Community Grants
Twelve-month grants for projects that build pathways to economic empowerment and social cohesion.
Our focus areas are education, employment and community sport.
Education and employment
Funding initiatives that open education and employment pathways to those facing ingrained barriers to participation.
Priority funding areas
Building numeracy and literacy skills (all ages)
Fostering engagement in learning (all ages)
Building interpersonal, employability and workplace skills
Offering vocational training for adolescents and adults
Providing access to entrepreneurial and business foundations
Building learning skills through art or music programs
Building STEM capabilities for pre-school and school students
Preserving and building connection to Indigenous languages
Community sport
Funding initiatives that develop community sport as a pathway to inclusion and cultural connection for those facing ingrained barriers to participation.
Priority funding areas
Lessening the financial barriers that prevent cohorts of people participating in community sport
Tackling lack of access in underserved communities
Cultivating cultural belonging and/or reducing cultural insensitivities
Promoting opportunities for people from the same, or different cultural or social groupings, to build relationships with each other, and have a voice.
Building interpersonal, employability and life skills
Fostering engagement in physical and relational activities
Community Grants criteria
We prioritise projects that align with our ambition and aims.
The organisation must be DGR-1 registered
Beneficiaries must be in Australia
The organisation’s annual revenue is below $5 million
The project is designed by, or with, intended beneficiaries
The organisation’s work directly impacts individuals
We also have preferences for the following.
Organisations with lower levels of government funding
Opportunities for employees of the Bangarra Group to be involved, such as volunteering or mentoring
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Dewi Cooke
CEO, The Social Studio
The process
Expressions of interest (EOIs) open
EOI submissions open on the Bennelong Foundation website. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with funding opportunities.
Applications invited
A select number of EOIs are asked to submit a full application. The Foundation team will conduct site visits, where possible, in September 2024.
Grantees selected
Grants decided by the Bennelong Foundation Directors in early November 2024.
Grants announced
Grants announced and paid in November 2024.
Community Grants FAQs
Initiatives that increase pathways to economic empowerment and social cohesion.
1. Initiatives that open education, training and employment pathways to those facing ingrained barriers to participation. Learn more here.
2. Initiatives that develop community sport as a pathway to inclusion and cultural connection for those facing ingrained barriers to participation. Learn more here.
View our eligibility requirements for Community Grants here.
— Programs with a main focus on mental health or directly addressing illness and disease
— Programs with a main focus on disability (unless directly related to employment pathways)
— General fundraising projects or appeals
— Building bricks and mortar infrastructure or facilities for community sport
— Travel, study or conferences (unless incidental to a project)
— Individuals
— Applications with a religious, political or sectarian purpose
See our resource hub for a sample of our expression of interest form.
The Bennelong Foundation team considers each expression of interest and application on how it does the following:
— Shows prudent governance at the organisation;
— Demonstrates alignment between the project’s, and the Foundation’s goals;
— Articulates the project’s goals and how success will be gauged;
— Identifies the number of direct and indirect beneficiaries;
— Articulates risks; and
— Demonstrates how the organisation has the capability and capacity to deliver the project.
Expressions of interest opened on July 10, 2024 and closed on August 14, 2024. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with 2025 funding opportunities.
The Foundation has a focus on funding goal-orientated outcomes, but will consider capacity-building funding as well.
The Foundation believes strongly in two-way partnerships in which both parties can learn and grow. Each grant comes with funding for a leader to build their capabilities in meaningfully influencing for impact. We also explore non-monetary support via volunteering, networking and use of the Bangarra Group buildings and facilities.
Community Grants
Our annual Community Grant round typically opens in Winter. Follow us on social media to stay up to date.
