Grants and Funding

Sixteen local projects will share in more than $50,000 of funding thanks to the Gannawarra Shire Council 2025 Community Grants Program.

Council received 34 applications, totalling $140,925, for its annual Community Grants program during a four-week application period held throughout May.

Applications for the 2026 program will open in mid-2026. 

Please see below information that may assist with your application for this popular program. 

To support interested applicants, Council hosted a Community Grants Forum online in 2021. This forum was designed to support our community to better understand the process of applying for a Community Grant, as well as support you to feel more confident in sourcing and applying for grants from a range of organisations. Council has not yet hosted a another forum, however the content of the 2021 forum is still current. 

To watch a recording of the forum please click this link: 2021 Gannawarra Community Grants Forum

ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST

Before applying, please confirm that your organisation meets the following requirements:

º Our organisation is a not-for-profit group

º Our organisation has an ABN or Incorporation Certificate

º Our organisation is based in the Gannawarra Shire or provides services that primarily benefit Gannawarra Shire residents

º If we are a school, the project will provide a clear benefit to the broader community, not just the school

º We do not have any outstanding Council grants that have not been acquitted

º If applying through an auspice organisation, the auspice organisation also meets these eligibility requirements 

¤ ¤ If you cannot tick all of the boxes above, please contact Council before submitting an application to discuss your eligibility ¤ ¤

PROJECT READINESS CHECKLIST

ºWe have quotes for project costs

ºOur project can be delivered within 12 months

ºOur project considers access and inclusion 

FURTHER SUPPORT AND RESOURCES 

Council have developed a 'help sheet' to assist potential applicants in developing their applications.

To view this, please click here(PDF, 211KB). 

WHAT DOES A BUDGET NEED TO LOOK LIKE?

One of the most common mistakes is applications containing incorrect budgets. To assist in making this area a bit easier to understand, please refer to the budget example help sheet. This document contains an example of what a budget might look like for your application.

Budget Help sheet - click here(PDF, 130KB)

PAST RECIPIENTS

To learn more about past projects supported by Council's Community Grants Program, please click on the links below:

• 2025 program recipients
• 2024 program recipients 
• 2023 program Community Support stream recipients
• 2023 program Community Events stream recipients
• 2022 program recipients
• 2021 program recipients
• 2020/21 Major Projects Grants recipients
• 2020 Community Grants program recipients
• 2019/20 Major Projects Grants recipients
• 2019 Community Grants program recipients

The Victorian Government's grants and programs website lists various grants programs community groups, organisations, businesses and individuals can seek funding from. To view this resource, please click here.

The Australian Government's Community Grants Hub lists grants available from various government departments. To view this page, please click here.

Regional Development Australia - Murray's website has a range of resources available, including grant opportunities. To view this resource, please click here.

Defibrillators increase the chance of survival by 62 per cent if a person in cardiac arrest is defibrillated by a bystander before an ambulance arrives.

Council encourages all community groups to install a Defibrillator and consider applying for a grant where possible.

We encourage those who successfully receive funding for a defibrillator to register with Ambulance Victoria within two months of receiving funding.

Please subscribe to Council's email list via mailchimp to receive updates about external grant opportunities available.

The Community Defib Project team is available to guide you through every step of the process of installing community accessible defibrillators, from introducing the project, to fundraising, to planning, to installations, education and then of course the ongoing maintenance and support to keep these units ready for community access. Click here for more information.

Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) strengthens rural, regional and remote communities working in partnership with philanthropy, government and business.

FRRR often have a range of available funding opportunities available to communities, and they are outlined online or by phoning 1800 170 020.

Sport and Recreation Victoria provides various grants to support sporting clubs and organisations.

To see what grants are available and to apply, please click here.

Sustainability Victoria offers grants for sustainability initiatives. Click here for more information and to see which grants are currently available.

Regional Arts Victoria offers a number of funding opportunities for artists, art organisations and presenters of arts projects.

Any groups or individuals who have creative ideas are encouraged to make contact with Lorraine Little who is the Manager of the Swan Hill/Gannawarra region for Regional Arts Victoria via email or phone 0476 353 856.

To see current funding opportunities available through RAV please visit www.rav.net.au

This program aims to provide support for groups or individuals undertaking projects that will make a positive difference to the natural living environment, in land, sea or air, rural or urban.

Grants between $1000 and $10,000 are available.