2025-26 Volunteer Grants Program – EOI Now Open
Expressions of Interest for the Volunteer Grants program 2025-26 are now open for organisations based in Greenway.
Volunteer Grants recognise the valuable role volunteers play in building more resilient and cohesive communities. Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 are available to help community organisations to support their volunteers.
This year, changes have been made to the Volunteer Grants program to better respond to the environment volunteer organisations are now faced with and our government’s commitment to children and young people.
There are two categories for Volunteer Grants which reflect areas of high demand for volunteer organisations:
Category 1
Purchase communication or insurance items that will benefit any of a community organisation’s volunteers as listed below:
- Mobile phones, phone bills and radio communication devices.
- Computers, laptops and tablets, where those items are primarily used for online communication and activity.
- Software packages, where the software is primarily used to facilitate online communications and activity (for example email or videoconferencing software).
- Electronic audio and visual equipment, where the equipment is primarily used for or to facilitate online communications and activity (for example video-communication equipment).
- Electronic payment devices where the device is primarily used for or to facilitate online communication and activity.
- Internet service fees incurred by the community organisation.
- Insurance premiums incurred by the community organisation.
Category 2
A. Purchase items for the main purpose of supporting a community organisation’s volunteers from the following cohorts:
- Adults whose volunteering activities support children’s development and wellbeing.
- Children (under 18) as a means of supporting their development.
- First Nations People.
- Newly arrived migrants (within the last 5 years) who are not citizens.
- People with disability (within the meaning of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) .
- Unemployed people who are volunteering to increase their capacity to engage in employment.
- Veterans and Australian Defence Force members.
- Women experiencing or at risk of experiencing gender-based violence or isolation to assist them to overcome that gender-based violence or isolation.
B. Fund volunteer-run activities within the community organisation for the main purpose of supporting:
- Children’s (under 18) development and wellbeing and/or parents/carers to develop the skills necessary to ensure a child’s development.
- First Nations People.
- Newly arrived migrants (within the last 5 years) who are not citizens.
- People with disability (within the meaning of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to participate in any aspect of life.
- People who are unemployed to increase their capacity to engage in employment (for example, through training or access to existing employment services).
- Veterans or Australian Defence Force members.
- Women experiencing or at risk of experiencing gender-based violence or isolation.
- Women experiencing gender-based discrimination or disadvantage by addressing:
- gender-based disadvantage in sport
- gender-based discrimination in emergency services roles
- gender-based disadvantage in rural and remote areas
- gender-based disadvantage and discrimination in trades
- gender-based disadvantage in the form of food insecurity.
- Eliminating racial discrimination and promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship amongst racial or ethnic groups through the following:
- activities that provide anti racism training and promote cultural safety
- multicultural art events and other cultural events such as traditional dance and theatre
- language classes designed to encourage social cohesion and promote interracial harmony
- programs that connect international students with local volunteering opportunities
- multicultural sporting events that promote the participation of teams and players from diverse backgrounds
- community events that celebrate Harmony Week and/or International Day for the Elimination of Racial discrimination.
These changes mean Volunteer Grant funding will be more targeted to where it is needed most.
The Volunteer Grants will fund volunteer organisations for costs associated with any activity helping and supporting children and young people under 18, to help with the costs of modernising their operations and to cover key costs, including insurance premiums and internet bills.
Eligibility
Information on the eligibility criteria can be found in the grant opportunity guidelines here: Grant Opportunity Guidelines. My office is also happy to help talk you through the changes.
Apply
If you are interested in submitting an expression of interest, please fill out the expression of interest form and return to my office by Friday, 3 April 2026. Please send to [email protected].
Assistance
If you require assistance, please call Kelly in my office on 02 9671 4780 or email us at [email protected].
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