What is Volunteer Grants 2010?
Volunteer Grants 2010 recognises the valuable work of Australia’s volunteers and is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting volunteers, assisting disadvantaged communities and encouraging social inclusion to assist vulnerable people within our society. Funding of $21 million is available to eligible non-profit community organisations to assist their volunteers and encourage volunteering.
Volunteer Grants 2010 provides funding between $1,000 and $5,000 to help non-profit organisations to:
- Contribute towards the costs of training courses for volunteers and/or undertaking background screening checks for volunteers; and/or
- Purchase portable, tangible, small equipment items to help volunteers; and/or
- Contribute towards fuel reimbursement for their volunteers, including those who use their cars to transport others to activities, deliver food and assist people in need.
Call for Applications
The Volunteer Grants 2010 funding round will open on Friday 12 March 2010 and will close on Friday 16 April 2010 at 2 pm AEST. The ‘online’ electronic form or the paper Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Form is the only approved form that will be considered when applying for grant funding.
On-line (electronic) Applications
Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Forms are available from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) website (www.fahcsia.gov.au) and can be accessed, completed and submitted directly online via the website. Alternatively, applications can be downloaded, saved, completed and submitted by email to Volunteer Grants 2010 (vg2010applications@fahcsia.gov.au).
Applications must be lodged by 2 pm AEST Friday 16 April 2010.
Applicants using Apple Mac computers or experiencing technical difficulties in using the electronic Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Form, please call the hotline on 1800 183 374.
Paper-based Applications
Requests for paper-based Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Forms and Application Guidelines can be made to the toll-free Volunteer Grants hotline on 1800 183 374. A typeable PDF or Word version of the paper application form is also available upon request.
Paper application forms can be submitted by post and mailed to:
Volunteer Grants 2010
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Locked Bag 5001
TUGGERANONG BC ACT 2901
Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Forms postmarked after Friday 16 April 2010 or sent to an alternative address may not be included in the assessment process.
National Relay Service and TTY Users
The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) uses the National Relay Service (NRS) to ensure FaHCSIA contact numbers are accessible to people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
To access the Volunteer Grants hotline:
- TTY users - phone 1800 555 677 then ask for 1800 183 374.
- Speak and Listen (speech-to-speech relay) users – phone 1800 555 727 then ask for 1800 183 374.
- Internet relay users - visit the National Relay Service website (www.relayservice.com.au) and ask for 1800 183 374.
Eligibility Information for Organisations
Eligibility of Organisations
FaHCSIA can only enter into a Funding Agreement with an organisation that is a legal entity. If an organisation is not a legal entity, an eligible sponsor organisation may apply for funding on your behalf. An organisation may sponsor a maximum of 50 Volunteer Grants 2010 Applications.
Eligible organisations must be Australian non-profit organisations:
- Whose volunteers’ work is aimed at supporting families and/or communities in Australia; and
- Which are legal entities, such as, but not limited to:
- Incorporated Associations – incorporated under State/Territory legislation (commonly have ‘Association’, ‘Incorporated’ or ‘Inc’ in their legal name)
- Incorporated Cooperatives – incorporated under State/Territory legislation (commonly have ‘Cooperative’ in their legal name)
- Companies – non-profit proprietary companies or public companies, incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001
- Aboriginal Corporations
- Organisations established through a specific piece of Australian or State/Territory legislation (for example, many public benevolent institutions, churches)
- Trustees on behalf of a trust.
Organisations that are ineligible to apply will not be funded, these include but are not limited to:
- For-profit organisations, partnerships, research foundations or trusts, professional associations, statutory authorities
- Organisations that are not legal entities
- Local Government entities
Exception: Local Government entities may sponsor a non-profit organisation with volunteers in the following circumstances:
- where an organisation is not a legal entity in its own right; and
- the Local Government entity is the only or most reasonable option to sponsor the organisation in the community.
- Australian and State/Territory Government departments
Exception: a State Government educational institution may sponsor the local parent & friends association in the following circumstances:
- where a parent association/committee is not a legal entity in its own right, for example a parents and friends association; or
- on behalf of a school council/board whose legal status is linked to the school’s governing body, such as a State Government school.
If you are not sure about your organisations legal entity status please consult with your Treasurer or Financial Officer. Alternatively the Volunteer Grants toll-free hotline is available on 1800 183 374 to assist you with any questions you may have.
