Wellbeing Support Grants Program

About the Wellbeing and Support Grants Program

The Wellbeing and Support Grants Program helps to establish new organisations, projects and services.

It funds initiatives that:

• improve residents' health and wellbeing
• support opportunities for volunteering
• build the capacity of community groups, projects and programs to be sustainable.

Funding categories

There are 3 categories of funding:

Seeding grants (up to $5,000)

These grants can be used to support establishment costs of a new organisation, group, club, project, program or service.

Examples include:

• promotional material to advertise a new program or group
• incorporation fees
• insurance
• design costs for a newsletter or website
• purchase of small items of equipment.

Where insurance costs are requested in the set-up of an organisation, Council will commit to funding this cost for the first year only.

Other ongoing costs must be evidenced to be sustained without further Council support beyond the first year of its life.

Volunteering grants (up to $3,000)

These grants can be used to undertake a range of initiatives that will grow and develop volunteering within Cardinia Shire.

Examples include:

• establishing volunteering programs
• training and developing volunteers, where not mandated by regulation, nor within the scope of training that is provided by the organisation*
• promotion of volunteering opportunities.

*Applications cannot include requests for support for training already subsidised by Council.

Small change grants (up to $1,000)

These grants can be used to assist with a range of ad hoc costs that cannot be met through other funding sources.

Examples include:

• purchase of small items of equipment
• uniforms
• website redevelopment
• short term projects
• Christmas decorations.

Operating costs associated with the day-to-day running of an organisation/group will not be funded through small change grants. If the organisation/group cannot continue without the item/program/service then it is considered an operating cost.

What won't be funded

• Activities which are a primary or core service and/or responsibility of Council or State or Federal governments
• Initiatives from an individual rather than a group
• Private, profit-making organisations
• Political organisations
• Capital works projects (as defined in Council’s Community Capital Works Grants Policy)
• Public space/township beautification projects
• Replacement of existing equipment and/or furnishings at community and recreational facilities
• Maintenance of community or recreational facilities
• Events
• Operating costs
• Existing salaries

Is my group eligible?

To be eligible for this grants program, groups and organisations must be:

• not-for-profit; and
• locally based and/or servicing Cardinia Shire residents;
• a Community Asset Committee of Council; or
• incorporated (or be auspiced by an incorporated organisation – please note, Community Asset Committees cannot take on the function of an auspice).

If a licence, lease or funding agreement exists between Council and the community organisation, then the agreements need to be signed and current in order for applications to be considered.

Community groups with incomplete or outstanding projects are not eligible to apply for further projects and applications will not be considered.

Projects funded in 2025-26

The following organisations and projects have been funded for 2025-26

Seeding Grants

Volunteer Support Grants

Small Change Grants

Questions?

For more information contact our Community Development Team on 1300 787 624 or mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au