Community Grants
Community Development Grants
Gardiner Foundation’s Community Development Grants invest in locally led projects that strengthen the social fabric of Victoria’s dairy communities.
Delivered in collaboration with regional community foundations, the program recognises the value of local insight and leadership in driving meaningful outcomes. In 2024, Gardiner partnered with the South West Community Foundation, Gippsland Community Foundation, Border Trust and Greater Shepparton Foundation to distribute $150,000 in grants to projects that foster connection, wellbeing and resilience.
Funding of up to $10,000 is available for initiatives that promote social interaction, enhance wellbeing, enable digital inclusion, and improve access and mobility.
About Community Development Grants
Gardiner Community Development Grants leverage the rich local knowledge and skills of Victoria’s dairying communities to support locally-led initiatives that strengthen the social fabric and connectivity of Victoria’s dairying communities.
Approaches to social connectivity may include, but are not limited to, initiatives that:
- Promote social interaction and community participation
- Enhance wellbeing
- Enable digital inclusion, and/or
- Improve mobility and access to community
Projects must seek to benefit disadvantaged or marginalised people or groups in Victoria’s dairying communities, particularly those that intersect with the dairy supply chain. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for events & workshops, equipment, project or service delivery and/or training & education.
Contact
Please directly contact your local community foundation for further information on the grant guidelines and application process.
- Gippsland Community Foundation info@gippslandcf.org.au
- South West Community Foundation info@southwestcommunityfoundation.org
- Border Trust hello@communitygrants.org.au
- Greater Shepparton hello@communitygrants.org.au
Community Investment Grants
Gardiner Foundation’s Community Investment Grants provide multi-year funding for community resources and initiatives that positively address the adaptations and transitions occurring in Victoria’s dairying communities.
Victorian dairying communities are undergoing significant adaptation and transformation in response to the intersecting pressures of climate change, industry evolution, infrastructure development, connection and workforce dynamics. Climate change is altering seasonal cycles and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events. Farm numbers have declined as farms are getting bigger and more sophisticated, prompting innovation in business models, succession and sustainability practices.
Access to skilled labour in regional areas remains challenging and is reshaping community demographics and prompting the need for investment in regional community initiatives. Gardiner believes that dairying communities know best what they need to thrive.
This program is delivered in collaboration with Australian Communities Foundation (ACF). The aim is to distribute Investment Grants of up to $75,000 ($25,000 per annum x 3 years) are available for: seed funding; project or service delivery; data and regional metrics to inform community planning, policy and development; coaching, accelerators and program support; events and workshops; training and education; and equipment.
Contact
Applications are now closed. To learn more about the program, read the guidelines and application process via the ACF website or download here.