Community Grants in NSW, Victoria and Queensland: Where to Look

Every Australian state runs its own grant programs for community organisations, and each one publishes them differently. If your group is in New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland, knowing where your state lists its grants can save hours of searching.

This guide covers the official places to search in each of the three largest states, the other funding sources that matter locally, and a simple routine for staying on top of new rounds. Program names and amounts change often, so this guide focuses on where to look rather than individual programs that may have closed by the time you read it.

Before you start: what all three states have in common

Across NSW, Victoria and Queensland, community grants usually come from four places:

1. State government agencies, published through a central grants finder plus individual department websites.
2. Local councils, each with its own community grants.
3. Gaming or club benefit funds, where some gaming revenue is returned to community groups.
4. Philanthropic, community foundation and corporate funders operating in the state.

You will also find federal programs that apply in every state, published on GrantConnect at grants.gov.au.

Most state community grants require your organisation to be a legal entity, usually an incorporated association registered with your state regulator, or to have an incorporated auspice organisation. Check this first.

New South Wales

NSW Grants and Funding Finder

The NSW Government's Grants and Funding Finder at nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding brings together grants from across NSW Government agencies in one place. You can search by keyword and filter by category, audience and status. It is the best starting point for any NSW group.

Agency websites

Some programs are also promoted on the websites of individual agencies, such as those responsible for sport, the arts, the environment, multicultural affairs and regional NSW. If you work in one sector, bookmark the relevant agency and join its newsletter.

ClubGRANTS

ClubGRANTS is a NSW scheme under which larger registered clubs direct part of their gaming revenue to community projects. In many areas a local committee helps set priorities and assess applications, and individual clubs also make their own decisions. Ask your council or local clubs how ClubGRANTS works in your area and when applications open.

Local councils

NSW has more than 120 councils, and most run community grants. Search your council website for "community grants" and join its mailing list. See our guide to council community grants.

Incorporation in NSW

Incorporated associations in NSW are registered with NSW Fair Trading. Make sure your registration, annual returns and contact details are current, because funders often check.

Victoria

Victorian Government grants and programs search

The Victorian Government publishes an aggregated list of grants from across government at vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs. You can filter by topic, status and recipient group. Start here.

Business Victoria and Regional Development Victoria

If your organisation is a social enterprise or small business, or works in regional Victoria, also check Business Victoria's grants and programs pages and Regional Development Victoria's grants and programs. Regional programs often support community infrastructure and projects as well as businesses.

Department and agency websites

Victorian departments and agencies, such as those covering justice and community safety, local government, sport and recreation, the arts and the environment, also list their own programs. The vic.gov.au search usually links to them, but checking the agency directly can surface details such as information sessions.

Local councils

Victoria has 79 councils, and most run community grants, often with annual rounds plus small quick-response grants.

Incorporation in Victoria

Incorporated associations in Victoria are registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria. Keep your annual statements up to date.

Queensland

Queensland Government Grants Finder

The Queensland Government Grants Finder at grants.services.qld.gov.au lets you search grants, rebates, loans, subsidies and other assistance from across the Queensland Government. It is the main starting point for Queensland groups.

Gambling Community Benefit Fund

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund, administered by the Queensland Department of Justice, provides one-off grants to not-for-profit community groups for projects that benefit Queensland communities. It runs regular funding rounds and is one of the most useful sources of equipment and small project funding in the state. Check the current round dates, maximum amounts and eligibility on the official website, as these change.

Department and agency programs

Queensland agencies responsible for communities, sport and recreation, the arts, the environment and health promotion run their own community grants. For example, Health and Wellbeing Queensland has run community grants for projects that improve healthy eating, physical activity and wellbeing.

Local councils

Queensland has 77 councils, many covering large regional areas, and most run community grants and sponsorships.

Incorporation in Queensland

Incorporated associations in Queensland are regulated by the Office of Fair Trading. Keep your annual returns current.

Other states and territories

Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory each have their own grant portals, agencies, councils and, in some cases, gaming or lottery-funded community grants. The same approach applies: start with the state or territory government's central grants page, then check agencies, councils and local funders.

Peak bodies and networks worth joining

State peak bodies and networks often share funding news, training and advocacy for community organisations. Depending on your sector, consider:

• your state council of social service (NCOSS in NSW, VCOSS in Victoria, QCOSS in Queensland)
• your state volunteering peak body
• your state sporting association, if you are a club
• regional arts, environment, multicultural or disability networks
• your local neighbourhood centre or community hub network

A simple monthly routine

You do not need to check every source every week. A practical routine for a volunteer:

1. Once: bookmark your state grants finder, your council grants page and two or three agencies relevant to your work. Register on GrantConnect for federal notifications.
2. Once: join the newsletters for your council, relevant agencies and peak bodies.
3. Monthly: spend 30 minutes scanning the state finder and any newsletters that arrived.
4. Each new round: check eligibility, contact the program officer if needed, and add the closing date to a shared calendar.

Or let GrantFinder Pro do the weekly checking. It covers federal, state and territory government, every local council, foundations and corporate funders, and emails you when new grants matching your organisation open.

Common eligibility rules in state community grants

The details differ between programs, but these rules come up again and again across all three states:

• Legal entity. Most programs require an incorporated not-for-profit or another legal entity. Some accept unincorporated groups that apply through a sponsor or auspice organisation.
• Based in the state. Your organisation usually needs to be based in the state, or the project needs to benefit people living there.
• No duplicate funding. You often cannot be funded twice for the same items, so declare other grants you have applied for.
• Project, not running costs. Many community grants fund specific projects, equipment or events, not rent, wages for existing staff or utilities.
• Insurance. Public liability insurance is commonly required for events and activities.
• Clean history. Overdue acquittals with the same agency or fund can rule you out.

Check every program's own guidelines, because these are patterns, not rules that apply everywhere.

Tips for state grant applications

• Read the program's objectives and link your project to them directly.
• Check co-contribution rules, especially for facility and infrastructure grants.
• Allow time for approvals such as landowner consent.
• Do not start the project early. Many grants will not fund costs incurred before approval.
• Acquit previous grants on time, because overdue reports can make you ineligible.

For the writing itself, see our guide on how to write a grant application.

See what matches in your state

See which grants match your organisation in your state, free, at grantfinderpro.com.au/find. Matches are a rough guide to eligibility, so always check each program's guidelines before applying.