Ted O’Brien MP has called on community organisations in Fairfax to apply for a share of up to $20 million in funding to support the efforts of their volunteers.
Mr O’Brien said applications for the Volunteer Grants round were now open.
“Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 will help community organisations in Fairfax buy equipment such as laptops, pay fuel costs, train volunteers and improve their fundraising,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and by continuing to help each other and work together, we are building a stronger and safer Fairfax.
“Around 17 organisations in Fairfax were among the 2,690 groups nationally who benefited from the Volunteer Grants in 2016, including the Rotary Club of Nambour and the Mapleton Hall and Sportsground Trust.
“The Mapleton Hall and Sportsground Trust used their grant to purchase kitchen appliances and complete gardening and landscaping.
“The Rotary Club of Nambour used their funding to purchase outdoor furniture and reimburse travel costs for their volunteers.
“I encourage all not-for-profit organisations on the Sunshine Coast to apply for the Volunteer Grants to help make the work of our volunteers easier, safer and more enjoyable.”
The Federal Government is investing over $74 million over the next four years in Australia’s volunteers. This includes $50 million in Volunteer Grants, $24 million Volunteer Management funding for volunteer support agencies, and $600,000 for Volunteering Australia.
For more information or to apply for this round of Volunteer Grants, visit the Australian Government’s GrantConnect website here.
Applications close Tuesday 18 September 2018.
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Application process
Q: Is my organisation eligible?
A: A definition of volunteering has been included in the application form to emphasise to applicants that volunteering is time willingly given for community benefit.
Q: What is the selection process for these grants?
A: Applications will be assessed on how strongly they meet one or more of the priorities for funding. This includes organisations that work with disadvantaged communities, engage volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds and organisations with high numbers of volunteers.
Q: When will organisations know if they are successful/unsuccessful?
A: Organisations are expected to be informed of the outcome in March 2019, with funding to commence from April 2019.
Q: How will successful/unsuccessful applicants be informed?
A: Successful organisations will be emailed or posted a Letter of Agreement. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email once the selection process has been completed.