2024-25 Volunteer Grants
About the Volunteer Grants
This program provides grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 to eligible not-for-profit community organisations. The funding aims to:
- Reduce barriers to volunteering
- Increase participation in volunteering
- Support the development and well-being of children through volunteering
- Enable organisations to purchase vital communication and insurance resources
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, your organisation must:
- Be a not-for-profit organisation
- Have at least 40% of its workforce comprised of volunteers
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or be willing to provide a Statement by Supplier Form
- Hold an account with an Australian financial institution
Two Funding Categories
This year, organisations will need to apply under one or more of the following categories:
- Category 1: Purchase communication or insurance items that will benefit any of the organisation's volunteers (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, software, insurance premiums)
-
Category 2: Purchase items or services to support:
- (A) Volunteers: Focus on children under 18 or adults whose volunteering supports children’s development and well-being (e.g., first aid training, background checks)
- (B) Volunteer-run activities: Primarily for supporting children's development and well-being or helping parents/carers develop skills to ensure a child's development (e.g., sporting equipment, educational materials)
Application Process and Timeline
This is a two-stage process. The first stage is the Expression of Interest (EOI) process, detailed below:
Stage 1: EOI process
- Submit your EOI to my office by 5pm Tuesday 28 January 2025: Please download the application form to apply. You can also find more information about the program and eligibility requirements in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines available on the GrantConnect website.
- EOI Review: A local Community Committee will review all EOIs and create a list of recommended organisations for nomination.
- MP Nomination: I will review the recommendations and nominate a final list of organisations to the Department of Social Services by 31 January 2025.
- Notification: You will be notified of the EOI outcome by 26 February 2025.
Please note that being nominated does not guarantee your application will be successful. You should not spend grant funds until you are advised of the outcome by the Department of Social Services.
The Department of Social Services will make the final funding decisions in July 2025.
Stage 2: Application Process (for nominated organisations only)
- Invitation to Apply: Nominated organisations will be invited to apply for a grant after 26 February 2025.
- Application Submission: Applications must be submitted by 12 March 2025.
- Assessment and Decision: The Department of Social Services will assess applications and notify successful and unsuccessful applicants from June 2025.
- Funding Agreement and Disbursement: Grant agreements will be issued, and payments made, starting in July 2025.
Please contact the Community Grants office if you have any questions about eligibility, or your application, by emailing [email protected] or calling 1800 020 283.