Community Grants Program - Round 2, 2025/2026

The Central Highlands Regional Council’s Community Grants Program aims to assist local community groups/organisations in making positive contributions to the quality of life in the local government area.

Groups/ organisations applying for Central Highlands Regional Council Grants are required to:

• Have the majority of members of the organisation/group reside in the Central Highlands Regional Council area.
• Operate predominately within the Central Highlands Regional Council boundaries.
• Have acquitted any previous Central Highlands Regional Council grant satisfactorily.
• Be free of debt with Central Highlands Regional Council.
• Be an incorporated ‘not-for-profit’ organisation or company limited by guarantee that has been endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a charity, tax exempt fund or deductible gift recipient. Note: religious organisations are not eligible.
• Unincorporated groups are able to apply, providing that their application is made through the appropriate incorporated body which supports the program, project or activity.
• Have relevant public liability insurance cover, except when the grant relates only to goods purchased and/or works undertaken by a suitably insured contractor.
• Make the facility or resource available to community through membership or other means.
• Demonstrate a clear need for financial support and show that other avenues of financial support have been explored (e.g. other grant funding).
• Submit the organisation’s most current financial statement (as submitted to the Office of Fair Trading) or latest treasurer’s report including bank balances covering previous 12 months.
• Submit a detailed budget for the program, project and/or activity and two quotes from registered businesses, for all items to be funded for the grant (including where possible at least one sourced in council boundaries).
• Provide in principle support from the land owner or trustee of the land prior to application submission.
• Sought advice regarding building works and  approval prior to application submission (if applicable).
• Have a signed Tenure Agreement if one has  been offered in excess of six months from the application date. (This criterion is applicable if you are operating from council land/building.)
• Be open for public membership

Please acknowledge you have read the full eligibility guidelines before completing this form

Applications can be submitted in the following categories to the maximum indicated:

• Community assistance – up to $5000
  • Organisations with a community focus, not providing organised sport and recreation activities.
  • The organisation’s constitution's main objective is to provide community benefit.
• Sport and recreation assistance – up to $5000
  • Organisations providing organised sport and recreation activities.
  • The organisation’s constitution's main objective is to provide organised sport and recreation activities.
• Community improvement – up to $20,000
  • Organisations with a focus on completing aspirations of their community in accordance with council's strategic documents.
  • This category is open to both community-focused organisations and sport and recreation organisations.

If you have an existing project plan or strategic plan these can be uploaded where prompted.

Alternatively, you can access templates below.

Click on the document name to access the template.

Project Plan

Strategic Plan