Community Grants and Funding Opportunities

The Rabo Community Fund is a dedicated fund that specifically supports community-led initiatives that enhance the vibrancy and resilience of rural Australia and New Zealand through tangible and meaningful programs.

The Rabo Client Councils have identified six key themes for support under the Rabo Community Fund. Applications must align with at least one of the following themes:  

Long-term industry capacity and agriculture education

• Enhancing industry reputation and celebrating success in agriculture
• Attracting and retaining the next generation in agriculture; from schools and universities to the industry
• Upskilling primary producers
• Supporting women in agriculture

Environmental sustainability 

• Empowering rural communities with knowledge on key sustainability topics (carbon management, water conservation and soil health)
• Supporting initiatives that foster open dialogue about sustainable practices among community stakeholders
• Sharing positive sustainability stories, progress made and the value delivered

Rural/urban connection

• Advocating for rural and regional Australia and New Zealand by creating and promoting stories of pride and success in the industry across all communities
• Showcasing real world farming, innovation and sustainability
• Educating kids and the broader community on food and fibre production

Rural wellbeing

• Contributing to greater access to and knowledge about regional health and wellbeing services
• Collaborating with successful organisations in this field

Adaption/disruption

• Increasing the knowledge and understanding of global, industry and regional changes in the agricultural sector
• Providing education on disruptive changes and showcasing actions that can lead to positive, profitable change

Natural Disaster Resilience

• Contributing to the sharing of knowledge and learnings to support more disaster resilient rural communities
• Collaborating with existing organisations to scale up their ability to provide effective support

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.

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, but initiatives working in Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Fiji and Solomon Islands will be considered.

Note: Australia Pacific QBE Foundation charity partners and 2025 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, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Fiji and Solomon Islands 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.

Youngcare’s At Home Care Grants (AHCG) provide funding for equipment, home modifications and essential support that is unable to be funded through other means (eg. NDIS). This funding is to both enhance the quality of life for young people with high physical care needs and assist them to remain living in their own home with loved ones.

The grants provide one-off funding of up to $10,000 to help those aged 16-65 with high physical care needs who are living at home, and are at risk of entering inappropriate housing.

Grants are offered nationwide.

The Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) Governance, Resilience, Opportunities and Workforce (GROW) Grant Program aims to encourage sustainable growth and support building capacity of the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector.

The objectives of the grant are to:

- Strengthen workforce capability

• Support ACCOs to enhance workforce skills and capacity.
• Build leadership capacity within Aboriginal organisations to support succession planning and career pathways.

- Enhance governance and strategic partnerships

• Improve governance practices that reflect Aboriginal values and community accountability.
• Foster strategic partnerships that support collaboration, shared learning, and sustainability

- Support business strategy and financial sustainability

• Enable ACCOs to strengthen business planning, financial management, and revenue diversification.
• Build resilience and adaptability in response to changing funding environments and community needs.

- Improve data capability and outcomes measurement

• Support ACCOs to collect, analyse, and use data to demonstrate outcomes, inform decision-making, and advocate for community needs.

To be eligible to apply for the grant program you must be:

• a not-for-profit Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) in NSW as set out in the Clause 44 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community control is an act of self-determination. Under this Agreement, an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Organisation delivers services, including land and resource management that builds the strength and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people and is:

• incorporated under relevant legislation and not-for-profit
• controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• connected to the community, or communities, in which they deliver the services
• governed by a majority Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander governing body.
• delivering or wanting to deliver programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families in NSW
• have an Australian Business Number and be registered for GST

The purpose of the Compensation Grant program is to provide financial support to Paralympians whose Disability Support Pension (DSP) payments have been affected due to travelling outside Australia for training and/or competitions exceeding the general travel allowance of 28 days in a financial year.

The ASC has committed $97,000 each financial year to support Paralympians whose payments have been impacted.

For the application round 2025/26, applicants can apply for compensation for the financial year of 2024/25.

There is only one round of applications for DSP Compensation Grant per financial year to ensure all deductions can be taken into account.

