Grants Available for Victorian NFPs

Not for Profit organisations working around Melbourne are invited to apply to the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation for a 2011 grant.

To be eligible, organisations must have Deductible Gift Recipient Item 1 status, and must be working to assist people within the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area.

Through their successful fundraising efforts, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation hopes to be able to provide over 400 grants in 2011 through their General Grants programs to support the work Not for Profit organisations.

Last year the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation distributed $3.17 million through the General Grants program, and a further $1.67 million as Major Grants.

There are two grant categories under which organisations may be eligible: ‘General Grant’ and ‘Major Grant’.

General Grants

General Grants will predominantly focus on the areas of: ‘Family’, ‘Health’, and ‘Life Care’. There will be a lesser focus on the areas of: ‘The Arts, Sport & Education’, and ‘Environment’.

Grants of up to $40,000 are available in this category (the average General Grant amount in 2010, across all categories, was $14,000.)

To download the 2011 General Grant application form, click here. The form can also be obtained by calling 9633 0021 or by visiting http://www.lmcf.org.au/content/apply-for-a-grant

General Grant applications close on Thursday 31 March, 2011.

Major Grants

Major Grants are each valued at up to $150,000 over one year, or up to $300,000 over two years. In 2011 Major Grants are focused on three broad areas: ‘Homelessness’, ‘Youth’, and ‘Ageing’. Expressions of Interest are invited by Monday 31 January, 2011, from organisations that have not previously received a Major Grant, and are assisting, or will assist people in one or more of the following ‘priority areas’:

Homelessness 

• Early intervention 
• Employment and training opportunities
• Collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders

Youth

• Youth mental wellbeing
• Young people in out-of-home care
• Multicultural youth

Ageing

• Social isolation
• Ageing parents of adult children with disabilities
• Cultural diversity in ageing

Funding isn’t just limited to programs that fit neatly into the Foundation’s priority areas, according to Leigh Wallace, Director of Grants and Philanthropy.

Wallace says the Foundation wants the sector to see they are responsive to their needs, so if a community organisation can articulate what a crying need is in the population with whom they work, they should present their case for a grant application.

For more information visit http://www.lmcf.org.au/