Commissioner’s Small Grants Program – Australia

Deadline: 29-Mar-2024

The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, invites South Australian community groups, arts organisations, sporting clubs and local government to apply for small grants to support projects for children and young people.

The CCYP Small Grants Program (the program) operates annually each calendar year, commencing in January. The program supports the objectives of the Commissioner as an independent statutory position, established under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act 2016 (‘the Act’).

The Commissioner’s role includes advocating for systemic change to policies, programs and practices that impact the rights, development and wellbeing of South Australia’s children and young people. This work is informed by the experiences and insights of children and young people themselves, with a specific focus on those who struggle to have their voices heard.

The Commissioner works with community and government partners on this agenda, including those who are committed to finding ways in which children and young people can have input into the design and delivery of policies, processes and practices relating to services aimed directly at South Australian children and young people.

Grant Categories

• Period Justice Grants
  • Further to publication of her report Menstruation Matters (20211 the South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People has been working collaboratively with government, business and community groups to:
    • raise awareness of period poverty in South Australian communities
    • provide greater access to period products
    • provide easier access to toilets and feminine hygiene product disposal units in community settings
    • promote high quality information and education throughout the community; and
    • reduce the stigma and taboo associated with periods and menstruation more broadly.
  • To progress the work being achieved in this area the Commissioner has introduced a small grant program for sporting clubs, local government, and not-for-profit community groups interested to access funds for projects that aim to address issues of period poverty in their local area.
  • The grants are not limited to product supply with applicants encouraged to use a variety of creative means to address menstrual taboo and stigma. Grants can be used for activities related to menstrual awareness, menstrual education, and menstrual management focused on young people.
  • The Commissioner’s Period Justice Grant calls for recipients to:
    • undertake a project that recognises menstrual wellbeing and dignity as issues fundamental to children’s rights
    • use a range of mediums and approaches to use the funds to improve menstrual wellbeing within their communities
    • provide a brief Grant Acquittal Report on the outcomes of the project that can be shared by the Commissioner on the Period Justice website and in other CCYP channels at the Commissioner’s discretion.
• Youth Voice Grants
  • The Commissioner’s Youth Voice Grants provide an opportunity for community groups and organisations to meaningfully engage with children and young people in relation to the policies, systems, environments, and services that impact their lives. This can be done by using a range of methods and mediums including events, activities, forums, workshops and focus groups, or other participatory mechanisms aimed specifically at young people.
  • The objective of the grant program is to provide financial support to community groups so they can facilitate:
    • recognition of children and young people as key stakeholders by developing methods that enable their views and opinions to be sought in meaningful ways through online and/or face to face contact and
    • support children and young people’s views to be sought and disseminated in an ongoing way, enhancing the operations of a not-for-profit organisation or local government entity.
  • The Commissioner’s Youth Voice Grant program calls for recipients to:
    • Undertake conversations or other engagement activities with children and young people to inform an organisation’s work and priorities.
    • Utilise a series of creative, youth friendly ways to support children and young people to engage and participate in youth voice activities across their community.
    • Involve children and young people in youth voice opportunities on the issues that are of most concern to them.
    • Develop and implement innovative ways of encouraging ongoing meaningful engagement with children and young people to hear and respond to the opinions and ideas they have and which they feel most passionate about.

Funding Information

• The total grant pool allocated is divided between the two small grant programs as outlined above: Period Justice Grants and Youth Voice Grants.
• Grants are small with the maximum grant available for any one activity or project being up to $5000. Larger grants may be made available in some circumstances at the Commissioner’s discretion.

Duration

• The CCYP Small Grants Program is undertaken annually commenting in January each year. Grant applications must be made via the online application form and submitted by 29 March 2024.
• The grant activity or project must occur within a twelve-month timeframe commencing from 1 July of the calendar year in which the grant funds were provided and finishing no later than 30 June of the following year. Grant recipients are required to submit a short Grant Acquittal Report (using the template provided with the Grant Letter of Agreement) no more than 30 days after the delivery of the activity or project, or no later than 31 July 2025.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility is open to organisations that:
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • are registered for the purposes of GST
  • are an arts organisation, sporting club, not-for-profit group or organisation, or local government entity with appropriate legal structures that can
    • demonstrate they have well established relationships within their community that will help lead to positive outcomes for local children and young people
    • are Child Safe with the appropriate child safe policies and practices in place o
    • can confirm that the financial support will be used directly for the purpose intended
    • is committed to working collaboratively with South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People; and
    • allows the Commissioner for Children and Young People to promote or publicly refer to the project or activity as and where relevant.

For more information, visit Commissioner for Children and Young People.