Community Grants Program

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Our Community Grants program helps create a community that is resilient, inclusive and thriving.

The program supports:

  • programs, activities, and services that create opportunities for community participation and social connection
  • programs, activities, and services that celebrate and support the diverse cultures of Hume
  • groups to try new and innovative community programs and activities
  • increased accessibility and inclusion for all members of the community
  • Community-led groups and volunteer.

We seek applications from not-for-profits, community groups and individuals in Hume City that align with Council’s values and vision.

You can find Council's Vision here and other strategies here.  

View the available annual and year round grants and previous recipients.

Helpful Information

All information on the application process is outlined in our Community Grants Program Application Guidelines. Printed copies of the guidelines are available on request. You can also watch our information videos.

Using Smartygrants

Applications for all Hume City Council Community Grants are made via SmartyGrants, an online portal.

  • If you are a new user, you will need to set up a login before you begin.
  • If you have previously used SmartyGrants for any application (not just Hume City Council) you can use the same email address.
  • SmartyGrants lets you complete sections of your application in stages, save your progress and return to it later (you don’t need to do it all at once). Your application will be stored online, so there’s no need to save it to your computer.

  • Allow plenty of time to complete your online application, so that if you run into difficulties, you have time to fix it.

  • As part of completing the form, you need to upload supporting documents. Files must be no greater than 25mb but are best kept under 5mb each

  • Please ensure the supporting documents you upload are the appropriate documents required for your application. See What documentation do I need for information on the documents you need to supply

  • To avoid losing your work, remember to regularly save your progress in SmartyGrants every 10-15 minutes, as the form logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity.

  • Make sure you hit the Submit button when you are ready. If the Submit button is grey, there is something incomplete or wrong in your answers. Check all sections highlighted red. Once you have submitted you will be sent an email confirmation. If you don’t hit Submit, Council cannot see your application, so it won’t be considered.


You can also refer to the SmartyGrants Applicant Guide for help.

Who can apply?

Applicants must:

  • Be a Not-for-Profit community group or organisation* (or for the Individual Development Grant be an individual attending a development opportunity where the outcomes will benefit the Hume community)
  • Be incorporated or apply through an auspice arrangement**
  • Run the activity or project from a location within Hume and/or show that it will benefit residents of Hume City
  • Have no outstanding debts with Hume City Council
  • Have satisfactorily acquitted previous projects funded under the Hume City Council’s Community Grants Program. (You can ignore this one if your group/ organisation has not received funding from Hume City Council in the past.)

* Individuals may only apply under the Individual Development Grant category.
**An incorporated organisation can auspice up to three community groups.

What we fund

  • First Nations People, Country and culture
  • Arts and culture
  • Community health, safety and wellbeing
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Families and children
  • Health promotion
  • Healthy ageing and seniors
  • Learning and skill development
  • Leisure and recreation
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Multicultural groups
  • People with disabilities
  • Refugees and newly arrived migrants
  • Social inclusion
  • Sport and exercise
  • Young people (0-24)
  • Volunteering

What we won't fund

  • Reimbursed expenses paid before the grant is approved
  • Alcohol licenses, tobacco and gambling related activities
  • Projects that are for general fundraising and fundraising events, competitions, trophies, prizes or awards
  • Fixed/permanent equipment, building maintenance or capital improvements (such as heating or cooling systems, shade sails, solar panels, portable buildings etc.).
  • Activities that have already started and/or need retrospective funding
  • Projects that address shortfalls in funding from other Local Governments, State and/or Federal Government
  • Activities, projects, programs and events that are owned, managed or already funded by Hume City Council
  • Personal expenses (i.e. petrol, utility bills, phone bills that aren’t in the group’s name or aren’t incurred by the group)
  • Applications that don’t meet eligibility requirements
  • Applications with incomplete or incorrect information or supporting documents
  • Applications that do not have Public Liability Insurance, unless you’re a first-time applicant for a Quick Response or Operational grant

Other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are some of our most frequently asked questions. You can also watch our information videos for more on our grants, including how to write a strong application, and what happens if you’re successful.

What if my plans change?

If your plans (timing/activities/budget) change from what you said in your application, you must contact us to seek approval. We will ask you to fill out a Variation Request Form in SmartyGrants and assess your new plans against the original criteria and if approved, you will be given a Variation to your Funding Agreement. If you spend the grant differently than your application/Funding Agreement without approval, Council will ask for all grant monies to be returned.

What does it mean to be incorporated?

When your group is incorporated, it means it has its own legal identity, separate from its members. Activities occur in the group’s name, rather than in the names of individual members.

As an example, if an unincorporated group needs to rent a property or arrange insurance, an individual member would need to sign under their name, placing them at personal financial risk.

An incorporated group can instead do this under the group name, which shares and reduces the risk to individual members.

Your community group may not want to become incorporated, particularly if you only ever handle small amounts of money, and have no need to enter into legal agreements.

However, many grants are unavailable to unincorporated groups, and this is why auspicing is needed in these situations.

