City of Boroondara’s Community Strengthening Grants

Deadline: 17-Mar-25

The Boroondara Community Strengthening Grants program provides funding to community organisations, groups and clubs for projects and activities that strengthen the community by encouraging participation in community life, addressing community needs, and improving the health and wellbeing of Boroondara residents.

Streams

In 2025, funding will be distributed through the following six streams:
- Active Community: This stream is for recreation, sport and physical activity opportunities that meet the needs of the community (now and in the future) and enhance the functionality of public recreation spaces for a wide range of uses
  - Objectives
    - provide new and innovative opportunities for local sport, physical activity and social connection
    - enhance participation in both structured (e.g. team sports) and non-structured (e.g. walking and cycling) sport and recreation opportunities for a diverse range of participants, e.g. women, LGBTIQA+, culturally and linguistically diverse, older adults, people with disability, etc.
    - encourage clubs to be self-sustainable (e.g. specialist coaching clinics, sustainable sport club ideas, club governance or admin skills).
- Creative Community: This stream is for diverse arts and cultural programs, festivals, events and activities that enhance arts, culture and heritage practice across Boroondara.
  - Objectives
    - This stream supports the development and delivery of artistic and cultural activities that:
      - promote health, wellbeing, safety and/or a sense of community within Boroondara
      - offer life-long learning opportunities for Boroondara’s diverse community
      - develop community stakeholder relationships (including arts and cultural organisations) which promote a sense of civic pride
      - empower local community members and stakeholders to contribute to cultural experiences and occasions for, and with, the community
      - engage the community at facilities and public spaces across Boroondara
      - introduce a new or emerging art form or cultural practice to the Boroondara community.
- Healthy Community: This stream is for projects and activities that promote safety, good health and wellbeing of individuals, families and community groups, across all ages, abilities, multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
  - Objectives
    - support programs and activities that promote health, wellbeing, community safety, and prevention of violence and injury
    - build connected and inclusive communities
    - offer learning opportunities for Boroondara’s diverse community.
- Life-long Community: This stream supports older people (aged 55 years and over) to develop opportunities that maximise quality of life, social connections, and the ability to participate and engage in the community through the provision of programs, activities, volunteering and community sharing projects.
  - Objectives
    - enhance older peoples’ health and wellbeing and participation in the community
    - improve older peoples’ access and mobility around the community
    - enhance social cohesion, promote strong community networks of mutual support and reduce social isolation.
- Sustainable Community: This stream is available for projects and programs that build community capacity to live sustainably and ensure the natural environment is healthy and sustainable for future generations through the efficient use of resources, reduction in waste and the protection of the local biodiversity.
  - Objectives
    - increase community awareness and understanding of environmental sustainability
    - showcase the natural environment as healthy and sustainable for future generations
    - build community capacity to live sustainably through efficient use of energy and water, resource recovery and/or reuse of materials, and renewable energy generation
    - support initiatives and projects that demonstrate diverse environmental sustainability benefits, including:
      - sustainable resource use (e.g. efficient use of energy and water, resource recovery, supporting biodiversity, and renewable energy generation)
      - reduction of waste generated and disposed of in landfill
      - biodiversity protection and enhancement o healthy waterways
      - sustainable transport (e.g. walking and cycling)
      - local and sustainable food production and distribution.
- Vibrant Retail Precincts: This stream is available to eligible community organisations to deliver initiatives, projects and activities that increase the vibrancy and functionality of retail precincts, enhance a sense of community and pride, and promote a ‘buy local’ ethos. Applications under this stream must be developed in consultation with, and supported by, relevant trader association/s (if not led by a trader association).
  - Objectives
    - increase visitation showcasing the retail precinct
    - increase spending in local business
    - strengthen the connection between people, local community groups and retail precincts
    - encourage participation in community life and enhance health and wellbeing
    - activate spaces to create memorable and social experiences where people feel a sense of belonging
    - showcase the skills and talents of the local business community
    - promote and expand the local night-time economy.

Funding Information

Up to $3,000 is available for small projects, with a maximum of $2,000 available for equipment purposes within a project or separate from a project.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Small Grant, your organisation must:
- provide direct benefits to residents of the City of Boroondara (local organisations are prioritised)
- be not-for-profit, as classified by the Australian Tax Office in the Income Tax Assessment Act (1936)
- be a registered legally constituted entity (e.g. a co-operative, incorporated association or company limited by guarantee) or have an auspice (unless requesting less than $1,000)
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN), or complete a Statement by Supplier form, or hold an exemption from registration
- have a committee of management that accepts responsibility for the administration of the grant
- hold an adequate public liability insurance policy to cover the staff, members and the general public, as appropriate
- not have its own grant giving program or fundraising program that provides money to finance another organisation’s community initiatives

Ineligibility Criteria

The following will not be funded:
- individuals and private profit-making organisations
- applications from groups or organisations that have an operating budget over $1 million annually (organisations acting as an auspice and neighbourhood houses are exempt from this rule)
- professional fees (e.g. labour, salary, wages) and administration costs (e.g. phone calls, correspondence, stationery)

For more information, visit City of Boroondara.