Deadline: 23-Mar-25
The Nillumbik Shire Council is offering its Community Fund to community groups, organisations, and clubs to deliver community-led initiatives that meet local needs and reflect and promote objectives from both the Council Plan 2021-25 and Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-25.
The Council Plan is structured around the four themes of:
- Community and Connection – To encourage inclusion and participation to support health and wellbeing and ensure that all our residents have equitable access to services, programs, events and initiatives
- Place and Space – To protect, enhance, maintain plan and design public places and spaces that strengthen identity, reinforce character, improve accessibility, encourage social connection and enjoyment, support biodiversity and respect the environment
- Sustainable and Resilient – To manage and adapt to changing circumstances that affect the community to ensure it remains sustainable and resilient, both now and into the future
- Responsible and Accountable – To facilitate the best possible outcomes for the community by demonstrating strong leadership and working actively to achieve the community’s objectives.
The Health and Wellbeing priorities are:
- Social inclusion and connection
- Community and climate resilience
- Gender equality and prevention of family violence
- Physical activity
- Food (including healthy, affordable and sustainable)
- Reducing harm from alcohol, other drugs and gambling.
Aims
- The Nillumbik Community Fund Grants aim to:
- respond to demonstrated community needs
- celebrate diversity and increase social inclusion
- enhance the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of Nillumbik residents
- enhance and strengthen neighbourhoods and townships through arts, cultural and heritage activities
- provide opportunities for community to participate in active and creative lifestyles
- create a climate resilient community
- develop community capacity and empowerment
- foster and strengthen community involvement and participation in community led initiatives
- create community pride and contribute to Nillumbik’s sense of public places
- support low cost, innovative place activations that encourage social and community connection
- support local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in cultural and social activities, promote community understanding of reconciliation, and educate the broader community about Aboriginal heritage and culture
- engage children and young people to promote leadership opportunities, increase social connections and develop confidence, knowledge and skills
- support events and activities which are fun, safe, sustainable, accessible and inclusive.
Funding Information
- The Nillumbik Community Fund provides grants up to $5,000 to support a range of initiatives responding to the needs of the community.
Eligible Funding
- Funding can be used to support the delivery of community led initiatives including but not limited to:
- community or youth programs
- First Nations cultural activities
- arts, cultural and heritage activities
- community events that target local community engagement
- placemaking and other creative initiatives that aim to activate a ‘public place’ in Nillumbik
- community safety initiatives
- initiatives that enhance the environment and/or help to achieve Council’s climate action aims
- initiatives that enhance and celebrate diversity, access and inclusion.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be a not-for-profit incorporated organisation, community group, school or club that lives, works, studies, volunteers or plays in Nillumbik, or partnered with (auspiced by) an eligible organisation (organisations can auspice multiple applications).
- Artists, individuals and local businesses must partner with eligible not-for-profit incorporated organisations to be eligible to apply.
- Applicants must hold a minimum of $20 million in public liability insurance, or if your activity will be held in a Council venue or on Council land, you may be eligible for coverage under Council’s community public liability insurance.
- Applicants must be compliant or have satisfactorily acquitted all outstanding grants previously awarded by Nillumbik Shire Council.
- Funds must be spent by 30 June 2026.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Applications will NOT be considered for:
- a project, event or activity that is not being held in the Nillumbik municipal boundary, or does not directly benefit the Nillumbik community
- day to day operational expenses, remuneration or core business costs (for example administrative, maintenance, utilities, and/or organisational operating costs, ongoing salaries, volunteer salaries, infrastructure, uniforms etc)
- duplication of existing projects currently, or previously, funded by Council (if you wish to leverage off an existing project you must identify the innovative element or point of difference/value add)
- projects that should be funded via other Council grants or government programs
- projects that have received full funding from another source
- applicants that are in debt to the Shire or non-compliant with all grants previously awarded
- retrospective funding or projects which are due to commence prior to the notification of the application outcome
- projects or events with a sole political or religious purpose that could be perceived as divisive within the community
- events that are fully ticketed with no free or heavily subsidised component
- single membership-based events that are not open to the public
- activities that are primarily commercial
- projects that are curriculum based or solely student focused
- projects solely for fundraising or charitable purposes
- gift vouchers, gifts, prizes, trophies, awards or donations
- competitions with no community component
- alcohol or gambling related activities.
For more information, visit Nillumbik Shire Council.