Applications sponsoring non-legal entities
An unincorporated group or organisation that does not have a separate and specific legal existence generally cannot, in the name of the group and independently of the members of that group, own or hold property, sue or be sued or enter into legally binding agreements, such as Funding Agreements. Accordingly, FaHCSIA will not enter into a Funding Agreement with an unincorporated organisations.
If your organisation is not a legal entity, an eligible sponsor organisation can apply on your behalf. The sponsoring organisation must be an eligible non-profit organisation that has the necessary legal entity status to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department and to administer the funding on your behalf. For example, if you are part of a larger organisation, the parent or head office organisation may be able to apply on your behalf.
Sponsored organisations must also be Australian non-profit organisations whose volunteers’ work is aimed at supporting families and/or communities in Australia. Sponsored organisations must be clearly established community-based entities.
Important Note: Organisations may sponsor a maximum of 50 Volunteer Grant 2010 Applications. Should a sponsoring body sponsor in excess of 50 Applications only the first 50 will be assessed as eligible by the Department and this decision will be final.
Eligibility of Items
Organisations may apply for a contribution towards the costs of training courses for volunteers, background checks, small equipment items, and/or a contribution towards fuel reimbursement for volunteers.
All items requested in a Volunteer Grants 2010 application must be eligible for funding or the application may not be considered. A list of the most commonly requested eligible items is shown at Attachment A. You are not required to list specific brand names or model numbers when applying for item funding.
Contribution to the reimbursement of Training costs
A contribution towards the cost of training courses is available to assist volunteers to obtain skills and qualifications in their volunteering role. Training courses may include, but are not limited to, general and mental health first aid, leadership, communication skills, governance and/or working with vulnerable people training courses. Recognised courses leading to a Statement of Attainment, Certificate or Diploma are preferred.
Eligible training costs include, but are not limited to:
- Structured courses delivered by Registered Training Organisations or qualified trainers, individual or group sessions
- Accredited training courses
- Units of competency within a qualification or training package
- Nationally recognised courses, usually leading to a Statement of Attainment, Certificate or Diploma.
Not eligible training costs include:
- Venue hire
- Travel to and from training
- Already funded from other sources
- Not reasonably costed
- Training materials and books, other than those included as part of the funded course(s).
Contribution to costs of undertaking background screening checks for volunteers
A contribution to background screening costs for volunteers is available to assist organisations with the costs of undertaking checks such as, police checks and working with children or vulnerable people checks. These checks are often mandatory and/or desirable when engaging volunteers, particularly when the volunteers are working with children or vulnerable people.
Eligible background screening checks include:
- Criminal record checks
- Police checks and Police Certificates
- Working with children checks
- Working with vulnerable people checks
Not eligible background check costs include:
- Already funded from other sources
- Not reasonably costed.
Small equipment
Small equipment items must be portable, tangible and for the primary benefit of the volunteers. Equipment items should not be for the exclusive benefit of the organisation, clients and participants, or for private purposes.
Eligible small equipment items may include:
- Small equipment items, such as computers, air conditioners and barbeques
- A set or package of small, individually low-cost closely related items, such as a range of gardening equipment
- Set-up items essential to the initial use of the main equipment item (e.g. if purchasing a barbeque, a gas bottle can be included)
- Part funding of an eligible small equipment item that costs up to $10,000
- Installation costs for eligible items
- Delivery/freight for eligible items.
A consolidated list of not eligible items (but not limited to) is provided to help organisations with the selection of items:
- Already funded from other sources
- Primarily for the benefit of the organisation, clients or participants and not the volunteers (e.g. mobile phones, sporting equipment for participants, travel, toys, tents, backpacks)
- Already purchased
- Not reasonably costed
- Vehicles and powered boats, including motors (ride-on mowers are acceptable), for example cars, tractors, speed boats
- Buildings, permanent fixtures and renovations including: plumbing, kitchens, hot water systems, shipping containers and fencing (Exceptions: air conditioners, stoves, small demountable garden sheds, and water tanks)
- Conference and function costs
- Consumables including food, books, paper, sunscreen, maps, cleaning products, toners, soil and the refilling of gas bottles
- Service charges, including additional or extended warranties, maintenance, plumbing and other labour costs except on approved purpose-built items such as a trailer for lifting wheelchairs
- Subscription fees (e.g. magazine), internet connection fees, mobile phone charges or registration costs
- Advertising, logos and banners, or sign-writing or branding costs for items
- Heart rate monitors
- Bedding, sleeping bags and blanket (other than fire blankets), backpacks, hydration packs
- Clothing, uniforms and hats
- Public transport; including train, taxi and bus fare
- Administrative costs and staff costs
- Hire; including venue, transport and equipment
- ‘Pooling’ of grant funds between organisations to purchase an item
- Items not permitted in your local area under local council rules and regulations. For example, tree planters, weed sprayers and seed collection kits are restricted in some areas.
