Community Grants Program - Community Projects

Grants-assets-06-web.png

The Community Grants program aims to support the community to be sustainable, healthy and thriving. To achieve this, the program will;

  • Deliver projects that align with Baw Baw Shire Council's Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, and;
  • Support and partner with the community to deliver community priorities that improve participation, inclusion and accessibility.

Grants-assets-03-web.png

Funding is available to support the delivery of community events, projects, programs, environmental initiatives, and the purchase of equipment. Total project costs cannot exceed $5,000 (including GST if applicable).

Program Overview

  • Two funding rounds are available per year, commencing in February and July. 
  • Projects must be completed within six months of the funding agreement being signed. 
  • Mandatory pre-application appointments must be completed to ensure your project meets all requirements for funding. 

Use the drop-down menu below to learn more about the program.

Congratulations to our Round One recipients

This year Baw Baw Shire Council will deliver more than $140,000 in Round One of our Community Grants across the Community Projects category, supporting 33 non-profit organisations and associations in the Shire. 

The Community Projects Program provides funding to support the delivery of community events, projects, programs, environmental initiatives, and the purchase of equipment. See the list of successful Community Projects below.

Aberfeldy & District Association Inc.

$3,300 to go towards their project titled “Defibrillator & Welcome/Info Signage for Aberfeldy Community Hub” for a defibrillator and signage.

Apex Club of Drouin Inc

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “Community Fun Run & Festival” for traffic management, signage and advertising.

Baw Baw Arts Alliance 

$1,779 to go towards their project titled “Art in the Street” for 40 adult t-shirts, graphic design for brochure and A3 poster and chalk and canvas.

Baw Baw Food Relief

$4,254 to go towards their project titled “Op Shop Revamp” for additional shelving, clothing racks, new cash register and display counter.

Baw Baw Sustainability Network

$4,895 to go towards their project titled “Creative Harvest Festival” for social media,  copywriting overview, photography, website management and printing.

Baw Baw Radiomodellers Association Gippsland Inc

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “Portable Disabled Toilet” for a disabled toilet that complies with Australian Standards.

Committee For Drouin

$1,358 to go towards their project titled “Oak Street Arts Happening” for traffic management.

Drouin Uniting Church for Drouin Combine Churches Committee

$1,122 to go towards their project titled “2023 Drouin Carols by Candlelight “ for a promotional leaflet.

Drouin Dragons Soccer Club

$4,995 to go towards their project titled “Junior Goal Replacement” for 5 portable aluminium soccer goals.

Drouin Ficifolia Festival Committee Inc

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “2024 Ficifolia Festival” for first aid/ambulance service and children’s entertainment including art, messy play and face painting.

Drouin Hawks Netball Club

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “Grandstand Seating” for two tip and roll portable grandstands.

Ellinbank Badminton Club Incorporated

$4,800 to go towards their project titled “Ellinbank Badminton Club Room Appliance Upgrade” for a portable air dehumidifier, a portable boiling water unit with filter and two portable heaters.

Erica and District Historical Society Inc

$4,334 to go towards their project titled “Archives, Record and Library Storage” for storage cabinets and bookcases.

Gladiators Basketball Club

$4,060 to go towards their project titled “Match Grade Basketballs” for purchase of 45 match grade basketballs.

Hill End Community Incorporated

$3,444 to go towards their project titled “Commercial Refrigerator” for commercial size refrigerator.

Landcare Victoria Inc. for Tanjil Valley Landcare

$4190 to go towards their project titled “Tanjil Valley Community Festival” for welcome ceremony and entertainment including Ausie wildlife, Bublitz and Birdlife Australia.

Mawarra by Knoxbrooke

$4,849 to go towards their project titled “Mawarra Centre Chickens and Recycling Reboot” for purchase of 33 assorted eco bins/buckets & liners, six backyard chickens and a moveable chicken house/run for the garden at the Mawarra Centre.

Strzelecki Bushwalking Club

$3,705 to go towards their project titled  “Remote and Isolated First Aid” for training of first aiders and 15 customized remote first aid kits.