To be eligible to apply for a DSP Compensation grant in this funding round, an athlete must:

i. Have been categorised by their National Sporting Organisation and National Sporting Organisations for People with Disability (NSO/D) within the ASC National Athlete Categorisation Framework (NACF) at any time during 2024/25;

ii. Have had their 2024/25 DSP payments affected as a result of travelling outside Australia (in excess of the general travel allowance of 28 days) for training and/or competitions in preparation for the Summer or Winter Paralympic Games; and

iii. Have the training and/or competitions mentioned in ii) sanctioned by their NSO/D.

Aboriginal Affairs NSW supports the holding of events and activities in NSW to celebrate the 2026 NAIDOC week (5 July 2026 to 12 July 2026) that

• Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements
• Align with the theme of NAIDOC Week in 2026, 50 Years of Deadly
• Promote a greater awareness and understanding of Aboriginal histories and/or cultures within the broader local or regional community

Who can apply

You must deliver services to Aboriginal communities in NSW and be a not-for-profit organisation that is one of the following categories:

• An Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) 

• An unincorporated Aboriginal group that has entered into an agreement with an eligible organisation to auspice the funding   

• A not-for-profit organisation incorporated under the relevant State or Federal legislation and able to demonstrate the delivery of culturally safe projects in collaboration with Aboriginal organisations and/or communities   

Community Small Grants and Community Support Grants support groups and services within the local government area.

Community groups, not-for-profit organisations, arts and cultural organisations, sporting clubs, and individuals are encouraged to apply for these grants which are offered regularly:

• Community Small Grants ($0-$2000)
• Community Support Grants ($2000-$5000)

Residents of Armidale region's villages can apply for:

• Armidale Regional Village Grants – up to $3500

The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Small & Vital stream gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.

Grants up to $10,000 are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities that strengthen local people, places and climate solutions, with a preference for smaller communities (populations under 15,000).

FRRR’s Small & Vital program supports thriving, resilient, and sustainable remote, rural and regional communities across Australia. In particular, priority will be given to projects that:

• Support communities to implement generational transition;
• Invest in outback, remote, and less resourced communities;
• Build capacity and resourcing for a just and equitable energy transition;
• Support First Nations-led initiatives that strengthen culture, country, economic participation, and reconciliation.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.

The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Prepare & Recover program supports communities in remote, rural and regional communities across Australia to implement initiatives that prevent and prepare for future climate related impacts, or recover from existing disasters in the medium to long-term timeframe, generally one to ten years after the disaster.

The program recognise that remote, rural and regional communities across Australia are vulnerable to climate change and disasters, experience capacity challenges in responding to and preparing for disasters where often existing disadvantage is exacerbated.

Grants up to $25,000 are available for a broad range of initiatives that focus on community-led resilience building in recovery or preparedness to strengthen the capacity and  capability of local people and systems, especially to manage the impact of future disasters. 

Projects that focus on strengthening local inclusion, networks, communication, information sharing, self-organising systems, local decision making, resourcing, tools and support will be prioritised.

Demonstration of project need must reference a specific climate impact or event, either historic or likely to occur in the future.

The Visa Vibe Grants Program supports innovative, inclusive, and community-focused night-time economy projects across Australia.

Informed by insights from the Visa Vibe Economy Report, the program could help grow night-time activity that meets changing consumer behaviours – including Gen Z’s demand for affordable, creative, and community-driven experiences after dark – while strengthening local economies, precincts, and community connection.

They’re looking for projects that:

• Improve safety, affordability, and accessibility after dark
• Champion Gen Z and emerging demographics
• Foster innovation and vibrancy in the night-time economy
• Create measurable impact and legacy beyond the grant period
• Strengthen partnerships and place-based outcomes

Eligible Project Types

The Visa Vibe Grants Program welcomes diverse ideas that contribute to vibrant, safe, and inclusive night-time experiences. Eligible projects are:

• Night Markets, Festivals & Events
  Projects that create vibrant, affordable and repeatable after-dark experiences.
• Creative, Cultural & Community Activations
  Projects that bring arts, culture, sport and community together after dark.
• Safety, Accessibility & Streetscape Improvements
  Projects that improve real or perceived safety and accessibility in night-time environments through design, activation or infrastructure.
• Affordable & Accessible Night-time Experiences
  Projects that reduce cost barriers and expand participation in night-time activity.
• Retail, Hospitality & Mixed-Use Night Activations
  Projects that diversify night-time activity beyond traditional bars and clubs.
• Precinct-Wide or Collaborative Projects
  Projects that involve multiple businesses or partners and strengthen place-based outcomes.
• Innovation, Pilots & Scalable Concepts
  Projects that trial new ideas and can be repeated, scaled or adapted in other locations.

Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program will boost support for communities across remote, rural and regional Australia to enhance liveability with digital solutions that harness the power of connection. The program will support community-led efforts that embrace new technology and improve digital literacy or digital capability. Grants up to $10,000 are available for not-for-profit community organisations that are providing access to information, technology, education and facilities to support their communities to embrace new technologies and ways of working to build social capital and digital capability. The program seeks to foster:

• Liveable communities that have digital capability, and help to equip individuals with the skills to live, learn and work in a digital society;
• Sustainable communities that are diverse and inclusive, planning for the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of their people and the planet; and
• Resilient communities that are well prepared and socially connected when disaster strikes with the ability to renew and recover together.

Building Digital Skills grants help organisations deliver free Be Connected digital literacy programs to older Australians in their community.

Building Digital Skills grants of up to $20,500 help organisations to support older Australians aged 50+ through free digital mentoring sessions. A range of resources and support materials are available to help organisations to deliver this program, including the learning courses available on the Be Connected learning site.

The grant opportunity aims to deliver health workforce training to ensure inclusive, culturally safe healthcare for LGBTIQA+ people in Australia, and a network of accredited primary care providers. The anticipated approach for LGBTIQA+ affirming care needs to be suitable for a broad range of population intersectional sub-groups.

Applications from consortia are strongly encouraged, providing there is a lead organisation that is solely accountable to the Commonwealth (see section 7.2 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines).

The objectives of the grant opportunity are:

• to improve cultural safety in primary care settings for LGBTIQA+ individuals through workforce training that is evidence-based and patient-centred, guided by evidence-based best practice and the Action Plan.
• to reduce financial barriers for primary care providers and organisations to develop skills and be formally recognised as competent in providing health care that is safe and appropriate for LGBTIQA+ clients.
• for LGBTIQA+ people to be able to readily identify and access safe and inclusive mainstream primary care services.
• to increase prevention and early intervention care episodes and improve overall health and wellbeing for LGBTIQA+ people.
• to establish a financially sustainable plan for ongoing provision of the program beyond the cessation of this grant opportunity.

To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:

• Company
• Cooperative
• Indigenous Corporation (registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006)
• Incorporated Association
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Partnership
• Statutory Entity

You can also apply for this grant opportunity if you are a university that has an entity type listed above.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as listed above.

Applications from consortia are strongly encouraged, providing there is a lead organisation that is solely accountable to the Commonwealth for the delivery of grant activities and is an eligible entity as per the list above. Only the lead organisation can submit the application form and enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth.

The Regional NSW Strategic Partnership Program aims to establish partnerships that strengthen the arts, culture and creative industries in regional NSW through programs for the following focus areas:

• skills development
• organisational capacity building
• audience development
• development of partnerships
• investment sourcing
• creative activation of spaces.

Through partnerships and delivery of targeted programs, the Program will address gaps in the above focus areas for regional NSW creative organisations and workers.

The intended long-term outcomes of the Program are:

• A more connected sector in regional NSW through partnerships
• Development of artists and creative workers’ practices in regional NSW
• Improved or new income streams for organisations
• Increased capacity of organisations to retain staff, deliver impactful programs and enhance community engagement.

The Aboriginal Affairs NSW Cultural Grants Program supports Aboriginal community organisations and groups across NSW to celebrate Aboriginal cultures and hold key cultural events and activities.

