Grants to help deliver projects and activities that foster a sense of community, build capacity within our community and enhance the quality of life for local Central Coast residents and more.

Available Funding

Total funding available per financial year is $300,000. Applications can be made for funding of $20,000

Expected Program Outcomes:

Each application is required to address a minimum of one of the following community outcomes identified:

• Community benefit to be aligned to One Coast Community Strategic Plan 2018-28. 
• Increase in community identity and connections, including increased understanding of community issues and needs.
• Increase in number of people feeling a strong sense of connection within their local community, including social inclusion.
• Increase in knowledge and appreciation of our local history, environment, culture and diversity.
• Improve our quality of life
• Build community expertise, capacity, networks and skills.
• Enhance sense of local identity.

Types of Activities/Projects Supported:

• Projects that create, diversify or enhance participation in the community; or that provide benefits to address an identified community need.
• Projects that aim to increase social inclusion. 
• Non-infrastructure projects that enhance and improve accessibility options for the community. 
• Projects that increase community identity and connections enabling the community to come together and address community safety, identify emerging community needs and social issues.
• Projects that increase the skills and knowledge of a community organisation to better understand and serve the community through responding to community issues and needs.
• Projects that address environmental issues and concerns or contribute to environmental education and awareness.
• Creative community projects involving arts practitioners collaborating with communities.
• Projects that include the contracting of professionals including facilitators, producers and project managers to deliver the project outcome and/or develop community organisations skills. 
• Cost of Public Liability insurance linked directly to the project. 
• Projects that include the hire or purchase of non-fixed equipment and materials that provide a demonstrated community benefit beyond the life of the grant (request for purchase of equipment needs to demonstrate how the equipment relates to the overall objective/outcome of the event/project/activity).
• Hire of Council facilities and services.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a legally constituted not-for-profit organisation or be auspiced by a legally constituted not-for-profit organisation.
• A modest auspice fee will be considered for legally constituted not-forprofit organisations who auspice an applicant.
• Applicants must operate within the Central Coast area and/or be able to demonstrate that the project will benefit residents of the Central Coast community.
• Applicants must meet the grant program eligibility criteria and address one or more of the program outcomes.
• Only one application per project, per financial year, may be successful in obtaining funding across any of Council’s grant funding programs.
• Central Coast based community run emergency service entities that are part of Government Departments and Agencies such as RFS, SES and VRA.
• Applicants must provide all required documentation as detailed in section eleven (11) of the Community Development Guidelines.

The following are ineligible:

• Late or incomplete applications.
• Proposals from Government Departments, agencies or any Council, with the exception of Central Coast based community run emergency service entities.
• Expenditure for equipment not related to the specific project proposed.
• Events, projects or activities with a religious, political or sectarian purpose, where that purpose may exclude or offend members of the broader community.
• Applications seeking funds for retrospective projects and activities commencing, or project items purchased, prior to two (2) months from the end of the grant closing date. (For example, applications submitted by deadline of 30 June must commence no sooner than 1 September in order to be eligible).
• General fundraising appeals.
• Existing projects or programs that require additional funding.
• A project, event, service or activity which in the opinion of the assessment panel would be better funded by State or Federal Government, or by corporate sponsorship or a philanthropic trust. 
• Applicants in a position to self-fund the project. 
• Proposals from employees or Councillors of Central Coast Council (both in a paid or voluntary capacity).
• Proposals that duplicate a project, service or activity already existing within the Local Government Area. 
• A project, event, service or activity which primarily benefits a single individual or business.
• Applications seeking funds for prize money and gift vouchers.
• Applications seeking funds for personal benefit such as travel, meal or accommodation costs including costs to undertake activity outside or to the region. 
• Proposals that are for funding the core business of the organisation.
• Works to buildings or property.
• Routine maintenance or works to Council owned buildings that are a lease obligation of the Management Committee. 
• Purchase of land or buildings.
• Applicants who have an unresolved debt to Council. 
• Applications seeking funds for existing salaried or waged positions not related specifically to the proposed project.
• Applicants with an overdue acquittal or who have failed to appropriately acquit a previous Council grant.
• Routine maintenance or works to Council owned buildings that are a lease obligation of the Management Committee.

• Phone: 02 4325 8861
• Email: grants@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au