Please read this information before completing your online application form.
Important information
- Name: Community Grants
- Round opens: 9:00 am Monday 18 March 2024
- Round closes: 5:00 pm Friday 26 April 2024
- Frequency: Annually
- Amount: $1,000 to $5,000 (although we may not approve the full amount you request)
- Previously successful recipients
Quick links
Apply online
The form can be previewed until applications open Monday 18 March 2024
Online information session
- Wednesday 13 March 2024
- 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm
Register for the online information session
In-person information session
- Wednesday 20 March 2024
- 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm
- Lynbrook Community Centre, 2 Harris Street, Lynbrook
Register for the in-person information session
What are Community Grants?
The City of Casey provides Community Grants of up to $5,000 to assist local groups and organisations to provide projects, programs and events that benefit the local community.
Purpose of this grant
Community Grants are to support activities that:
- are innovative and of a high quality
- promote a sense of community, resilience and social inclusion across Casey
- increase opportunities for community participation and education
- promote sustainable living practices
- help residents to be healthy, active and engaged in community life
- are locally led and have community support
- celebrate diversity and cultural heritage
- enable the community to share in the benefits of digital technology
- support Council plans and strategic objectives
Who can apply for this grant
To apply for this grant, your group must:
- be a registered (incorporated) not-for-profit club or community groups or have an auspice arrangement with an incorporated group who agree to receive and manage the funds
- be based (meet or hold activities) in Casey or provide services to the Casey community
- have public liability insurance of a minimum $10 million
- be able to demonstrate significant support in the community for your organisation
- develop a project plan, highlighting the benefits of what you are proposing
- create an itemised budget, detailing how you will spend the funds
- submit your application and documentation online
Who cannot apply for this grant
- Individuals and sole traders
- Government agencies at local, state or federal level
- Businesses
- Political parties or groups
- Schools and Council managed kindergartens
What we can fund
Examples of what you could use funding from this grant for include:
- Community and cultural events based in Casey that are open to all residents and celebrate diversity and inclusion
- Community programs for Casey residents which enhance community connection, social inclusion and resilience
- Programs and activities for Casey residents that encourage physical activity and active living
- Innovative programs responding to health and wellbeing issues facing the Casey community (including gender inequality, family violence, mental health and wellbeing)
- Programs that help Casey residents and community groups contribute to sustainability through reducing waste, recovering or re-using resources or educating the community on sustainable living practices.
- Initiatives that help meet the digital needs of communities such as programs that enhance the digital skills and capabilities of residents.
What we cannot fund
We cannot accept applications for:
- more than one application from your group
- events held outside the City of Casey
- capital works including any buildings, permanent structures or assets considered to be fixed to a property
- operational costs and core business costs of the organisation, such as utilities (electricity, gas and water, internet), rent or accommodation costs, ongoing fees, mobile phones, staff wages, or insurance programs or events that have already been funded through a Casey grant program
- anything that is already being funded elsewhere in government, such as kindergartens
- programs that only advocate religion or faith
- celebrations for individuals
- restaurant bills, alcohol and petrol costs
- fundraising, other grants programs, prizes, awards or donations
- activities that are due to happen (or have already happened) before we receive your application
- activities that happen outside the current financial year
- unreasonable or overinflated costs (eg: expensive catering, lighting, production costs.
Any equipment you request must be essential to the program or event you are proposing in your application. Council has an Equipment and Training Grant to help community groups buy other equipment. For more information, visit: casey.vic.gov.au/equipment-training-grants
Categories for funding
Your group can apply under one of these categories.
- Arts and culture: promote, develop and encourage arts, cultural activities, and skill sharing in the community.
- Diversity and harmony: celebrate diversity and promote acceptance and inclusion in the community.
- Health, wellbeing and equity: provide and encourage opportunities to socialise and improve physical and mental health through recreational and leisure activities. Provide initiatives that address issues including digital equity, gender inequality, family violence, healthy eating and food security.
- Environmental sustainability: foster environmentally sustainable practices and work towards a more climate resilient municipality.
Who will assess the application?
Your application will be assessed by a Panel of Casey residents who have been selected and received training through Casey’s Community Selection Panel Members Group.
How successful grants are decided?
Your application will be assessed on how well it meets one or more of the following criteria:
- How well the program/event fits with the purpose of the grants (stated at the start of this document).
- How needed the program/event is within the community and the benefits to residents.
- How involved the community is in all aspects of the program/event (e.g. leaders, partners, participants and spectators).
- The ability of your group or organisation to deliver the project described in the application.
The assessment panel may also consider how funding is distributed across the City of Casey and its diverse communities, particularly in regard to new groups, disadvantaged suburbs and growth areas, previously unfunded groups, City of Casey strategies and priority populations listed below:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
- Children and young people (aged 12-25)
- LGBTIQA+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex and/or other gender diverse) people
- Multicultural people (including Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
- People aged over 55
- People in low socio economic groups and areas
- People living with chronic health conditions (including mental health conditions)
- People living with disability.
If your application is successful
Auspice organisations
If your group is not incorporated yet, you will need an organisation that is incorporated to receive and hold the funding for you. This organisation is called an ‘auspice’ and it is responsible for ensuring that funds are spent in accordance with the application and any special conditions Council may require. Before you apply you will need to find an organisation that is prepared to do that for you as we will ask for their details. If your application is successful, you will need to sign a simple agreement with the auspice organisation to confirm the responsibilities of each organisation. As soon as you provide a copy of this to Council’s Grants Officers, we will send the payment to the auspice organisation for your organisation to use.
Community events
You are responsible for confirming any facility, venue, or sport grounds bookings with the relevant booking staff.
You may need to complete a City of Casey Event Approval Application if your community event involves:
- temporary structures (including a stage, amusement rides, portable toilets, fencing, marquees etc.)
- road closures or use of public car parks or metered sites
- fireworks, firecrackers of pyrotechnics
- alcohol (serving, sale and consumption)
- filming the event in a public space or playing music/singing in a public space.
Casey’s Events Team will need to receive this application BEFORE we can pay your grant funds.
Child safety
Everyone in the community has a responsibility in ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of children.
Grant recipients are required to comply with all relevant child safety legislation which may include, but is not limited to, the Child Wellbeing and Safety (Child Safe Standards Compliance and Enforcement) Amendment Act 2021 and Reportable Conduct Scheme.
For plain language guides, fact sheets, videos and other child safety resources for your organisation please visit the Commission for Children and Young People’s website.
Tell us how your grant was used
After you have completed your project, you must tell us how you spent the grant money and what the outcomes of the project were. This is known as an acquittal process. You must complete the acquittal process online within 60 days of spending the money or by the 30 June 2025 whichever is earliest.
Contact Council
Grants Officers are available to answer questions about how to apply, the grant criteria and can provide support to applicants who require additional assistance with their application. They can be contacted on 9705 5200 or email [email protected]
If you need an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 then ask for 9705 5200.
Please contact us as early as possible if you do require additional assistance to ensure you get your application in on time. Late applications will not be accepted.