Tetoora Road Community Centre

$2,015 to go towards their project titled “Purchase of Portable Speaker, Tennis Net and Land Maintenance Tools” for the purchase of a portable speaker, a tennis net and outdoor land maintenance tools including bypass pruner, hedge shears, lopper and  brush cutter.

The Scout Association of Australia, Victorian Branch for Trafalgar Scouts

$4,999 to go towards their project titled “Essential Youth Program Equipment Upgrade” for four gazebos, eight solid gazebo walls, six gazebo gutters, four camping light bars, four mesh floor, 15 folding tables and benches, one folding solar panel kit, battery, and six 12pc enamel dinner set, and four lifejackets.

The Crossing Drop In Inc

$2,927 to go towards their project titled “Technology and Website Upgrade” for a monitor, keyboard and Microsoft mouse combo, portable HP conference speaker Bluetooth, standard website build bundle design, email creation, setup, Ecotank printer and two backup drives.

Trafalgar Tennis Club

$2,339 to go towards their project titled  “Replacement of Tennis Nets and Winders” for purchase of six new nets and six new net winders.

Warragul and District Netball Association Incorporated

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “Live Scoring Initiative” for 10 x iPads & protective cases.

Warragul and West Gippsland Agricultural Society

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “Warragul Show Traffic Management” for traffic management.

Warragul Camera Club

$4,000 to go towards their project titled “51st Warragul National Photographic Competition and Exhibition event” for catalogue advertising.

Warragul Cemetery Trust

$3,577 to go towards their project titled “Kitchen Improvements” for a dishwasher, large refrigerator, and an under-bench fridge.

Warragul Cycling Club

$3,855 to go towards their project titled “Baw Baw Classic 2024” for traffic management.

Warragul Municipal Band Inc

$1,034 to go towards their project titled “Warragul Municipal Band Academy” for music education program, standard of excellence music books and instrument maintenance and cleaning.

Warragul Playgroup Inc

$4,784 to go towards their project titled “Soft-play Equipment for Warragul Playgroup” for a soft gym - 12 Piece Set.

Warragul Senior Citizens Club Inc for Warragul Acoustic Unplugged

$3,414 to go towards their project titled “ Improved Lighting and Sound" for stage lighting and PA system.

Warragul Theatre Company

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “Legally Blonde Audio Equipment” for the hire of 30+ microphones and full audio production for cast and orchestra.

West Gippsland Genealogical Society Inc

$5,000 to go towards their project titled “New Scanner and Computers” for two wireless keyboards and mouse, two  desktop PC , two monitors  and one graphic scanner.

Western Park Cricket Club

$4,840 to go towards their project titled “Western Park Cricket Club Community Engagement & Development” for proflex stop that ball - 50ft system with weights, bowling machine, fortress flexi stump full set and match crown cricket ball equipment.

Opening and closing dates

Community Grants Category

 Grant requirement Applications Open Applications Close
Community Projects

Application by Appointment, phone 1300 229 229 or email grants@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au to secure a time.

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National)  are available. Please let us know if you would like to book an interpreter. 

 9am Monday 19 June 2023  

Round 1 applications

 9am Monday 3 July 2023 12pm Friday 28 July 2023
Round 2 applications 9am Monday 5 February 2024 12pm Friday 23 February 2024

Application Process

  1. Read the Eligibility Criteria on this page to ensure that your group is eligible. 

  2. Utilise the Assessment Criteria as a checklist for your project ideas.   

  3. Take this opportunity to connect now with the Social and Community Planning team to arrange an Application by Appointment meeting (phone or online), to discuss your community project idea to date and we will talk through the application process and its requirements with you and provide a link to the Community Projects application form if required. This Application by Appointment is a mandatory step before you can apply for a Community Grant. 

  4. Complete and submit your application via SmartyGrants by Midday, Friday 28 July 2023. 

Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Community Project funding, applicants must: 

1. Propose a project located or delivered within the Baw Baw Shire. 

2. Be a not-for-profit community group, organisation, or club. 

3. Be incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Reforms Act 2012 or supported by another incorporated organisation that will accept legal and financial responsibility for the project (See auspice arrangements for more information).  

