Deadline: 28-Feb-25
The State Government of has announced the applications for Multicultural Seniors Support (MSS) 2021-25 grants program Victoria will provide funding to multicultural seniors groups to support their members to build stronger connections with their communities.
Victoria’s multicultural seniors’ groups can receive financial help through the Multicultural Seniors Support (MSS) 2021–25 program. Funding supports activities to benefit their members and build stronger community connections.
Funding can be used for:
- Social and cultural activities
- Improving seniors’ digital accessibility and literacy
- Providing practical support
- Purchasing essential equipment and resources
- Running costs.
Objectives
- The MSS 2021-25 grants program will support Victorian multicultural seniors groups to:
- Celebrate and honour multicultural seniors and seniors groups’ unique contribution to Victoria
- Reduce social isolation and foster social connections among multicultural senior citizens
- Develop leadership and organisational capacity, skills and sustainability to continue supporting multicultural seniors
- Provide multicultural senior citizens with information, skills, and assistance to support their health and wellbeing
- Preserve and pass on a community’s cultural heritage for future generations
- Promote intergenerational connections and activities
- Encourage cross-cultural interaction and understanding
- Engage and communicate with their communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding Information
- Grants of $2,000 available each financial year, up to 2024–25.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible, a group must:
- Be a multicultural seniors’ group with a main purpose to support seniors from multicultural backgrounds
- Meet at least once per month in person or virtually
- Have at least 50% of members over 60 years old
- Have at least 20 members (metropolitan Melbourne); or
- 15 members (regional Victoria, new and emerging communities*)
- In addition, groups must also:
- Be a not-for-profit organisation
- Have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Be an Incorporated Association, a Company Limited by Guarantee or similar type of organisation
- Provide at least two active email addresses
- Have met the terms and conditions of any previous grants from DFFH; and
- Not have any overdue reports with DFFH.
- The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) identifies ‘new and emerging communities’ as migrants and refugees that have recently arrived in Australia and may need additional support in the settlement process.
What activities cannot be funded?
- MSS funding cannot be used for:
- Activities that contradict current advice from the Department of Health regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions or health directions
- Setting up new senior citizens clubs
- Senior citizens groups run by local councils (councils may act as auspice organisations) • senior citizens activity groups that receive service funding through State or Federal Government
- Staff wages
- Set-up or running costs of a business
- Activities involving gambling
- Political or fundraising activities
- Seniors group activities or travel outside of Victoria or for individuals or groups from outside of Victoria to visit or attend activities within Victoria, with the exception of Victorian multicultural seniors groups in recognised border areas
- Seniors group activities that are supported through another grant from Multicultural Affairs
- Activities outside of the funding period.
For more information, visit MSS.