Volunteer Grants 2010 overview
There was a very strong response from community organisations around Australia for the $21 million Volunteer Grants 2010. More than 15,700 applications were received and over 6,000 organisations were successful in receiving funding to assist an estimated 254,000 volunteers across Australia.
The standard of applications was high overall, making the selection process very competitive. All applications received were assessed against the selection criteria outlined in the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Guidelines.
General feedback to assist organisations when applying for future funding is provided below.
Other funding options can be sourced at:
If you have any further queries, please contact the Volunteer Grants 2010 hotline on 1800 183 374 (9am to 5pm AEST, Monday to Friday), TTY: 1800 555 677, or via email to vg2010@fahcsia.gov.au.
General feedback for future Volunteer Grants applications
These tips provide guidance in completing applications for Volunteer Grants funding.
- It is important to read all available information provided about Volunteer Grants when applying for funding, especially the Application Guidelines. The Application Guidelines are specific to each funding round and provide information on the intent and purpose of the program that will help organisations apply for grant funding.
- The Volunteer Grants Application Guidelines also includes helpful information on the Application Form and details on each relevant section, including guidance on answering each specific question in the Application Form. The Application Guidelines also provides important information on the selection criteria.
- Organisations are encouraged to check their responses in the Application Form to ensure that all questions are answered. It is vital that organisations check that no technical glitch has occurred during the data entry process to ensure that all answers to questions have been included and saved into the Application Form. Answers to questions are often left blank in the transposing of information into the Application Form and the final saved version, which is forwarded to Volunteer Grants for assessment. This lack of information impacts on the assessment of the application.
- It is important to note that Volunteer Grants is a very competitive community based funding opportunity and meeting the selection criteria does not necessarily guarantee success.
- Organisations are required to be a legal entity to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department, if deemed successful under Volunteer Grants. Organisations that are not a legal entity in their own right are required to seek an eligible sponsor organisation that meets the Volunteer Grants Application Guidelines, including the necessary legal status, to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department.
- Organisations need to clearly establish their legal entity status to ensure that their organisation has the required legal standing to apply for Volunteer Grants. Organisations are encouraged to seek this information on the legal entity status from their organisation’s finance officer, accountant or the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Further information on legal entity type is outlined in the Application Guidelines.
- Applications must be completed correctly. Organisations need to clearly understand the questions and how to fill out the Application Form. Volunteer Grants hotline staff are available to assist organisations apply for funding.
- Items requested are required to meet the eligibility criteria of Volunteer Grants. The description of items needs to be stated clearly and accurately. The cost of the requested item/s influences the rating of the application, as noted in the Application Guidelines.
- The minimum and maximum funding limits need to be strictly adhered to when applying for Volunteer Grants funding.
- Please keep written answers accurate, clear and within the specified word limits. Any text provided in excess of the prescribed limit may not be taken into account.
- Organisations are advised to prepare early and allow plenty of time to meet the application closing date. Please note that it is the organisation’s responsibility to ensure their application is received by the Department by the scheduled closing date. If posting your application, make sure the application is sent to the correct address noted on the Application Form.
- Check your application and answers for completeness and accuracy before submitting your application.
- Information on Volunteer Grants is outlined in the Application Guidelines.
- Organisations can seek individual feedback on their application for a period of 90 days after announcement, by contacting the Volunteer Grants hotline on 1800 183 374 or by email request to vg2010@fahcsia.gov.au.