Community Strengthening Grants – Australia

• Support strategic goals identified in the Council Plan.
• Support community organisations that provide diverse and effective local services, facilities and activities.
• Support community action plans resulting from the community planning process.
• Support the goals and directions outlined in Council’s Economic Development Strategy, Wellbeing for all Ages Strategy, Environmental Sustainability Strategy, and Arts and Culture Strategy.
• Maximise the benefit of Council’s investment by encouraging and matching contributions and seeking of other external funding to support major projects and events.

Focus Areas

These grants aim to provide community organizations with an opportunity to apply for funding through the following streams:

• Arts and Culture;
• Community Events;
• Health Promotion;
• Environmental Sustainability;
• Equipment;
• Infrastructure;
• Tourism (must attract visitors from outside of the Shire).

Funding Information

• Quick Response Grants: Up to $1,000 open round
• Major Grants: Up to $10,000 – Two rounds per annum

Funding Categories

• Quick Response Grants: These grants aim to provide community organizations a responsive opportunity to apply for funding for small projects or events that will occur within 3 months of the application.
• Major Grants: These grants aim to provide community organizations an opportunity to apply for funding.

Eligibility Criteria

For Community Organizations to be eligible for a Community Strengthening Grant they must:

• Be committed to providing direct benefits to residents in Moira Shire. Please note, Council may consider funding events held outside of Moira Shire, particularly in the two crossborder communities of Cobram-Barooga and Yarrawonga-Mulwala, where economic benefit to Moira Shire can be demonstrated.
• Be an incorporated ‘not for profit’ community organization with open membership to residents in Moira Shire.
• Have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or have a community organization who is willing to auspice the application and accept responsibility for the administration of the grant
• Hold adequate public liability insurance to cover the project or event as applicable.
• Not have their own grant giving program or fundraising program that provides money to finance other organization’s community initiatives.
• Have satisfactorily accounted to Council for the expenditure of any previous Council grants.
• Have not received funding under the same grant category in the same financial year.
• Comply with all relevant Local Laws, Australian and Victorian legislation, including but not limited to:
  • Accounting and auditing requirements;
  • Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws;
  • Human rights laws;
  • Disability;
  • Occupational Health and Safety;
  • Privacy, confidentiality and freedom of information laws’;
  • Registration or accreditation of professional employees;
  • Preparation and dissemination of annual reports.
• Have relevant management plans in place, including:
  • Risk;
  • Project;
  • Event;
  • Financial.