Annual Community Strengthening Grants

To qualify for an Annual Community Strengthening Grant, you must:

• provide direct benefits to residents of the City of Boroondara (local organisations are prioritised)
• be not-for-profit, as classified by the Australian Tax Office in the Income Tax Assessment Act (1936)
• be a legally constituted entity (for example, a co-operative, incorporated association, company or company limited by guarantee). For Annual Grants only you may have another organisation auspice your application (unless requesting less than $1,000).
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN), or complete a Statement by Supplier form, or hold an exemption from registration
• have a committee of management that accepts responsibility for the administration of the grant
• hold an adequate public liability insurance policy to cover the staff, members and the general public, as appropriate
• not have your own grant giving program or fundraising program that provides money to finance another organisation's community initiatives
• have satisfactorily accounted to Council for the expenditure of any previous Council grants (if relevant)
• comply with all other relevant Australian and Victorian legislation, including: accounting and auditing requirements; equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws; human rights laws; privacy, confidentiality and freedom of information laws; registration or accreditation of professional employees; and preparation and dissemination of annual reports
• have an adequate risk management plan in place (as required).

• Successful applicants and organisations auspicing applications need to become a signatory to a standard funding agreement that lists all grant conditions and agreed performance outcomes and measures. This must be signed before grant funds are issued.
• Professional fees (for example, labour, salary, wages) and administration costs (for example, phone calls, printing, stationery) can only represent 50 per cent of the total grant funding.
• Auspice fees are not accepted and must not be included in the budget.
• The project must start from 31 August 2025 and be completed within 12 months or by 31 December 2026.

At the completion of the project, successful applicants must also:

• provide a written evaluation completed online (via SmartyGrants)
• have an expenditure budget or an audited statement
• return any funds over $150 not spent to Council
• acknowledge the City of Boroondara and the Rotary Club of Balwyn in any promotional material or publicity features.

We don't accept applications for:

• individuals and private profit-making organisations
• funding that Council considers the responsibility of other levels of government
• primary or secondary schools (Council encourages partnerships between schools and community organisations, but the community organisation must be the applicant)
• repeat applications in consecutive years for the same projects, activities and equipment
• registered political parties
• religious projects or activities run by (or involvement with) religious groups seeking to promote their spiritual beliefs
• projects that seek to lobby the local, state or federal governments about particular laws, policies, practices or decisions of governments
• competitions, prizes, sponsorships, donations or gifts
• projects that have been, or are being, funded by other parts of Council
• interstate or overseas travel
• projects or activities that have already started or have been completed
• new building works, capital improvements, facility maintenance or fixed assets (for example, air-conditioners, shade sails, cubby houses and sheds)
• operational expenses such as insurance and rental subsidies.

The Active Community stream aims to develop opportunities for physical recreation and sport in our community by:

• providing new and innovative opportunities for people to participate in local sport and physical activities
• enhancing participation in both structured (such as team sports) and non-structured (such as walking and cycling) sport and recreation for a wide range of residents
• encouraging clubs to be self-sustainable. This could include providing specialist coaching clinics, sustainable sport club ideas, club governance or administration skills.

Watch a short video of Keenagers – a previous Active Community grant recipient

The Life-long Community stream aims to maximise quality of life for people in Boroondara aged 55 and over by: 

• enhancing older peoples' health and wellbeing and participation in the community
• improving older peoples' access and mobility around the community
• promoting social cohesion and strong community support networks
• reducing social isolation.

Watch a short video of Sing for Recovery – a previous Life-long Community grant recipient

The Creative Community stream encourages diverse arts and cultural programs, festivals, events and activities in Boroondara that:

• promote health, wellbeing, safety or a sense of community
• offer life-long learning opportunities
• develop community/stakeholder relationships, including with arts and cultural organisations
• empower the local community to contribute to meaningful cultural experiences and occasions 
• make use of facilities and public spaces across Boroondara to engage the community
• introduce new or emerging art forms or cultural practices to the local community.

Watch a short video of Kew Historical Society – a previous Creative Community grant recipient

The Healthy Community stream is for projects and activities that promote safety, good health and wellbeing across all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds by:

• promoting health, wellbeing, community safety and prevention of violence
• building connected and inclusive communities
• offering learning opportunities for Boroondara’s diverse community.

Watch a short video about the YMCA CROP project – a previous Healthy Community grant recipient

The Sustainable Community stream is for projects and programs that help people to live sustainably and preserve the natural environment by: 

• increasing community awareness about environmental sustainability
• showcasing the health of our natural environment and ensuring it's viable for future generations
• supporting initiatives and projects that demonstrate environmental sustainability benefits, such as:
  • sustainable resource use (for example, efficient use of energy and water, resource recovery and renewable energy generation)
  • reducing landfill waste
  • mitigating and adapting to climate change 
  • protecting and enhancing biodiversity
  • looking after our waterways
  • sustainable transport, including walking and cycling
  • local and sustainable food production and distribution.

