Charities

$21 million in grants to support community volunteers

Marina Elliott August 17, 2009

< 1 min read

$21 million will be distributed across Australia, supporting more than 7,000 organisations and 900,000 volunteers.

Grants of $1,000 to $5,000 are available to purchase equipment as diverse as computers, tools, air conditioners, first aid kits, fridges and barbeques, and to cover the cost of fuel.

Applications will be assessed based on size of the organisations budget, cost of requested equipment, volunteer/staff ratios, social inclusion and a number of other criteria. Applications that attract new volunteers and promote volunteering will be highly regarded.

Volunteers play a crucial role in our communities, helping the vulnerable, disadvantaged, and those who have hit hard times. In turn, these grants are intended to ease the financial pressures on non-profit organisations and volunteers.

Volunteer grants support and encourage volunteering, which is important in keeping our communities resilient in challenging economic times.

Applications are open for six weeks from Friday 14 August to 25 September 2009.