Contribution to the reimbursement of fuel costs
A contribution towards the reimbursement of fuel/petrol costs is available for volunteers who incur these costs directly when undertaking their volunteering activities.
Eligible fuel costs include:
- All motor vehicle fuels, including petrol, diesel and gas.
Not-eligible fuel costs include:
- Already funded from other sources
- Not reasonably costed
- Travel that is not part of the volunteers’ work
- Fuel to operate the organisation’s equipment, vehicles or machinery
- Fuel for buses or tractors
- Taxi fares or public transport costs.
Further Information about Eligibility
If you are unsure about the eligibility of your organisation or requested equipment item(s), call the toll‑free hotline on 1800 183 374 or email your query to vg2010@fahcsia.gov.au.
How to Apply
The Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Form is available electronically from the FaHCSIA website. The electronic form is quick and easy to use, and submits directly to the Department. Paper-based copies of the form can be requested on the toll-free Volunteer Grants hotline on 1800 183 374.
Online/electronic Applications
The Volunteer Grants 2010 online/electronic Application Form and Application Guidelines are available on the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs' (FaHCSIA) website. All completed online applications must be received by 2 pm AEST on Friday 16 April 2010.
Please telephone the toll-free Volunteer Grants hotline on 1800 183 374 for assistance should you have any technical issues while applying online. During the application period there may be short, scheduled outages to the online application facility. Notification of these system outages will be on the FaHCSIA website.
Please note: Online applications should not be printed and submitted in hard copy because important information may not appear on the printed copy and the application may not be able to be assessed.
Applicants using Apple Mac computers or applicants experiencing technical difficulties in using the electronic Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Form, please call the hotline on 1800 183 374.
Paper-based Applications
A paper application form for Volunteer Grants 2010 can be requested by phoning the toll-free hotline on 1800 183 374 or by email at vg2010@fahcsia.gov.au. A typeable PDF or Word version of the paper application form is also available. You can type your information into this form, and then print a copy.
To be included in the Volunteer Grants 2010 assessment process, completed paper application forms must be postmarked no later than Friday 16 April 2010.
Please sign and post your completed paper-based application to:
Volunteer Grants 2010
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Locked Bag 5001
Tuggeranong BC ACT 2901
Note:
- Volunteer Grants 2010 funding is limited to $21 million and applications will be prioritised according to how strongly they meet the selection criteria.
- Only one application can be submitted on behalf of an organisation. If more than one application is submitted, only one application will be considered for funding.
- A sponsor organisation may also apply in their own right.
- An organisation may sponsor a maximum of 50 Volunteer Grants 2010 Applications.
- Only Volunteer Grants 2010 online/electronic applications, submitted via the Department’s website or emailed to vg2010@fahcsia.gov.au or Volunteer Grants 2010 paper applications submitted by post, will be accepted.
- Online/electronic Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Forms will not be accepted after 2 pm AEST Friday 16 April 2010.
- Paper-based application forms postmarked after Friday 16 April 2010 or sent to an alternate address may not be accepted.
- Do not send additional documents, attachments or equipment quotes with your application.
- The Department reserves the right to request further information, if required.
- Faxed applications will not be accepted.
Questions and Answers
A questions and answers facility for Volunteer Grants 2010 is available. You can email questions to theVolunteer Grants Team at vg2010@fahcsia.gov.au or call the hotline toll-free on 1800 183 374. FaHCSIA will respond to questions within five working days.
Note: There is a list of frequently asked questions and answers on the Department’s website. Responses to questions of interest to applicants may be added to the list during the application period, as necessary.
