Sixty-four community organisations share in $170,578 from Council’s Community Grants Funding Program

A total of 64 community organisations will have the opportunity to deliver programs, projects and events in Maroondah after sharing in $170,578 as part of Council’s Community Grants Funding Program 2020/21.

Each year, Council offers eligible community organisations the opportunity to share in funding made available through its Community Grants Funding Program.

Funds are granted to incorporated or auspiced, not-for-profit community groups with limited access to financial resources and who can demonstrate their service or program makes a positive contribution to the Maroondah community.

A new grants scheme was introduced by Council this year to provide direct funding support to emergency relief agencies who deliver services to vulnerable community members within Maroondah.

Mayor, Councillor Mike Symon, said the funding would support valuable community projects and initiatives, as well as helping to improve facilities and services.

“This year’s recipients come from a broad range of community organisations, with a significant amount of funding being allocated to emergency relief, mental health programs, and programs that support children, youth, seniors, disability groups and our CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) community,” Cr Symon said.

The funding program offers three annual grant schemes:

Community Development Grants Scheme offers financial assistance of up to $5000 to not-for-profit community groups to develop programs, projects and events.

Small Equipment Grants Scheme is eligible for requests of $750 or less to cover small equipment purchases, printing costs or administration costs to incorporated/not-for-profit support groups.

Emergency Relief Grants Scheme offers funding of up to $5000 to assist groups to deliver programs and resources to vulnerable community members and those at risk of/or experiencing homelessness.

Some of the successful funding recipients include:

TLC Support Inc.: Funding to address food insecurity as part of social and support programs for disengaged community members. The Freedom Initiative Incorporated: Funding to provide emergency food relief to financially disadvantaged people; people at risk or experiencing homelessness and unemployed. Wellways Australia Limited: A not-for-profit mental health and disability support organisation, with funding to improve access to health care for rough sleepers. Maroondah Toy Library: New sensory-friendly toys The Babes Project: Birth and baby packs for at-risk families Eastern All-Abilities Netball Incorporated: Funding to aid a program that supports girls and boys with mild to medium intellectual disability. The MISFIT Project: Enabling the Pop Culture Conversation Club to deliver online platform.

“Council is pleased to be able to assist these groups to develop and deliver programs, projects and events for the Maroondah community which might otherwise have taken years of fundraising efforts to achieve,” Cr Symon said.

For a full list of the 2020/21 Community Grant Funding Program recipients visit the

Applications for the 2021/2022 Community Grants Funding Program open in March 2021.