Does your community group have a great project idea to make our local communities more active, vibrant, inclusive, resilient or creative?
Make it a reality with support from Sunshine Coast Council’s Community Grants program.
More than $600,000 is up for grabs in the current Major Grants round, which is open now and closes on March 15.
Eligible not-for-profit organisations can receive up to $15,000 for projects, events and activities that meet community need and provide community benefit.
Grants of up to $30,000 are also available for infrastructure projects that involve the development, maintenance or improvement of buildings or land that contribute to providing a safe, accessible and inclusive community facility.
Sunshine Coast Council Community Portfolio Councillor David Law said ordinary co-funding requirements had been temporarily adjusted for this round.
“Council understands how challenging fundraising has become and how difficult it will be to secure co-funding in the current COVID-19 affected environment,” Cr Law said.
“With this in mind, council has suspended co-funding requirements for grant requests of up to $10,000 and reduced co-funding requirements to 50 percent for all requests more than $10,000 for this round.
“Focus remains on supporting projects that activate the community in a resilient and vibrant way, inject money into the local economy and are ready to get started and be successfully completed.
“In acknowledgement of the valuable contribution that community groups and their volunteers make towards fostering a strong community and in recognition of the impact COVID-19 is having on volunteer numbers and workloads, priority will also be given to projects that encourage volunteerism.”
Successful recipient
Volunteering Sunshine Coast was a successful recipient of council’s August Major Grants round, receiving $7500 to create Inspiring Youth into Volunteering, a direct marketing campaign that’s set to kick-off this month.
Volunteering Sunshine Coast General Manager Mathew Walker said the campaign was a great opportunity for the organisation.
“We identified back in the initial stages of COVID-19 that the mature-aged community were not as confident with volunteering,” Mr Walker said.
“We’ve now been able to engage youth ambassadors and undertake promotional videos. The videos will be a tool for myself and volunteers to approach organisations such as TAFE and the universities and present to their students about volunteering.
“Without grants like these we couldn’t survive. It’s incredible to utilise this funding to present a very polished and professional product that will have such a wide-ranging impact.
“I started volunteering when I was 24. I volunteered at a hospital to help children. I’ll never forget the feeling when I walked to my car at the end of my first shift – this warm feeling. The greatest impact of volunteering is actually felt the most on those who are giving, not necessarily receiving.”
Learn more about the Community Grants program and council’s top 10 tips for grant writing success by joining one of council’s FREE 90 minute grant writing webinars, which are being held later this month.
For more information on the Community Grants program and to register for a grant writing webinar, visit: www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/grants
KEY DATES
Round open: 1 February 2021
Round close: 15 March 2021
Grant Writing Webinars: Various times 9-16 February
Notification anticipated: End April 2021