Watch a short video about the Growing Alamein project – a previous Sustainable Community grant recipient

The Vibrant Retail Precincts stream aims to increase the vibrancy and functionality of Boroondara's retail precincts by: 

• increasing visitation and local spending by promoting a retail precinct's unique attributes 
• strengthening the connection between people, community groups and retail precincts 
• promoting a sense of pride in the retail precinct
• encouraging people to participate in community life
• re-imagining and 'activating' spaces to create memorable and social experiences where people feel a sense of belonging
• showcasing the skills and talents of the local community
• promoting and expanding the local night-time economy.

Applications in the Vibrant Retail Precincts stream must be developed in consultation with, and supported by, relevant trader associations.

• Describe what your project or activity will achieve in reference to the Community Strengthening Grants Program objectives.
• Describe how your project or activity addresses the relevant grant stream objectives.

• Demonstrate that the activity responds to a community need and provide evidence of demand.
• Demonstrate that your research has identified this need and/or opportunities in the community that you intend to fill.
• Demonstrate community support for your proposal.
• Demonstrate that this activity cannot be funded elsewhere.
• Demonstrate the need for second year funding (if applicable).

• Describe who will participate in your project or activity and how the project outcomes will significantly benefit Boroondara residents. 
• Describe how the project or activity creates links and develops partnerships with other organisations.

• Provide evidence that your organisation has the expertise and capacity to successfully manage and evaluate the project or activity.
• Provide evidence of a program plan where appropriate.
• Ensure the budget accurately reflects the activity proposed.

You will need to attach the following supporting documentation to your application in SmartyGrants:

• Incorporation Annual Statement
• the latest copy of your organisation’s financial statement
• a current public liability insurance certificate (or evidence of application for it)
• letters or emails of support for your project, including auspice arrangement where applicable. 

Your application has budgetary requirements. Before you start your online application in SmartyGrants, please ensure you've prepared your budget.

Make sure:

• all budget costs are realistic and are justified for your project’s proposal
• formal quotes for all services and products over $1,000 are obtained. Quotes must include the suppliers ABN and the GST amount
• professional fees and administration costs only represent 50 per cent of the total amount requested
• how a salary component is arrived at is shown (if applicable). Salaries and wages don’t require a quote, however, a working out is required for example, x hrs a week @ $x per hr over x weeks
• auspice fees aren’t included in the budget
• all items listed in the budget include a description of the item and the dollar amount
• the total income and total expenditure is equal and GST exclusive.

You can apply for your grant using SmartyGrants, a web-based application. Before you can start filling in the application form, you must register your details.

How to register

• Go to SmartyGrants
• Click on 'Start a submission'
• Click on 'Register'
• Fill in your details: name, organisation name, email address, password
• Click on 'Register'
• A screen with your application number will appear
• Click on ‘Next Page’ to start filling in the application form.

If you have already registered in a previous year and have a login and password

• Go to the SmartyGrants login page
• Enter your email address and password
• Scroll down to the 'Current Rounds' section at the bottom of the page. Click on Annual Community Strengthening Grants'
• Click on 'Fill out now'
• A screen with your application number will appear
• Click on ‘Next Page’ to start filling in the application form.

Once you’ve registered and logged in to SmartyGrants, you can start filling in the application form. Do not use Internet Explorer as it isn't compatible with SmartyGrants.

It’s a good idea to click on ‘Save Progress’- located in the bar at the top of the screen - as you work your way through the form. You can easily save your work and return to your application at a later time by clicking ‘Save and Close’. 

How to navigate through the application

Either click on ‘Next page’, located in the top right-hand corner, or click on the section you’d like to fill in via the form navigation box on the right-hand side of the screen.

Attaching documents in SmartyGrants

• Where documents are required, there’ll be an areas asking you to ‘Please attach all supporting documents’.
• Click on ‘Choose Files’.
• Select your document from your computer.
• Click on ‘attach’.

Once you’ve finished your application in SmartyGrants, go to the 'Review and Submit' section of the application.

Once you've reviewed your application, click on ‘Submit’. If you’d like to print a copy or download your application as a PDF, click on one of these options before clicking on ‘Submit’.

Once it has been submitted, you will receive a conformation email from SmartyGrants that your grant application has been received. If you have not received an email, your application has not been submitted. Log in to SmartyGrants and resubmit your application.

1. We undertake an eligibility check based on the conditions of funding.
2. Applications are assessed against the assessment criteria.
3. Assessments will be provided to the Community Strengthening Grants Assessment Panel for review. The panel consists of Councillors and Balwyn Rotary Club members.
4. The Community Strengthening Grants Assessment Panel recommendations are submitted to Council for final endorsement.

Notifying applicants

From late October we will be notifying applicants about the outcome of their grant application. If you have not been notified by November, please call us on (03) 9278 4753.