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Two Whitehorse Community Grant programs will be available to not-for-profit and/or incorporated community organisations, groups and clubs in 2021:
1. The Whitehorse Community Grants Program (annual program)
2. The Whitehorse Community Recovery Grants Program (second round)
Both grant programs will be open from Monday 8 February, 9.00am until closing on Friday 12 March, 5.00pm.
If you are planning on applying for a grant, please read the Grant Guidelines ( PDF 740.91KB).
The guidelines provide important information for both grant programs, including:
- essential eligibility criteria
- types of grants available
- details of what will and will not be funded and
- a complete overview of the grants processes and lifecycle.
To help your prepare your application Council are hosting
2021/22 Community Grants
As part of the annual budget process, Whitehorse City Council allocates funding to the Community Grants Program to provide financial support to not-for-profit organisations and incorporated associations located and/or operating within the City of Whitehorse so that they can deliver programs, services, projects, initiatives and activities that:
- Align with the community priorities and strategic directions contained in the Whitehorse Council Plan and contribute to the health and wellbeing of the community
- Identify and address emerging community needs
- Will be delivered within and directly benefit the City of Whitehorse Community
The Community and Council vision is for a healthy, vibrant, prosperous and sustainable community supported by strong leadership and community partnerships and is implemented though the Whitehorse Council Plan ( PDF 1.96MB) in addition to other Council Strategic Plans and policies.
The current Council Plan which guides the work of Council contains five key strategic directions. All community grant applications must align with one or more of Council’s strategic directions:
- To support a healthy, vibrant, inclusive and diverse community.
- To maintain and enhance the built environment to ensure a liveable and sustainable city.
- To protect and enhance open space and natural environments
- To provide strategic leadership and open and accessible government
- To support a healthy local economy
Community Recovery Grants
Since the Australian and Victorian governments’ initial implementation of pandemic control measures and restrictions in March 2020, Victoria has endured further restrictions in order to contain and minimise the transmission of COVID-19 both from outside and within communities.
Despite the easing of restrictions in Victoria, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to present challenges within the community as the State transitions to ‘COVID Normal’.
The purpose of the Whitehorse Community Recovery Grants is to provide financial assistance to eligible community organisations, clubs and groups who have been impacted by COVID-19, to:
- Assist in their recovery
- Deliver initiatives, activities and resources required to address the changing needs of the community; and
- Enhance community capacity during the transition to ‘COVID Normal’.
All applications for a Whitehorse Community Recovery Grant will be required to demonstrate:
- That they are based in Whitehorse, have a majority membership of Whitehorse residents or majority of beneficiaries will be Whitehorse residents.
- That they have been operating for a min of 12 months
- The financial impact of COVID-19 on the organisation (via financial report)
- That all elements of the application are in direct response to community need as a result of COVID-19
- That what is being applied for is sustainable into the future and will not rely on future funding from Council.
Applicants that applied for a Whitehorse Community Recovery Grant in 2020 are eligible to re-apply, however, the application must clearly demonstrate why further funding is required.
Applying for a Grant
Grant Information Sessions
Council will run three (3), FREE information sessions to help applicants understand the grant categories available and cover the basic steps of applying for a grant using council’s grants management system, SmartyGrants.
It is expected that you will have read the guidelines prior to attending your information session.
Bookings are essential via the links below.
- Thursday 11 February, 11am – 12noon: The Willis Room, Civic Centre – Register now
- Monday 15 February, 6pm – 7pm: The Willis Room, Civic Centre – Register now
- Thursday 18 February, 6pm – 7pm: via Zoom (online) – Register now
Grant Writing Workshops
Council is running two (2), FREE grant writing workshops to help not-for-profit and/ or incorporated organisations, clubs and groups that are operating within the City of Whitehorse learn about effective grant writing. Bookings are essential via the links below.
Facilitated by grant expect, Debby Maziarz, the workshops will:
- provide practical, useful and transferable information about how to approach grant writing;
- encourage you to explore project ideas and clarify point of difference; and
- provide practical, useful and transferable information about building budgets for grant applications
It is expected that you will have read the guidelines prior to attending your grant writing workshop.
Dates:
- Wednesday 17 February, 10am – 12.30pm: The Willis Room, Civic Centre - Register now
- Wednesday 24 February, 6pm - 8.30pm: via Zoom (online) - Register now
Important
In order to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, spaces for the information sessions and grant writing workshops in the Willis Room will be limited to 20 individuals and only 1 person per organisation may attend the Willis Room sessions.
Please be mindful, these sessions will not provide the opportunity to canvass ideas or seek opinion on the viability of your application and council officers are unable to confirm whether your project will receive funding.
Q&A Drop in Sessions
If you have a question about your application, visit Box Hill Mall for a Q&A session with the Community Grants Officer in person. There will be one Mandarin and one Cantonese translator at the sessions. No bookings required.
Session 1: Tuesday 23 February, 10am to 1pm Red Kiosk Pod*
Session 2: Thursday 25 February, 10am to 1pm Red Kiosk Pod*
*The Red Kiosk Pod is located at the front of the Bread Top store in Box Hill Mall. These drop in sessions are subject to COVID-19 restrictions directed by the Department of Health and Human Services, so be sure to check this page regularly for updates.