4. Have public liability insurance with a minimum of $20 million cover or supported by an auspice organisation with the same cover. 

5. Comply with Child Safety standards. 

6. Have complied with all terms and conditions, including submitting a completed project acquittal report for all previous grants from the Community Grants Program, including any grants where the organisation has acted as the auspice organisation. 

7. Have no outstanding debts with Baw Baw Shire Council. 

What will not be funded

  • Items that are part of an organisation’s core business or normal operations expenses, e.g., insurance, utilities, rental, staff salaries, or the payment of debts or loans.  
  • Projects or items that have already been purchased, started or have been completed.  
  • Purchase of land.  
  • Projects where the primary focus is to advocate for religion or faith.  
  • Projects that promote political views.  
  • Catering, alcohol, fireworks, or firearms.  
  • Projects that duplicate existing services and programs.  
  • Baw Baw Shire Council owned or run activities, projects, programs, and events.  
  • The purchase or repair of used goods or equipment.  
  • Projects that create a capital improvement for privately owned or rented properties.  
  • State-wide projects.  
  • Sporting uniforms unless it can be demonstrated their purchase is linked to a project that seeks to increase participation from: people experiencing social and economic disadvantage, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people living with disability and/or the LGBTQI+ community.  
  • Incomplete applications (all supporting documentation must be provided at time of application unless specified in Section 7).  
  • Late applications will not be considered. 

Assessment of Applications

A confirmation email will be sent to the applicant once the application has been received. Late applications will not be considered. 

All applications undergo an initial review against the eligibility requirements before the formal assessment. Applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not progress to full assessment. 

Eligible applications are then assessed by a panel convened by Baw Baw Shire Council Officers. The panel recommends which projects should receive funding to the Council or a group of Executive Baw Baw Shire Council who make the final decision. 

Assessment Criteria

All applications are assessed and scored against the following criteria;

Criteria Description  Percentage of score 
Council Priorities

Considers the following: 

  • Extent that the project aligns with the strategies and goals in Baw Baw Shire Council’s Council Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (see section 10 for priorities). 

  • Has the applicant considered how to make the project inclusive and accessible to meet the diverse needs of the Baw Baw Shire community?  

  35%
Community need  Considers the following: 

  • Has the need for the project been clearly demonstrated in the application, or is there evidence available at Council to illustrate the need? 

  • Extent that the project will benefit the Baw Baw Shire community. 

  30%
Planning and management  Considers the following: 

  • Does the project provide value for money? 

  • Demonstrated evidence of planning, e.g., resources, safety, permits etc. 

  • Can the project be completed within the required timeframe? 

  • Will the project provide outcomes that are ongoing or can be sustained? 

  • Does the applicant organisation have the necessary resources and experience to successfully deliver the project? 

  • The level of risk and complexity involved in minor capital works projects. 

  30%
 Volunteer driven  Considers the following: 

  • Extent to which volunteers are involved in the project. Volunteer involvement is considered positively. 

  5%

Successful Applicants Offer of Funding

All successful Applicants will be required to complete an Offer of Funding form on SmartyGrants prior to funds being released. This includes completing the acknowledgment and declaration of the Funding Agreement and provision of completed documents to Baw Baw Shire Council, including but not limited to a tax invoice from your organisation for the grant amount awarded, a Grant Recipient – Supplier Information form or a Statement by Supplier form. 

The Funding Agreement outlines the conditions associated with the provision of the Grant and details reporting requirements specific to the application.

Project Acquittal Report

The Project Acquittal Report is the final stage in the grant process. The Applicant will need to provide information and evidence relevant to the project delivery as outlined in the Funding Agreement.

A Project Acquittal Report is due within one month of a project’s completion or within six months of acknowledgement of the Funding Agreement.

Community Grant Guidelines and Additional Resources

Below are some useful resources you can use to help support your application.

Back to top