ECEC places in an identified undersupplied area (excluding on public school sites and non-government school sites); OR
  • for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, deliver eligible and culturally supportive ECEC places anywhere in NSW (excluding on public schools and non-government school sites)

• hold, or intend to hold service approval for the capital works site under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) to:
• operate, or intend to operate, as a centre-based service with a ‘Nature of Care’ service type of preschool, or
• operate, or intend to operate, as a centre-based service with a ‘Nature of Care’ service type of long day care.

The Essential Grants Program provides financial support to community groups across the Essential Energy network area, contributing to positive outcomes for regional communities. 

The program supports community-based initiatives that align with the following categories:

• Environment - Examples include initiatives that support a circular economy and waste reduction, habitat restoration or community gardens.

• Energy Transition - Examples include funding contributions for solar panels or electrifying community buildings.

• Education - Examples include the investment in STEM education in schools and community organisations.

• Resilience - Examples include the provision of resources that support communities affected by disaster events.

Groups are eligible for the program if they: 

• are located in Essential Energy’s network area and provide support to communities within the network area; 
• are a charity, not-for-profit/non-profit organisation, Non-Governmental Organisation or community group/event; and if 
• funding for activities, programs, projects or events will benefit the community and align with initiatives that support the environment, education, community resilience or are related to the energy transition.

The ETREA Foundation offers financial support, build collaborative relationships and networks with like-minded organisations committed to supporting and teaching those in need the tools and skills to rebuild their lives and achieve personal fulfilment.

There are two grant rounds per year:

• Grant Round One – closes on 31 March (opens on 1 February)
• Grant Round Two – closes on 30 September (opens on 15 July)

Eligble organisations must operate personal growth training opportunities in line with the purpose, values and Guiding Principles of the ETREA Foundation.

Funding will not be granted to organisations whose industry or company’s activities are associated with gambling, unethical behaviours, are harmful to people including Indigenous people, or are harmful to the environment are ineligible to receive grants. Funding will not be granted to religiously affiliated courses, projects, mentoring, seminars or training.

Additionally funding will not be granted to individual persons, for fundraising ventures, purchase of equipment/food/clothing, training of individuals/volunteers, marketing or research.

The NAB Foundation Community Grants program provides funding of up to $25,000 for local projects that help communities withstand and recover from natural disasters.

They award $1.2 million in Community Grants each year across two grant rounds, including $200,000 available in Impact Grants for projects with big potential. These Impact Grants provide a further $25,000 to recipients to maximise the impact they have on their communities.

NAB Foundation Community Grants support community-led projects that relate to the following categories:

• Training and planning
• Community Recovery
• Environment and wildlife
• Equipment and Infrastructure

NAB Foundation Community Grants are open to:

• Charities that are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for Profits Commission (ACNC). 
• Social enterprises (not-for-profit and for-profit) or start-ups with social or environmental impact at the core of their business. 
• Groups or organisations (not-for-profit and for-profit) that hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have a charitable purpose. 
• Local government or government-funded facilities (such as a school or childcare centre) seeking funding for a program that furthers charitable purpose.

Each year The Co-Group invites applications from public benevolent institutions (PBIs) who are working at the front line and who are suitable recipients for TCG grants. The potential recipients are reviewed to determine alignment with TCG’s mission and goals. TCG works with each successful recipient on the design of their programs to ensure the recipient and TCG can work together to meet their common goal of improving the lives of people with a disability or who are aged and in distress.

Priority will be given to initiatives that:

• Relate to the support of people with disability where the NDIS funding does not cover needs.

• Relate to the support of older care people where the Aged Care funding does not cover needs.

• Support people who are aged or living with a disability in a home situation and are in need.

Focus areas

• Community based counselling and home care support

• Services that enhance quality of life in a home situation

Eligibility

Applicants should be a public benevolent institution (PBI) being a charitable institution whose main purpose is to relieve poverty or distress. Applicants must be registered and recognised by the ACNC and ATO as a subtype of charity.

Grants are intended for community organisations and social enterprises working with the aged or people with a disability in a way that reflects The Co-Group’s priorities and focus areas.

The Steve Waugh Foundation supports children and young adults aged 0-25 years who have a rare disease with a prevalence of at least 2:100,000.

