Greater Shepparton Foundation builds partnerships and collaborations to connect the needs of the local community with essential resources and skills to tackle and disrupt the cycle of disadvantage. The Foundation Features series will help shine a light on those driving change through innovative initiatives, as well as highlight community organisations that align with the foundation’s purpose.
Greater Shepparton Foundation’s Small Grants Program opens on Monday, July 3 at 9am.
This year, in response to community needs, we have doubled the amount of funding available per eligible project to $10,000, and have added two additional focus areas. Now, local not-for-profit organisations delivering projects in Greater Shepparton will be able to apply for a grant for projects that assist in the following areas:
• Parenting and early education
• Social inclusion
• Housing
• Safe families
• Employment
• Economic engagement
• Ageing well
• Flood recovery
• Cost-of-living crisis
We love our annual grants program; the program is a really positive way to support community-led grass-roots projects that are offering place-based solutions to local issues. The application process also provides another opportunity to uncover and highlight the wonderful work being led by community and how we may be able to support this in the future.
The purpose of our funding is to support projects that address an immediate or unmet need that, importantly, aligns with the foundation’s vision of inclusive, interconnected communities where everybody has an equal opportunity to participate.
These valuable grant funds are available as a result of discretionary donations made to GSF, combined with donations made to the GSF Flood Recovery Campaign and our 2023 End Of Financial Year Appeal.
The GSF board has established an independent community committee to assess all applications against the grant criteria. The committee will then make recommendations to the GSF board based on this assessment process. All funding will be at the discretion of the GSF board of management.
Grant guidelines are available for view on the ‘Grants’ page on our website at www.greatershepparton.foundation. A link to apply online will be available on the website from 9am on Monday, July 3.
All eligible applications will be promptly assessed by the committee and funds will be available for successful applicants by September 1.
If you would like to discuss your project or organisation’s needs with Greater Shepparton Foundation, please contact executive officer Amanda McCulloch at amanda@greatershepparton.foundation or call 0447 400 443.
Until next time.
Amanda McCulloch
Greater Shepparton Foundation executive officer