Volunteer Grants 2024/25 EOI’s now open!

CLICK HERE FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM FOR VOLUNTEER GRANTS 

Expressions of Interest for the Volunteer Grants program 2024-25 are now open for organisations based in Macquarie.

Volunteer Grants recognise the valuable role volunteers play in building more resilient and cohesive communities and I know that many of our local organisations value these grants.

As before, grants of between $1000 and $5000 are available to help community organisations to support their volunteers.

This year, changes have been made to the Volunteer Grants program and I want to particularly highlight those so that you can ensure your Expression of Interest meets the new criteria.

There are now two categories for Volunteer Grants, which reflect areas of high demand for volunteer organisations:

• Category 1: for communications and IT items (such as laptops, phones, payment devices and software), and paying for insurance premiums.
• Category 2: for items and services that support the development and well-being of children and young people under 18. 

Category 1 will be useful for groups who need help with the costs of modernising their operations and to cover key costs, including insurance premiums and internet bills. Enabling organisations to utilise funds for items and services that support online communication can reduce the administrative burden associated with many forms of volunteering.

Category 2 focuses on young volunteers and activities that support children’s wellbeing and development. This category includes many of the expenditure types that will be familiar from previous rounds of Volunteer Grants, such as first aid training, fuel costs, whitegoods, appliances, sports equipment, and promotion of volunteering.

My online Expression of Interest form has been updated to reflect the changes. Please fill in my form by 20 January 2025. CLICK HERE FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM FOR VOLUNTEER GRANTS 

More information can be found in the grant opportunity guidelines here: https://www.grants.gov.au/Fo/Show?FoUuid=5dfb2962-c6ac-4d8b-995d-5de87cfb24f3

Please bear in mind that under the timeframes provided by the Department, funding is not expected to be provided to successful applicants until July-August 2025. So the expenditure that you outline in your EOI must be for something that you don't need to purchase or spend prior to July-August 2025. Please plan your Expression of Interest accordingly.

What happens after I lodge an Expression of Interest?

Lodging an Expression of Interest is just the first step in this process.

MPs are responsible for convening a Community Committee consisting of a minimum of 3 individuals representative of the local community, to assist in the consideration of EOIs.

The committee will assess each EOI and must develop a list of applications to address local volunteer needs. Federal MPs will then nominate eligible organisations from the list and endorse the level of funding to be applied for, in accordance with the recommendations of the committee.

When will I hear back?

You will be sent a copy of the answers you submit in my online form. You may need to look for this in your junk folder.

You will receive an email in late January 2025 to let you know if your organisation has been nominated to proceed to the next stage. If successful, you will be sent a nomination ID and instructions on the next steps.

Questions?

If you require assistance, please call my office on 02 4573 8222 or email [email protected]

Volunteer organisations do an incredibly important job in our local community and I would like to take this opportunity to thank your organisation – and all your volunteers.