Deadline: 17-Jul-2026
The Women & Change Grant offers $50,000 funding to eligible non-profit charities delivering measurable, long-term community impact for vulnerable Queenslanders. It supports projects focused on sustainability, capacity building, and improving quality of life through clearly defined and outcome-driven initiatives. Final funding decisions are made through a member voting process at the annual Women & Change voting night.
Overview of the Women & Change Grant Program
The Women & Change Grant is a philanthropic funding initiative supporting registered charities working with vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in Queensland, Australia. The program is designed to fund impactful projects that create sustainable and measurable improvements in community wellbeing.
The grant focuses on:
- Supporting vulnerable Queenslanders
- Delivering long-term, sustainable community change
- Funding new or expanded community initiatives
- Addressing clearly identified community needs
- Strengthening organisational capacity and infrastructure
- Improving quality of life through targeted interventions
- Ensuring measurable outcomes and accountability
Purpose and Objectives of the Grant
The programme is structured to support impactful and outcome-driven charitable work rather than ongoing operational funding.
Core objectives include:
- Creating measurable community impact
- Supporting innovation in social service delivery
- Strengthening capacity of charitable organisations
- Improving outcomes for disadvantaged individuals and communities
- Encouraging sustainable, long-term solutions
- Ensuring transparency and accountability in funded projects
Priority Focus Areas
The grant supports a wide range of community development and welfare initiatives.
Key priority areas include:
- Support for vulnerable and disadvantaged Queenslanders
- Community health, wellbeing, and social inclusion
- Capacity building for non-profit organisations
- Infrastructure or operational improvements linked to service delivery
- Projects with clearly defined and measurable outcomes
- Initiatives delivering long-term sustainable impact
Eligible Applicants
The programme is restricted to qualified charitable organisations with strong governance and compliance standards.
Eligible organisations include:
- Registered charitable organisations in Australia
- Organisations with Deductible Gift Recipient 1 (DGR1) status
- Organisations with Tax Concessional Charity (TCC) status
- Charities operating for at least two years as of 1 June 2026
- Organisations with at least one publicly available financial record on the ACNC Charity Register
Geographic eligibility:
- Projects must primarily benefit Queensland communities
- Non-Queensland organisations may apply if most funding is spent in Queensland
Ineligible Uses and Applicants
The grant excludes funding for certain entities and activities.
Ineligible applicants and uses include:
- Individuals
- Political parties or political campaigns
- Government entities
- Commercial sponsorships or business marketing
- Religious activities (unless non-religious community benefit is demonstrated)
- Debt repayment or deficit funding
- Endowments or bequest programs
- Retrospective funding (already completed projects)
- General fundraising activities
- Routine operational expenses without project justification
Funding Details
The programme provides structured philanthropic support for community impact projects.
Funding structure:
- Total grant amount: $50,000
- Funding type: Project-based philanthropic grant
- Part-funding allowed if additional funding is secured
- Project completion expected within the calendar year following Voting Night
Funding purpose:
- New initiatives or expansion of existing programs
- Capacity-building and infrastructure improvements
- Projects with measurable social outcomes
Application and Selection Process
The grant uses a multi-stage, member-driven selection model.
Step-by-step process:
- Eligible organisations submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs)
- Each organisation may submit up to three EOIs
- One EOI per project is permitted
- Applications are reviewed based on clarity, impact, and feasibility
- Finalists are selected for consideration
- Women & Change members vote at the annual Voting Night (November)
- One or more grants are awarded based on available pooled donations
Reporting and Accountability Requirements
Successful applicants must demonstrate transparency and measurable outcomes.
Reporting obligations include:
- Progress report at 6 months
- Progress report at 12 months
- Use of provided reporting templates and guidance
- Clear documentation of project impact and outcomes
- Ongoing accountability to funding objectives
Why This Grant Matters
The Women & Change Grant plays an important role in supporting grassroots social impact initiatives.
Key importance includes:
- Strengthening support for vulnerable Queenslanders
- Enabling sustainable, long-term community change
- Encouraging innovation in charitable service delivery
- Improving accountability and outcome measurement in the non-profit sector
- Supporting capacity building in under-resourced organisations
- Empowering community-driven solutions to local challenges
How It Works / Implementation Flow
The funding process is designed to be transparent, community-driven, and outcome-focused.
Process overview:
- Charities identify a community need and design a project
- Submit Expressions of Interest for funding consideration
- Shortlisted applicants are reviewed and assessed
- Finalists are presented for member voting
- Members vote at the annual Women & Change event
- Successful projects receive funding
- Projects are implemented with structured reporting milestones
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Submitting proposals without measurable outcomes
- Requesting funding for general operational costs without justification
- Applying without DGR1 and TCC eligibility
- Submitting retrospective (already completed) projects
- Weak evidence of community need or impact
- Proposing projects outside Queensland benefit scope
- Failing to demonstrate readiness for implementation
Tips for a Strong Application
To improve success chances:
- Clearly define measurable outcomes and impact indicators
- Demonstrate strong alignment with vulnerable community needs
- Show financial and operational readiness for delivery
- Ensure the project is clearly scoped and time-bound
- Provide strong evidence of sustainability and long-term benefit
- Highlight how funding will create lasting community change
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the main purpose of the Women & Change Grant?
- To support projects that create measurable, long-term improvements for vulnerable Queenslanders
- To fund sustainable community-focused initiatives
Who can apply?
- Registered charities with DGR1 and TCC status operating in or benefiting Queensland
- Organisations operating for at least two years with financial transparency
How much funding is available?
- A single grant of $50,000 per awarded project
What types of projects are supported?
- Capacity building, infrastructure, and community impact initiatives with measurable outcomes
Are individuals or businesses eligible?
- No, individuals, businesses, and government entities are not eligible
How is the final decision made?
- Through a member voting process at Women & Change’s annual Voting Night in November
Are reports required after funding?
- Yes, progress reports are required at 6-month and 12-month intervals
Conclusion
The Women & Change Grant is a structured philanthropic funding program designed to support impactful, measurable, and sustainable community projects across Queensland. By prioritizing vulnerable populations and requiring strong accountability and outcome reporting, it ensures that funded initiatives deliver meaningful long-term social change.
For more information, visit Women & Change.