The AANSW Cultural Grants Program:

• Supports Aboriginal communities to strengthen, protect and maintain traditional and contemporary expressions of Aboriginal culture
• Supports Aboriginal cultural events and activities
• Contributes to Aboriginal community wellbeing and healing through Aboriginal culture and community connection
• Supports sharing of Aboriginal cultural knowledge and skills between generations.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be one of the following:

1. A not-for-profit organisation, and one of the following:
   • An Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)
   • An Aboriginal not-for-profit organisation
2. An unincorporated Aboriginal community group with an eligible Auspice
3. An Aboriginal Sole Trader or Business whose primary business activity relates to cultural expression or revitalisation

Applicants or their Auspice must also:

1. Be a legal entity located in NSW or in a bordering community that delivers services to Aboriginal communities in NSW
2. Propose a project to be delivered in NSW
3. Have public liability of at least $10 million per claim (or be willing to purchase as part of the application to support the project)
4. Have no outstanding requirements relating to previous funding from AANSW

The Waratah Education Public Ancillary Fund mission is to support underprivileged or disadvantaged families, children, teenagers and young adults so that they have access to educational instruction and to support and fund activities to help break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage.

Waratah Education are offering grants between $10,000-$20,000 to organisations who provide front line support to disadvantaged youth in Australia. 

Organisation eligibility:

• The organisation is not-for-profit and has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) Item 1 status.

• Must reside in Australia and undertake operations in Australia.

• Annual Turnover < $1.5mil

• The organisation’s mission and operations, and the proposed program, are consistent with the mission of the Waratah Education Public Ancillary Fund​

Project eligibility:

• Provide direct support to disadvantaged students by providing school resources and essentials to students experiencing financial disadvantage, which could prevent the student from realising their potential at school and/or lead to school refusal.

• Support would include providing financial support for school uniforms, books and stationery resources, and digital access.

• The organisation can demonstrate the knowledge and the expertise necessary to implement the project as well as the skills necessary for the sustainable management of the program and the responsible stewardship of resources.

• The organisation can clearly define the project, the need for the project and the impact on the beneficiaries.

• Projects that involve mentoring, tutoring, or educational programs for schools or communities may also be considered, particularly those that focus on removing barriers to school attendance.

Essential Grants empowers regional communities across their network area to “spark change” and deliver initiatives that create meaningful social impact, accelerate the transition to a sustainable future, and strengthen climate resilience.

In 2026 Essential Grants will continue with a strong focus on sustainability and resilience. The program aims to:

1. Advance energy transition and climate resilience: Enable community organisations and not-for profits in the Essential Energy footprint to deliver initiatives that align with the Program Focus Areas: Energy transition; and sustainability and climate adaptation.
2. Deliver social impact for vulnerable communities: Fund initiatives that provide clear benefits for vulnerable populations, help to improve wellbeing, reduce energy hardship, and enhance climate resilience.

The Essential Grants Program funds initiatives that align with one or both of the following focus areas:

Energy Transition

Projects that help communities shift towards a cleaner, more efficient energy use, such as:

• installations of solar panels, batteries and other technologies that enable greater use of renewable energy
• upgrades that improve energy efficiency and/or reduce energy consumption such as insulation, smart thermostats, energy efficient appliances, and energy audits
• programs that build energy literacy to empower communities to make informed energy choices
• low emissions transport solutions for communal use or use by vulnerable communities, such as EV charging infrastructure, e-bikes or community transport powered by renewables
• initiatives that promote fair access to clean energy technologies and address energy poverty in regional and remote communities.

Sustainability and Climate Adaptation

Projects that strengthen climate resilience and reduce environmental impacts, such as:

• projects that help organisations and communities prepare for and respond to climate-related events (e.g. bushfires, floods, heatwaves)
• projects that integrate sustainable materials, reduce waste or promote reuse and recycling.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants are eligible for the program if they:

• are located in Essential Energy’s network area and provide support to communities within the network area; and
• are a charity, not-for-profit/non-profit organisation, Non-Governmental Organisation or community group/event; and
• are undertaking activities, programs, projects or events will benefit the community and align with initiatives that help communities shift towards a cleaner, more efficient energy use, and/or strengthen climate resilience and reduce environmental impacts.

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.