The Foundation will consider funding -

• Equipment
• Mobility Aids
• Communication Devices
• Therapy
• Treatment
• Some minor house renovations
• Items that improve the quality of life for the applicant and their family

To be eligible to apply:   

• You must be an Australian Citizen or an Australian permanent resident of at least five years to gain assistance from the Foundation and;
• Have a recognised rare disease as identified on ORPHANET: www.orpha.net, or if not recognised your medical specialist must confirm the disease is rare
• Have an Australian Medicare card
• Have already made an application for government funding assistance for the requested item, eg the NDIS
• The rare disease has been formally and officially diagnosed by a Paediatrician or other Medical Specialist
• You have and can provide evidence of the diagnosis of the rare disease signed off by a Paediatrician or other medical specialist
• You have and can provide medical, health and other documentation or support material required as part of your application

Note: Applications submitted outside these dates can be carried forward for review in the following Grant Round but are unable to be assessed outside these dates. The Online Application and all required supporting documentation must be submitted on time to complete the Grant Application.

Uplift provides grants of up to $50,000 to support professional development, training and mentoring to build digital capability for First Nations artists and creative workers. 

This opportunity is open to First Nations led organisations and businesses to deliver activities within local communities. Funding can support a range of digital development opportunities identified as priority areas for building capacity. 

The fund can be used for:

• e-commerce training and development to support First Nations businesses in the digital economy  
• formal training and hands on experience in the use of digital platforms for video, sound or game engines, e.g. Final Cut Pro, Touch Designer, Blendr, Pro Tools, Abelton Live, Unity, Unreal Engine, Premiere Pro (for VR) 
• purchase of specialist equipment and accompanying workshops to support training, e.g. filming and post-production on 360 degree video 
• mentorships between emerging and established digital artists  
• workshops with First Nations digital entrepreneurs to support business development and viability for digital enterprises  
• LAB models supporting practical experimentation and skills exchange in VR, AR, Immersive or interactive video  
• placements, secondments or attachments to support emerging digital practitioners  
• networking and delegation opportunities to attend technology and digital conferences 
• training and mentoring for artists in game development   
• on-the-job training for staff within an organisation to digitally upskill 
• digital marketing and audience engagement coaching and strategy development.

This opportunity is only open to: 

• First Nations organisations and businesses 

This opportunity is open to Australian First Nations individuals, groups and organisations, and supports projects and professional development opportunities across all art forms, nationally and internationally.

It is open to:

• Australian First Nations d/Deaf artists and arts workers
• Australian First Nations artists and arts workers with disability
• Australian First Nations d/Deaf artists and arts workers groups
• Australian First Nations artists and arts workers with disability groups
• Australian First Nations organisations.

Who can apply:

 Individuals must:

• identify as Australian First Nations
• identify as d/Deaf and/or with disability
• be 18+ years
• be based in Australia.

Organisations must:

• identify as Australian First Nations organisations:
  • at least 51% First Nations on the board
  • be known as a First Nations organisation that provides programs for First Nations community
• Demonstratable history of working and supporting Australian artists and/or arts workers who identify as:
  • First Nations
  • Deaf and/or with disability
• Be based in Australia.

Applications must have:

• eligible funding amount requested ($5,000 – $10,000)
• eligible project’s start date is on or after 1 July 2025 and end date must be completed within 2 years of your starting date.

Please note: You can only submit one application to this grant initiative.

Highways and Byways continues the work of the Missionary Sisters of Service (MSS) reaching out in hope and love to people socially and geographically isolated, strengthening community relationships and networks, developing leadership and empowering people to meet the challenges that confront them.

The theme of our 2025 Small Grants Program – ‘Embracing and Valuing Diversity in Nature and Community’ – recognises that we are entering challenging times for many Australians as the growing impacts of climate change continue to cause severe damage to land, homes and communities, especially in rural and regional Australia. Extreme weather events are affecting communities that are already under stress through previous disasters, with rebuilding challenges, the realities of everyday financial stresses, and limited employment opportunities in vulnerable communities.

Community organisations can apply for grants up to $5,000 to:

• Contribute to building strong and resilient communities, especially in areas affected by extreme weather events.
• Build unity and find common grounds of understanding and shared knowledge across an initiative.
• Encourage partnerships amongst individuals, groups and/or organisations.
• Foster engagement, diversity and cultural connections by sharing knowledge and skills in local community-based programs/events.
• Support intergenerational and Indigenous/Non-Indigenous exchanges of knowledge and skills for the sustainable and/or regenerative management of the land.
• Provide opportunities for program participants to develop leadership or other personal and community-building skills

Australia Pacific QBE Foundation local grants are a way for us to provide meaningful support for community initiatives addressing specific areas of need.

