The Australian Government is supporting our volunteers through the Volunteer Grants Program.

Grants between $1,000 and $5,000 are available to eligible not-for-profit community organisations to support a range of volunteer activities. 

This funding can be used to:

• Purchase eligible small equipment items for use by volunteers
• Contribute to volunteers’ fuel costs
• Contribute to transport costs for volunteers with disability who are unable to drive
• Assist with the costs of training courses for volunteers
• Undertake background screening checks for volunteers
• Adapt practises to support volunteers’ safety in the current pandemic environment

In order to receive funding, grants must be used for activities that:

• Help community organisations to support the efforts of Australia’s volunteers
• Help community organisations to support the inclusion of vulnerable people through volunteering
• Encourage, support and increase participation in volunteering

Please note that payments will be issued in May 2024, so the earliest start of grant activity is May 2024. Activities before May 2024 cannot be included in the funding. Successful and unsuccessful organisations will be notified in April 2024. The Department of Social Services (DSS) will distribute grant agreements to successful organisations in late April 2024.

Your project must finish before 30 June 2025.

Timeline and process:

Expression of Interest (EOI) stage – open now until 31 August 2023.

1. Complete and return the Expression of Interest form via email to [email protected] or complete the online form before 31 August 2023.
2. After 31 August, a Community Committee made of local residents will review the applications and select the projects to go through to the next stage.

Nomination stage – expected timeline 1 September-28 September 2023, then throughout October 2023

1. Member of Parliament (MP), through their committee, will develop a Nomination List 1^st week in September.
2. MP to fill out the Nomination Workbook and submit the Nomination List to the DSS, 2^nd week in September.
3. DSS to check Nomination List, 28^th September, checking lasts approx. 2-3 weeks.
4. DSS to provide MP the finalised nomination workbook and Nomination ID, 2^nd or 3^rd week in October.
5. MP receives feedback regarding eligibility and communicates eligibility outcome to applicants.

Application stage - timeline 6 November-24 November 2023.

1. DSS to send invitation and Nomination ID to verified eligible organisations, invites them to submit online application.

Eligibility requirements can be found here.

Further information:

• All applications will be assessed by an independent panel.
• Grants are not ongoing and recommendations from the panel will be assessed by the Department of Social Services.
• Please send any supporting documentation i.e. letters of support, to [email protected] with the following subject line: VOLUNTEER GRANT 2023-24: [ORGANISATION'S NAME] - [THE NAME OF THE PERSON SUBMITTING THIS EOI]
• Please be aware that if your organisation is nominated to apply for a Volunteer Grant, some or all of this information will be shared with the Department of Social Services.
• Note: If your organisation is an unincorporated association, a person connected to your organisation will be required to assume personal legal liability. The person will be legally liable for the delivery of the funded activity, expenditure of funds and any other associated obligations arising from the grant agreement.

It is important to note that being invited to apply by your MP does not guarantee you will be successful.

Expressions of Interests close 31 August 2023.