YWCA Canberra and its partners are proud to offer funding for women, girls and non-binary people in the Canberra region to pursue their passions and improve our community through the Great Ydeas Small Grants Program.

YWCA Canberra Chief Executive Officer Frances Crimmins said she is thrilled that corporate partners have again answered the call to support local women, with additional targeted grants this year in addition to the $10,000 available through YWCA Canberra’s own funding.

“We are proud to have Beyond Bank and the Canberra Innovation Network joining us again in 2022 to demonstrate the social impact we can have when corporate and community organisations connect.”

This year we also have a new grant on offer, donated by the incredible local entrepreneur and long-time supporter of YWCA Canberra, Serina Bird. The Joyful Business Club Great Ydeas Grant aims to assist women or non-binary people wanting to build a heart-centred business or start-up, supporting applicants who are driven by purpose and values.

Individual grants of up to $2,500 are available from a total pool of $16,000. Applications close on 13 March 2022.

“Our Great Ydeas program began in 2010, in celebration of YWCA Canberra’s 80th anniversary,” Crimmins said.

“Since then, they have helped more than 80 local women and girls to progress projects including establishing a podcast, launching a public awareness campaign, running empowering programs for girls, attending a conference and launching a social enterprise.”

“I’ve enjoyed watching what our 2021 recipients have been up to, including launching a sustainable fashion online store, work towards developing a response toolkit for sexual violence victim-survivors and their supporters, and creating an online directory of women-run businesses in Canberra.”

For those who want to find out more and ask questions of previous recipients, YWCA Canberra will host an online information session on 17 February.

Recipients of the 2022 YWCA Canberra Great Ydeas Small Grants will be announced at the annual YWCA Canberra Innovation Breakfast. The event also celebrates World YWCA Day and raises funds for YWCA Canberra’s housing initiatives for vulnerable Canberrans.

Grant eligibility details and application forms are available online.