To be eligible for a QBE Foundation local grant, the organisation:

• Must be a registered ‘not-for-profit’ (or non-profit) with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC)
• Must have Australian Tax Office endorsement of DGR 1 or 2 status
• Must not be affiliated with a political party or union, or take an overtly political stance in the focus of their work
• May have a religious basis, but any program or initiative supported by QBE must not incorporate religious teaching into the delivery of the program or initiative
• Must be based in Australia, although initiatives working in Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific will be considered

Note: Australia Pacific QBE Foundation charity partners and 2023 local grant recipients are not eligible to apply.

Application suitability and alignment

• Only applications working to address issues in our local grant categories will be considered. You will need to clearly demonstrate the relevance of your initiative to the category, so please consider this before applying
• You can only apply once per project or initiative. Please do not submit multiple applications for the same project or initiative across different categories
• QBE Foundation local grants are intended for high impact community initiatives. Requests for funding for "business as usual" activities will be considered less favourably than specific initiatives
• We understand that some initiatives require support from multiple funders. If this is the case, please outline clearly in your application where other funding is coming from, any funding expected in the future or due to end in the coming 12 months, and how you plan to report on the QBE Foundation portion of the total funding
• The organisation must be based in Australia, but initiatives working in Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Fiji will be considered

The Mercy Foundation’s Social Justice Small Grants Program provides seed funding to assist communities and organisations to build capacity that will help create structural change and bring about greater social justice in Australia.

Projects that focus on bringing about greater inclusion for marginalised groups will be prioritised. 

Priority will be given to small organisations and those groups that receive no other funding.

The Universal Charitable Fund (UCF) makes grants to small and medium sized Australian charities making a big difference in the lives of people in need both in Australia and overseas. Their focus is on community projects that positively contribute to the alleviation of poverty, disadvantage, marginalisation and distress while building both individual and community capacity. They want their contribution to inspire others to share in making a difference by supporting people in need and building a better future for all.

UCF focuses its grant making on supporting the work of small and medium sized charities (e.g. income up to $1m pa) which are registered with the ACNC and endorsed by the ATO with Deductible Gift Recipient status (DGR1).

Their priority is to fund charities which fit into one (or more) of the following areas and with a focus on alleviation of poverty, distress, disadvantage or marginalisation.

• Education
• Health
• Building self-sufficient communities (sustainable)
• Children and youth

Any programme asking for funding must be able to be completed within 12 months and have a clear charitable purpose consistent with its tax-deductible gift status.

Small Grants aim to meet the short-term, collection-based requirements of community museums and Aboriginal cultural spaces. There are no set categories for funding, and applications for a broad range of projects will be considered.

Previous Small Grants have funded the purchase of computer cataloguing software, exhibition mannequins and display cases, oral history recording equipment and archival storage items.

Small Grants are open to museums and Aboriginal cultural spaces (with object collections and displays) with up to two full time paid staff members (no more than 70 hours of paid staffing per week) as well as museum networks such as AMaGA Chapters.

The purpose of the Incubator Event stream is to offer seed funding to events in Regional NSW to support their first or second year of activity. The stream supports innovative events that demonstrate sound organisational planning, have a unique alignment with the character and culture of the local region and which can demonstrate a broad appeal likely to promote tourism and attract overnight visitation.

The Incubator Event stream offers seed funding for activities that are likely to establish the event as a driver of visitation. 

Activities for which funding will be offered include, but are not limited to:

• venue hire and other costs specific to the event, determined on a case by case basis
• temporary event infrastructure (marquees, stages etc.) that is likely to improve the visitor experience
• marketing and promotions
• marketing, PR and digital specialist or consultancy fees subject to Destination NSW approval of a brief
• brand design and development
• visitor research.

The Flagship Event stream identifies and assists the development of events that contribute to the unique character and culture of the tourism regions of NSW and can demonstrate that they attract overnight visitation.

The Flagship Event stream offers grants specifically to support marketing activities aimed at increasing visibility and attracting visitation to the event from outside its immediate area.

