Yarra Community Grants Program

The Yarra Community Grants Program funds community driven projects that improve access to, and the quality of, social, economic and cultural life across the neighbourhoods, shared spaces and communities of the City of Yarra.

Projects funded through the program must align with the following three principles:

Promote Access and Equity — Actively remove barriers and promote fair access, ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds and with varying needs can participate and benefit.

Deliver Local Benefit — Provide clear and tangible benefits to the municipality— supporting its people, neighbourhoods and public spaces—while fostering local development, wellbeing and inclusion.

Enable Participation — Promote community engagement to foster wellbeing and social, cultural and economic participation while enabling connections between community members to strengthen social cohesion.

There are three levels of grants:

Small (up to $4,000)

Small grants are suited to short-term, low-cost initiatives – typically volunteer-led and involving fewer than 50 participants – such as social events, recurring community gatherings, or pilot activities with minimal logistics and reporting requirements. 

Medium ($4,001–$20,000)

Medium grants support multi-activity projects or short-term programs with moderate staffing, engagement, and evaluation needs.

Large ($20,001–$40,000)

Large grants fund more intensive, longer-term or partnership-driven initiatives that involve formal governance, significant coordination, and the potential for broad or sustained community impact

There are six funding streams:

• First Peoples Self-Determination and Partnerships
• Healthy, Inclusive and Connected Communities
• Vibrant and Resilient Local Economies
• Creative City and Cultural Participation
• A Climate-Resilient and Adapted City
• Safe, Clean and Welcoming Neighbourhoods

There will be one round annually, and three sizes of grants available – small up to $4,000; medium $4,001 – $20,000; and large $20,001 – $40,000. Small grants will be available through the year until each stream funding pool is exhausted (or close on Monday 25 May 2026 at 8pm)

The Yarra Community Grants Program 2026 grant round has closed for medium and large grants. There is still limited funding available for small grants in the Vibrant and Resilient Local Economies and Safe, Clean and Welcoming Neighbourhoods streams.

We encourage prospective applicants to begin their preparations early for the 2027 grant round. 

Key dates for the 2027 Yarra Community Grants Program:

Please note, our grant round dates have changed.  New dates will be confirmed soon. 

2027 Yarra Community Grant Information Sessions

• Monday 22 June 2026, 10am - 11am.  
  • In person, interpreter dedicated information session, please let us know what language you need - email us or submit a language request online.
  • Cantonese and Mandarin interpreters have already been requested and will be available on the day.  
  • Let us know if you need another language. 

  • Venue: Richmond Town Hall Meeting room (upstairs), 333 Bridge Road, Richmond.

     

• Thursday 25 June 2026, 10am - 11am. 
  • In person, no booking required. 
  • Venue: Richmond Town Hall Meeting room (upstairs), 333 Bridge Road, Richmond.

• Wednesday 22 July 2026, 5pm - 6pm.   
  • Online Webinar. Register to attend.  
  • The recording will be added to our website afterward.

Reviewing the  2026 Grant Guidelines [ PDF, 1.61 MB]  will provide valuable insight into the documentation and information required for an application. 

When preparing an application for a grant, please consider the following:

• If you are already running a similar program or event – make sure you are collecting data. How many people are involved in preparing/presenting? How many people are involved/attending/participating? Take photographs, short videos or participant surveys to include in future grant applications.
• Do you work with another organisation or community group? Would they be able to give you a letter of support? Would they be interested in partnering with you for future programs or projects?
• Have you looked to see if anyone else in the area or community is successfully doing what you plan to do? Can you get involved with their project, or partner with them? We have lists of past successful grant recipients on our website.
• Do you have your financial records up to date?
• Have you sourced Public Liability Insurance (PLI)?
• Do you need an auspice body? If so, start approaching them with your project idea early.
• Have you signed up to our newsletter to be informed of grant round dates and training opportunities?
• Don’t forget our free resource the Yarra Grant Finder through Grant Guru – find Australia-wide grants.

Thorough preparation can enhance the quality of your application. 

Prior grant approval does not guarantee approval for subsequent grants. 

Our grants are very competitive.  We receive many more applications than there is funding.