Small Grants eligibility, objectives and conditions

To be eligible for a Small Grant, your organisation 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 registered legally constituted entity (e.g. a co-operative, incorporated association or company limited by guarantee), have an auspice (unless requesting less than $1,000) or an artist with a current ABN (Aim 1.5 Arts and Culture only)  
• 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 (Artists applying under Aim 1.5 Arts and culture exempt)
• hold an adequate public liability insurance policy to cover the staff, members and the general public, as appropriate
• not have its 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 applicable laws including: all statutory requirements to maintain their status as an incorporated entity, including all relevant governance, accounting, reporting and auditing requirements o child safe standards under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005, for organisations that provide services to minors o registration or accreditation of professional employees
• have an adequate risk management plan in place (as required).

The points below are provided to assist in guiding your responses. 

Objectives

In your online application, you’ll be asked to choose the Boroondara Community Plan (BCP) Theme and Aim your project/activity best fits into. In your application, there will be questions based on the objectives of that particular Aim.

BCP Themes and Aims, can be found on the Small Grants page.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria scores applications to a maximum total of 100%.

Explain how your project, activity or equipment purchase meets each Aim and Grant objective you have chosen (33%)

• Choose one Community Strengthening Grants Program objective.
• Choose one of the relevant Aim objectives.

Who will benefit from your project, activity or equipment purchase? (33%)

Tell us:

• Who will be involved in your project or activity.
• How the project fills a community need.
• How the project will benefit Boroondara residents.

How will you deliver your project, activity or equipment purchase? (33%)

• How your organisation will plan, deliver and evaluate the activity.
• A project budget that shows how the funds requested will be spent.

Exclusions

The following applicants are ineligible for funding:

• individuals and private profit-making organisations (Artists with a current ABN applying under Aim 1.5 are exempt from this exclusion)
• organisations or groups that own or operate poker machines, explicitly promote sports betting, or meet in venues that promote gaming
• alcohol and items directly associated with the service of alcohol such as purchase of alcohol, purchase or hire of infrastructure for a bar (or similar) and/or seating area which requires a liquor licence to operate, engagement of a mobile alcohol vendor • activities involving the use of animals for entertainment such as animal farms, petting zoos, pony rides, reptile farms and live animal enclosures
• primary or secondary schools (Council encourages partnerships between schools and community organisations, but the community organisation must be the applicant.)
• registered political parties.

The following criteria make an application ineligible for funding:

• funding requests that Council considers are the funding responsibility of other levels of government
• 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
• projects or activities that have already started or have been completed (no retrospective funding)
• funding of competitions, prizes, sponsorships, donations or gifts
• new building works, capital improvements, facility maintenance or fixed assets (for example, air conditioners, shade sails, cubby houses and sheds)
• projects that have been or are being funded by other parts of Council
• operational expenses such as insurance and rental subsidies
• interstate or overseas travel.

Conditions of funding

• The project must be completed within 6 months of receipt of the grant.
• Successful applicants and organisations auspicing applications will be required to become a signatory to a standard funding agreement that lists all grant conditions and agreed performance outcomes/measures. This must be signed before grant funds are issued.
• Auspice fees being fees charged by an organisation to manage a grant (Aim 1.5 Arts and culture are exempt from this exclusion).
• Acknowledgement of the City of Boroondara and the Rotary Club of Balwyn must be made in any promotional material or publicity features.
• Successful applicants will be required to provide a written evaluation of the activity on completion of the project or activity. All evaluation reports will be required to be completed online via SmartyGrants. A link to the online form will be emailed to applicants.
• Successful applicants will be required to provide an expenditure budget or a financial statement (audited if required) at completion of the funding period.
• If Council’s grant funds are not spent, all remaining funds must be returned to Council.
• Council may make funding conditional on other specific conditions being met.
• If the project/activity or timeframe needs to be varied, the applicant must contact Council to discuss.