Grants through the Flagship Event stream are only available to events that have been running for more than 2 years.

The Flagship Event stream offers 2 subcategories:

• Annual grant - $20,000 (ex GST)
• Triennial grant - $30,000 (ex. GST) per annum for 3 years

Grants must be expended on marketing activities that:

• enhance the marketing and promotion of the Event outside its home region
• are directed at specific markets outside the immediate Local Government Area of the event
• aim to increase tourism business by influencing visitors' intention to travel to, and stay overnight in, the region and/or to extend their length of stay.

Eligible Costs may include:

• advertising or promotional costs
• brand design
• PR activities 
• website development
• social or digital marketing
• cooperative marketing activities
• photography or videography
• visitor research

The ANZ Foundation supports small to medium-sized projects run by charitable organisations that offer a direct and tangible benefit to local communities. Where structured volunteering by ANZ staff members would add value to the funded project, ANZ is keen to facilitate this type of in-kind support.

Applicant organisation eligibility focus areas are:

• advancing health
• advancing education
• advancing social and public welfare
• advancing religion
• advancing culture
• promoting reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance between groups of individuals that are in Australia
• promoting of protecting human rights
• advancing the security or safety of Australia or the Australian public
• preventing or relieving the suffering of animals
• advancing the natural environment
• other similar purposes 'beneficial to the general public', and
• promoting or opposing a change to any matter established by law, policy or practice in the Commonwealth, a state, a territory, or another country (where that change furthers or opposes one or more of the purposes above)

The Screenrights Cultural Fund is now open for applications responding to the annual focus of CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE. We invite applicants with initiatives that offer broad benefit to the screen industry in Australia and New Zealand, and applications will close at 5pm AEST on Wednesday 9 April.

“Creative intelligence styles – imaginative, intuitive, inspirational, and innovative – are all traits seen consistently in the screen and education communities Screenrights serves,” says Rachel Antony, Chair of the Cultural Fund Working Group. “As technology mediates our educational experiences and creative processes, we are inviting applications that look to explore and apply innovation and that honour our fundamental human capacity for original thought and expression. From, for example, designing screen-based initiatives that enhance creative expression or empower those with less access to resources, to developing novel technological approaches to screen media education, we expect successful proposals will demonstrate a thoughtful approach to nurturing creative intelligence in our digital age.”

The Screenrights Cultural Fund supports projects that foster the creation and appreciation of screen content in Australia and New Zealand. Now in its eighth year, the Fund has awarded over $1.5 million to screen industry initiatives since it was established in 2018.

The NSW Government is investing $1.6m over four years in a community grants to support youth resilience to violent extremism. The Premier’s Department (the Department) will administer the NSW Government Strengthening Youth Resilience to Violent Extremism Community Grants Program, totalling up to $400,000 (including GST).

There are four Program objectives:

1. Building resilience to hateful and extremist influences online and offline, including through offering pro-social support activities and establishing networks and platforms where boys and young men can safely discuss and reflect on their diverse views and experiences.
2. Providing youth-centred mentoring activities for young people that promote healthy relationships, mutual respect, empathy and civic participation.
3. Providing mentor training to ensure mentors are appropriately equipped with the skills and methods to identify, engage and support vulnerable young men who may be at risk of engaging in violent extremism.
4. Providing referral pathways to appropriate government and community support services as identified and required through the program.

The grants are targeted to projects that work with young men and boys, because young men are disproportionately affected by violent extremism, both as victims and perpetrators.

Grants for community-based initiatives addressing one or more of the above program areas will be made available from the NSW Government’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Program, in Premier’s Department.

Grants will be assessed through a competitive grant application process to a carefully selected organisation or organisations that meet rigorous funding criteria.

The grant through this program is a one-off payment with no guarantee of further funding after the completion of the project.

Who can apply

This grant is only available for not-for-profit organisations based in NSW that have an Australian Business Number (ABN).

Applicants should demonstrate their not-for-profit status by being one of the following:

1. incorporated non-government organisations (not-for-profit)
2. registered Associations under an Act of Parliament
3. registered cooperatives under an Act of Parliament
4. a company limited by Guarantee
5. a company limited by shares (non-profit distributing)
6. a community-based organisation registered or established under an Act that is not-for-profit
7. an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) or
8. a Local Aboriginal Land Council under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW)