Community Grants and Funding Opportunities

The Australian Heritage Grants Program aims to improve recognition, conservation, preservation and access to the heritage values of National Heritage Listed places. The program also aims to increase community engagement and raise awareness of listed sites.

Australian Heritage Grants funds projects that support places on Australia's National Heritage List through:

• improved recognition
• access conservation
• preservation
• community engagement

The intended outcomes of the program are:

• improved recognition, conservation and preservation of National Heritage List place values, and access to National Heritage listed places
• enriched appreciation of the values of listed National Heritage places through improved community engagement.

This program provides funding to the communities that are home to Inland Rail to support short-term or one-off initiatives such as:

• sponsoring local festivals and celebrations
• upgrading sporting facilities
• purchasing new laptops for students
• supporting health and wellbeing groups
• mentoring programs
• hosting guest speakers

As the foundation's purpose is “To provide support that helps, grows, and enriches our communities”, they have a clear focus on providing grants to reputable community-based charitable organisations which need funding for projects and initiatives designed to benefit as many people as possible.

Because most of the funding for The Harcourts Foundation is generously provided by Harcourts offices, they will only consider applications from groups for a specific event, project, item, or initiative where Harcourts has an office.

The purpose of the program is to support current and emerging regional leaders to further develop their leadership and resilience skills, enabling them to become strong local voices who can help sustain regional Australia’s recovery from COVID-19, bushfires and other crises, and contribute to their region’s long-term resilience. Local leaders have a significant role to play in boosting the resilience and vibrancy of their communities. The program is place-based and intended to meet local needs. 

The objectives of the program are to:

• deliver place-based leadership training to support current and emerging regional leaders to develop leadership and resilience skills
• facilitate the development of networks between current and emerging regional leaders, mentors and other experts where appropriate to help maximise the impacts of the training over the long-term
• provide participants with opportunities and techniques to develop deeper connections within their regions.

The intended outcomes of the program for participants and communities are:

• improved capacity and capability among participants to support their regions’ economic and social wellbeing, especially through future challenges
• enhanced community and business engagement, particularly with issues of resilience
• increased resilience and adaptability of communities.

You may propose one or more project locations up to a maximum of 10. You will need to demonstrate in your response to the assessment criteria (section 6.1) why the chosen region(s) would benefit from the intended project. Linking your application to an identified region’s expression of interest is not mandatory.

The grant amount will be up to 100 per cent of eligible project expenditure. Cash or in-kind contributions to your project are not required but are encouraged noting that in-kind contributions do not constitute eligible expenditure. Other funding can come from any source excluding other Commonwealth government grants. A project that receives funding from another Commonwealth government grant cannot be funded.

The Aboriginal Families as Teachers program aims to support Aboriginal families to build a rich home learning environment. Through working directly with families and collaborating with early childhood education services, the Aboriginal Families as Teachers program has been developed to encourage early learning and participation in a quality early childhood education program in the years before school.

The program has six core objectives:

• support Aboriginal families to provide developmentally rich home learning environments for young children birth to five years
• promote literacy and numeracy rich home learning environments
• build families’ confidence in their ability to support the healthy development and learning of their children
• support Aboriginal children and their families for successful transitions to school
• promote the importance of early childhood education within families and communities, including participation in a quality early childhood education program for 600 hours in the year before school (at a minimum)
• support Aboriginal children’s developmental outcomes across all five domains (physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language).

To be eligible to apply for Aboriginal Families as Teachers program Round 1, organisations must plan to deliver the program in eligible communities and meet one of the following criteria:

• be an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation or business
• be a previous recipient of the Aboriginal Families as Teachers program funding

This program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to build stronger connections to their culture, families and Elders and in doing so strengthen resilience through identity, self-esteem and connection. It will support Indigenous youth to co-design activities with their Elders, which build leadership skills and promote youth voices. The IYCC anticipates producing a range of short and long-term benefits to individuals and communities, including a reduction in the risk of suicide in participating communities.

Applicants can apply for funding for activities for from 2020/ 2021 to June 2024 and the maximum grant period is 2.5 years.

These Grants aim to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people to participate socially and economically through local community-driven solutions that build self-reliance and empowerment. The Grants will focus on supporting people of working age (15-64 years) in geographic areas of high socio-economic disadvantage across all states and territories. This includes addressing barriers to participating in community activities, reducing social isolation, developing soft skills and promoting social and economic participation through funding projects that support:

• the development of young people aged 12-18 who are, or are at risk of, disengagement, marginalisation and having limited engagement with education/training.
• people with disabilities and/or mental health issues to participate in their community, and become/remain independent and engaged.
• vulnerable women who are, or at risk of, isolation or discrimination to participate in their community and increase their sense of self agency and empowerment.
• people who are unemployed to address individual barriers to employment and increase their capacity to engage with existing employment/training services and/or work towards gaining employment.

Funding is available for seeding initiatives, services, projects, advocacy and research that contribute to ending homelessness by supporting housing solutions.

For this year's program, projects that focus on ending and preventing women's homelessness, especially chronic homelessness. An episode of homelessness lasting 6 months or more or multiple episodes is considered chronic homelessness.

If your EOI is successful, you will be invited to submit a full application.

Trailblazers is an opportunity for people, aged from 18 to 28 who are driving positive social change projects in their regional communities and to have their work celebrated nationally.

Individuals and groups of up to three, aged 18-28, who are initiating projects that create positive change in their communities can apply. They want to hear from people with a commitment to making regional Australia even better, from community leaders to social entrepreneurs, advocates to event organisers.

Successful applicants receive a broad range of support that includes having their story told on the ABC, exclusive access to the Trailblazer Development Fund and mentoring programs to help empower young regional leaders to share their stories and build their leadership capacity.

The Anzac Community Grants Program (ACGP) provides small grants for a range of  projects that commemorate and educate New South Wales communities about the service and sacrifices of current and former military servicemen and women. Projects which support activities benefiting the NSW veteran community are also eligible for funding.

Proposed projects and activities are to be submitted under one of the following categories:

• Local community historical research and education - Projects that inform and educate the wider community about the service and sacrifice of NSW’s veterans and their families. 
• Preservation or display of war memorabilia - Preservation and/or research materials. Display of war memorabilia, artefacts and/or research materials relevant to the local community.
• Public commemorative events, arts and culture - Events that honour or mark military anniversaries and pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of NSW veterans.
• Provide support to members of the NSW veteran community - Activities such as excursions, milestone reunions, and training and development to assist health and wellbeing.

This program, supported by the Australian Government under the Future Drought Fund, helps remote, rural and regional communities, and farmers, become more prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of drought. It is designed to build community capacity by strengthening social and community networking, support, engagement and wellbeing.

The Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience Program will fund community-led events, projects, activities, training, and small-scale infrastructure that assist communities to build their capacity by strengthening social and community networking, support, engagement, and wellbeing to be more prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of drought.

Projects must relate to one or more opportunity types:

1. Projects that strengthen the capacity, capability, and coordination of professional, social or community networks in agriculture-dependent communities to build drought resilience.
2. Events that facilitate professional, social and community connection to build an understanding of risks posed by drought and climate change in agriculture-dependent communities throughout Australia.
3. Training to improve the skills, understanding and capacity of community network members to participate in community risk management, planning and community-driven projects that build drought resilience.
4. Small-scale community infrastructure projects to foster connectedness, improve wellbeing and make community facilities resilient to the impacts of drought.

The program will offer three tiers of grants to not-for-profit organisations, and Round 2 aims to fund approximately 65 projects as follows:

• $10,000 to $20,000; (approximately 30 projects, events, or activities will be funded per round)
• $20,000 to $50,000; (approximately 32 projects, events, or activities will be funded per round)
• $50,000 to $150,000 (approximately 5 projects, events, or activities will be funded per round)

Projects that are community-led and focus on locally defined solutions to building drought resilience will be prioritised.

The Westpac Youth Impact Challenge is a nationwide initiative open to all Australian students aged 7 to 21. The Challenge aims to help students identify a UN Sustainability Development Goal and problem in their local communities. To take part in the Challenge, students must identify an SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) and brainstorm an innovative business or social change idea to solve it. Students can choose to work individually, or in a group of up to 3 students.

There are three parts to the challenge:

1. Youth Impact HQ - A collection of videos and downloads to help students think about the world of social entrepreneurship and help identify a community problem and potential solutions to those problems.
2. Registration - register to be part of the Youth Impact Challenge and identify a Sustainable Development Goal and brainstorm an innovative business or social change idea to solve it.
3. Winners - All students who complete the challenge will receive a certificate of completion and nine will then be selected to receive an prize pack.

The Local Sport Grant Program (Program) aims to increase regular and on-going participation opportunities in sport in NSW. Through this Program the Office of Sport are working towards its goals to achieve:

• Participation: Everyone in NSW participating in sport and active recreation throughout their life.
• Places and spaces: Everyone in NSW having access to places and spaces for sport and active recreation.
• Sustainability: The sector continues to grow sport and active recreation across NSW.

Applications must clearly demonstrate an identified need for the project and articulate how the project outcomes will be achieved. Specifically, applications should demonstrate how the project will address at least one of the following objectives:

• Increase regular and on-going participation in sport
• Increase participation and access for women, girls and population groups under-represented in participation including, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, people with a disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI)
• Address barriers to participation in sport or structured physical activity
• Assist sport clubs to provide quality service to their members and meet community needs.