Further Information
A help facility in the form of hover boxes also provides useful information to assist applicants complete the online/electronic form. Section 2 of these Guidelines provides information on how to complete the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Form.
Paper copies of the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Forms and Application Guidelines can be emailed or posted to applicants on request.
The toll-free hotline number 1800 183 374, is available if you require further information about the Volunteer Grants 2010.
How will Applications be assessed?
The Selection Criteria
Funding is limited and applications will be assessed and prioritised according to how strongly they meet the selection criteria. Applications will be ranked on the following selection criteria:
- The level of disadvantage of the community, based on the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). Organisations volunteering in disadvantaged communities will be rated more highly.
- Whether the organisation contributes to social inclusion (see below) by assisting disadvantaged and vulnerable, individuals, families and communities, and by including people with little previous involvement in volunteering, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, as volunteers in their organisations. Organisations that contribute to social inclusion and assist the disadvantaged will be rated highly.
- The size of your organisation’s budget. Organisations with a smaller budget will be rated highly.
- The volunteer-to-paid staff ratio and the number of volunteers. The more volunteer staff the organisation has in comparison to paid staff, the higher the application will be rated.
- The cost of the requested item/s. The smaller the requested amount, the higher the application will be rated.
- The number of volunteers who will benefit from training, background checks, items, and/or fuel. The higher the number of volunteers to directly benefit from the items, the higher the application will be rated.
- Whether your organisation received funding under Volunteer Grants 2009, in your own right or as a sponsored organisation. Preference will be given to organisations that did not receive Volunteer Grants 2009 funding.
Social Inclusion
Social Inclusion is a priority of the Commonwealth Government. The Government’s vision of a socially inclusive society is one in which all Australians feel valued and have the opportunity to participate fully in the life of our society.
Achieving this vision means that all Australians will have the resources, opportunities and capability to:
- Learn by participating in education and training
- Work by participating in employment, in voluntary work and in family and caring
- Engage by connecting with people and using their local community’s resources
- Have a voice so that they can influence decisions that affect them.
The Government has identified six early priority areas in which to focus its work of addressing social exclusion and increasing social inclusion:
- Supporting children at greatest risk of long term disadvantage by providing health, education and family relationship services.
- Helping jobless families with children by helping the unemployed into sustainable employment and their children into a good start in life.
- Focusing on the locations of greatest disadvantage by tailoring place-based approaches in partnerships with the community.
- Assisting in the employment of people with disability or mental illness by creating employment opportunities and building community support.
- Addressing the incidence of homelessness by providing more housing and support services.
- Closing the gap for Indigenous Australians with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, access to early childhood education, educational achievement and employment outcomes.
In developing programs for increasing participation by these priority groups, the Government is also committed to helping vulnerable new arrivals and refugees.
More information is available from the Social Inclusion website.
Stolen Generations: The term ‘Stolen Generations’ generally refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities by government, welfare or church authorities as children and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the mid-1800s and continued until 1970. This removal occurred as the result of official laws and policies aimed at assimilating the Indigenous population into the wider community.
Forgotten Australians and former child migrants: The term ‘Forgotten Australians’ refers to around 500,000 Australians, or ‘care leavers’, who experienced institutional or out of home care as children in the 20th Century. Former child migrants were unaccompanied children brought to Australia from the United Kingdom and Malta under government approved child migrant schemes in the 20th Century. Around 7,000 children were placed in charitable or religious institutional care, and many suffered abuse and neglect during care. The Prime Minister delivered a National Apology to the Forgotten Australians and former child migrants on 16 November 2009.
What Happens Next?
Assessment of Applications
The Volunteer Grants 2010 is a competitive process. All eligible applications will be assessed against the selection criteria and rated on merit. A large volume of applications is anticipated and the assessment process will take around three months.
Successful Applicants
Successful applicants will be emailed (where possible) or posted a Letter of Funding and asked to accept the Terms and Conditions between the organisation and the Department. Funded organisations are responsible for ensuring the Terms and Conditions of the Letter of Funding are met. Funds will be made available once the Letter of Funding has been returned by the organisation and accepted by the Department. The funds can only be paid to the organisation that applied under the Volunteer Grants 2010.
