Bank of Melbourne Foundation’s Community Grants Program

Deadline: 11-Oct-20

The Bank of Melbourne Foundation is seeking proposals for the Community Grants Program to support charities who receive little or no government funding and aren’t big enough to generate significant fundraising income of their own.

These organisations invest in projects that will improve the lives of Victorian communities. The Bank of Melbourne Foundation supports local charities and programs that deliver sustainable benefits to Victorian communities.

Funding Information

• Charities may apply for grants of up to $50,000.

Grant Guidelines

• Projects funded should:
  • Provide innovative opportunities to brighten the lives of children experiencing disadvantage in Victoria.
  •  Be located, and impacting communities, in Victoria.
  • Provide impact reporting and measurement of agreed outcomes.
• Our funding priorities:
  Innovative projects providing:
  • Alternative pathways to, or opportunities for, education.
  • Opportunities to brighten the lives of children experiencing disadvantage.
  • Other projects at the Governors’ discretion that provide significant positive impact on the future potential of children in Australia.

The Foundation does NOT fund

• projects outside Victoria;
• organisations with an income of more than $3 million per annum;
• organisations who receive more than 40% of their annual funding from government (unless they have an income less than $1 million per annum);
• auspiced applications;
• sponsorship or funding towards a marketing appeal/event or fundraising activities;
• projects that support animals or to promote animal welfare.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding, your organisation must:

• be located in Victoria;
• be focussed on helping neighbourhoods and local communities;
• provide a minimum of 12 months’ worth of audited financials;
• have an annual gross revenue of less than $3 million;
• receive less than 40% of your income from recurrent state, federal or local government funding (unless you have an income less than $1million per annum, in which case your Government funding can exceed 40%);
• be endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (but not another ancillary fund). Deductible Gift Recipients must be listed with the Australian Taxation Office under Item 1 of the Table in Section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act, 1936.

Additional Information

• Projects funded must directly support communities who have been affected by bushfires in Australia, in 2019 or 2020.
• Projects funded through this initiative may be supported by St.George Foundation in NSW, QLD, WA, ACT or nationally, Bank of Melbourne Foundation in Victoria and BankSA Foundation in the Northern Territory or South Australia, collectively known as St.George Foundation.
• St.George Foundation cannot give funding to individuals or organisations that are not eligible recipients.
• In determining your amount requested, please consider that the Governors aim to support as many communities as possible. It is recommended that applicants apply for $20,000 to $50,000 per project, however all eligible funding requests will be considered. Total funding available is up to $500,000 at the discretion of Governors.
• Governors may vary the amount of funding awarded from the amount requested by each applicant.
• Applications will be assessed on merit at the sole determination and discretion of Governors.
• Applying for funding or being an eligible applicant does not guarantee funding from St.George Foundation.
• Applications will be open until either: a. the total funding pool is awarded; or b. 31st December 2020; whichever occurs first.

For more information, visit http://info.bankofmelbourne.com.au/foundation/