Funding of $50,000 per electorate will be allocated to all 93 electorates throughout NSW. Funds from under-subscribed electorates will be made available to over-subscribed electorates.

Applicants may apply for one application per project type but should prioritise their projects as the maximum available to any one organisation under this round of the program is $20,000 in a financial year.

The Strengthening Rural Communities program gives small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds that can benefit and help secure their future prosperity. Grants are available for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.

Applications from not-for-profit organisations in communities of fewer than 15,000 people are prioritised, particularly those communities whose size, remoteness and relative access to services, funding, and resources present particular ongoing challenges. The Strengthening Rural Communities program accepts applications any time. FRRR considers applications and makes grant distributions on a quarterly basis.

The Establishment Grant Program is designed to encourage and support the establishment of new before and after school care services to increase the number of approved BASC places for NSW Government primary school children.

The total funding pool available through the Establishment Grant Program is $4,000,000 (including GST). Applicants may seek up to $40,000 (including GST) to support establishment and operating expenses. 

This is a competitive grant program, which will be run across four rounds in 2021 as follows:

Round 1 - 12 July 2021 to 27 August 2021
Round 2 - 27 September 2021 to 26 November 2021
Round 3 - 3 January 2022 to 25 February 2022
Round 4 - 4 April 2022 to 27 May 2022

The Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program improves access to preschool by creating additional community preschool places in areas of need and demand across the state.

Eligible not-for-profit organisations can apply for grant funding to build, renovate or extend their facilities to deliver a community preschool, respond to a crisis situation, or to purchase a vehicle for a mobile preschool.

The Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program has been revised to improve the suitability and accessibility of the program for the community preschool sector. This includes four distinct grant categories with continuous, extended or multiple rounds, making it easier for community preschool providers to access the right funding option when it is needed.

The Mobile fund supports mobile services to replace existing vehicles to ensure continuity of service delivery.

The Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program improves access to preschool by creating additional community preschool places in areas of need and demand across the state.

Eligible not-for-profit organisations can apply for grant funding to build, renovate or extend their facilities to deliver a community preschool, respond to a crisis situation, or to purchase a vehicle for a mobile preschool.

The Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program has been revised to improve the suitability and accessibility of the program for the community preschool sector. This includes four distinct grant categories with continuous, extended or multiple rounds, making it easier for community preschool providers to access the right funding option when it is needed.

The Minor Capital Works Fund supports smaller-scale extensions or renovations and the recalculation of unencumbered space where it will result in an increase in community preschool places. T

Minor Capital Works grants can be used to:

• Extend or renovate existing centre-based community preschools where it will result in an increase in community preschool places.
• Engage a certified building practitioner to re-calculate unencumbered space where it will result in an increase in community preschool places.

The Stronger Communities Programme aims to improve local community participation and contribute to vibrant viable communities.

Round 7 will provide each of the 151 Federal electorates with $150,000 to fund small capital projects. A maximum of 20 projects will be funded in each electorate, with successful projects receiving a grant between $2,500 and $20,000.

Federal Members of Parliament (MPs) identify potential projects and invite applications from their electorate.

Expressions of interest for:
Parkes Electorate need to be submitted to Mark Coulton MP by the 3rd of December. Further Details: www.markcoulton.com.au/stronger-communities-programme-round7/
New England Electorate need to be submitted to Barnaby Joyce MP by the 26th of November. Details are available at: barnabyjoyce.com.au

If you are invited to apply by your MP, you will have until the 19th of January 2022 to submit your application.

The Royal Agricultural Society Foundation (RASF) is offering community-minded people funding for community projects in their local area.

The RASF invites ideas that deliver strong community benefits and result in enhanced economic and social outcomes for your community. Projects that involve collaboration between people in your town and deliver sustained and broad community benefits will be highly regarded. Applicants will be passionate about rural and regional NSW and have a good understanding of any issues affecting their community.

Infrastructure for local showgrounds and Show Societies are eligible. The improvements must demonstrate that they go beyond benefiting just the local Show Society in running the local Show, but rather enabling broader use by other community groups to run on-going projects or programs.

Previously funding has gone to projects including air-conditioning in the local hall to portable yard panels for the showground or a pop-up gazebo, satisfying community needs and benefiting many. While the criteria for this program are broad, the RASF does not fund wages, consultant’s fees, one-off events, operational and administration costs, travel or accommodation.

This program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 participating in state, national or international championships.

Between $500 and $750 is available towards the cost of attending their championships as follows:.

• Base Grant: $500
• Applicants travelling 800km - 1999km to their nominated championships: + $100
• Applicants travelling internationally or greater than 2000km to their nominated championships: + $200
• Applicants residing in a rural electorate: + $50