GST Status of Volunteer Grants
Volunteer Grants’ payments are ‘GST out-of-scope’ and are not subject to GST. Successful organisations will be issued with a remittance advice when the grant payment is made.
Acquittal
The Department may require you to provide proof of purchase and to allow the Australian Government’s auditors to look at your records. Original receipts are required as proof of purchase for all items. Receipts must be retained for five years. It is the responsibility of the organisation to maintain a complete set of records for acquittal purposes, including receipts for all contributions for the reimbursement of fuel. It is not necessary to send receipts to the Department, unless requested to do so.
Fuel Acquittal
There are four options that provide the necessary record keeping requirements for fuel cost reimbursement funding:
- Volunteers can maintain a log book for all volunteer motor vehicle trips. The log book would be sufficient proof of fuel costs incurred by the volunteer(s). The log book should include details of each trip (date, from/to, reason for trip) and record the kilometres travelled (meter readings).
- An organisation may set up an account at a local service station with authority for volunteers to charge their approved fuel to the account which would be paid direct by the organisation. Account receipts would be sufficient proof of expenditure.
- Copies of actual fuel expenditure receipts.
- Pre-paid petrol cards. Payment receipts would be sufficient proof of expenditure.
Unsuccessful Applicants
All unsuccessful organisations that submit a Volunteer Grants 2010 application by the closing date will be advised of the outcome in writing and given the opportunity to seek feedback on their application.
Additional Terms and Conditions
- Applicants: You must provide all information requested and ensure the information is complete and accurate so your application can be assessed. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. FaHCSIA will not follow up information that is incomplete, not legible or incorrect. Keep a copy of your application for your own records. If more than one application is submitted, only one application will be considered for funding.
- Department: The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) will answer requests for assistance about questions on the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Form or content in the Application Guidelines, but cannot respond to queries about the status of an application.
The Department reserves the right to make all decision on an application, which is final.
FaHCSIA reserves the right to amend the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Guidelines by whatever means it may determine in its absolute discretion and will provide reasonable notice of these amendments. FaHCSIA also reserves the right to mark any application ineligible if it has concerns about the genuineness of the information provided or where the application has not been submitted in the spirit of the program.
- Late applications: FaHCSIA may reject any application lodged after the closing date. If an application is late, FaHCSIA may determine that there were exceptional circumstances beyond the applicant’s control that meant the deadline could not be met. The applicant will need to supply documentary evidence to support this. Any decision by FaHCSIA to accept or not accept a late application will be final.
- Complaints handling for the Volunteer Grants 2010 selection process: Complaints will be dealt with under the FaHCSIA Complaints Management System. The Complaints Management System ensures that any problems that you have with FaHCSIA’s services, decisions or policies are taken seriously and dealt with promptly. In the first instance contact:
Project Manager
Volunteer Grants 2010
Community Investment Branch
Locked Bag 5001
Tuggeranong BC ACT 2901
If you still feel your issue or complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily, then you will need to contact the FaHCSIA Complaints Team on 1800 634 035 or by emailing complaints@fahcsia.gov.au. The Complaints Team will work with you to satisfactorily resolve the complaint or suggest further action as appropriate.
If you are dissatisfied at any time with the handling of your complaint, you can also contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman. For more information please see the FaHCSIA website - Compliments, Suggestions and Complaints.
- Disclaimer: The Department and its officers, employees, agents and advisors:
- are not, and will not be, responsible or liable for the accuracy or completeness of any information in or provided in connection with the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Guidelines and Application Forms;
- make no express or implied representation or warranty that any statement as to future matters will prove correct;
- disclaim any and all liability arising from any information provided to the applicant, including, without limitation, errors in, or omissions contained in, that information;
- except so far as liability under any statute cannot be excluded, accept no responsibility arising in any way from errors or omissions contained in any information in the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Guidelines and Application Forms; and
- accept no liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of that person, or any other person, placing reliance on the contents of the Volunteer Grants 2010 Application Guidelines and Application Forms, or any other information provided by the Department.
- Privacy: Any personal information you provide is protected under the Privacy Act 1988. The information provided in your application will be used for the purpose of Volunteer Grants 2010 and may be considered as part of any future funding application or business dealings you may have with FaHCSIA. The Department will not release any personal or business information to any individual or organisation unless required by law or upon your consent.