For more information on incorporation, refer to the following helpful guides:

Justice Connect: Not-for-profit-Law website: How to decide whether your group should incorporate

Consumer Affairs: Victoria’s guide for clubs and community groups: Should your club incorporate?

What is auspicing?

You can approach a larger organisation to partner with your community group/organisation to fund a grant. This is helpful if you are otherwise ineligible for the grant (for example if your group is not incorporated.)

The ‘auspice organisation’ takes responsibility (legal and financial) of the grant on your group’s behalf. They will sign your grant agreement, receive and distribute grant funds under the grant agreement, ensure activities or events are completed, and submit end of funding reports on your behalf. Your group/organisation will still be known as the ‘grant recipient’.

Important information on auspice organisations:

  • The auspice organisation you choose must be incorporated and have an ABN.
  • The auspice organisation accepts legal and financial responsibility for the grant and will need to meet all eligibility criteria and provide public liability insurance coverage for the project(s).
  • Grant money will be paid to the auspice organisation, not the applicant.

If you choose to apply for a grant as part of an auspice agreement, you need to provide the auspice organisation’s contact details, ABN, their financial details, and evidence that you have an agreement with them.

Does my group need an ABN?

Your group may need to supply an ABN as part of your application.

An ABN refers to an Australian Business Number issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). If your organisation has an ABN, it must be included in your application.

The holder of the ABN is either:

  • Registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) or
  • Not Registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST)

It’s a good idea for any incorporated group to register for an ABN. You can read more at the ATO website

What if my group doesn’t have an ABN?

If your organisation doesn’t have an ABN, you’re requested to complete a Statement by Supplier Form and lodge it together with your application.

The form is available on the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) website

Please note, if you don’t have an ABN and don’t supply this form, we’re obliged to take 46.5% of the grant allocated and send this to the ATO.

For information about taxation, contact the ATO on 13 28 66 between 8am and 6pm Monday-Friday, or visit the ATO website.

If you want to talk to a Tax Officer and require an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 12 14 50.

If you have a hearing or speech impairment and have access to appropriate TTY or modem equipment, phone 13 36 77.

If you have access to TTY or modem equipment, phone the Speech to Speech Relay Service on 1300 555 727.

Why do we need public liability insurance?

We understand that Public Liability Insurance (PLI) may cost a significant amount, however the risks of not having PLI could cost your group much more.

Your community group/organisation will most likely interact with the public as part of running your activities or events. While it’s unlikely anything will go wrong, mishaps can occur, and a member of the public could be injured or a property damaged.

PLI protects your group/organisation against the liability to pay damages for a bodily injury, death, or for property damage that occurs as a result of an activity you run. It also covers the legal costs you would face if you had to defend a claim for bodily injury or property damage.

Because of the enormous potential costs your group could face if something went wrong and you didn’t have PLI, we only fund groups who manage the risk by having PLI.

It’s also important to remember that PLI doesn’t cover everything you may expect it to. You may need separate insurance when required, such as volunteers insurance to cover volunteers in the event of an injury claim, or building and contents insurance, to cover damage to a property in your organisation’s control (if you’re renting a space).

Why doesn’t Hume Council’s Public Liability Insurance cover us?

Hume Council has taken out its own very specific PLI policy, which covers specific activities and locations. The Community Grants program funds community-led events and activities and therefore is outside the scope of Council’s PLI.

Can you organise our Public Liability Insurance for us?

There are many variables when calculating PLI, such as the type of activities being run, how many activities take place, and where. Therefore each group is unique and needs to have it’s own PLI.

We don’t have Public Liability Insurance yet, can we still apply?

To help new groups apply for grants, you are able to apply for our Quick Response and Operational Grant before you have PLI but you will need to get coverage as soon as possible if you are funded. 

What is an income and expenditure statement?

Whether it’s called an Income and Expenditure Statement or a Profit and Loss report, this is a summary of income and expenses for your group that shows how much money has actually been spent against what type of activity. i.e. $150 on catering for five events, $200 on printing, $300 on advertising, $2,600 on wages.

If your organisation is registered as an Incorporated Association, you need to provide Consumer Affairs Victoria with a yearly Profit and Loss report as part of your Annual Statement

If your organisation is a registered Not-For-Profit with ACNC, you are required to submit a Profit and Loss as part of your Annual Information Statement.

You can see an example as part of a Board’s financial report on the Our Community website

We are an Aboriginal Corporation, can we apply? 

Yes. We encourage Indigenous Corporations to apply.   

Do you have a question we haven’t covered? Contact the Community Grants Officer on 9205 2749 or communitygrants@hume.vic.gov.au.

What documentation do I need?

We want you to have the best chance to receive grant funding. You will need to supply the following documentation with your grant application.

  • Certificate of Incorporation of your group/organisation, or evidence of other legal status. (If your group/organisation is not incorporated, you can apply for a grant through an Auspice Organisation. See FAQs for more)
  • ABN details or completed Statement by Supplier form for your group/organisation
  • A Public Liability Insurance Certificate of Currency, to cover your group/ organisation’s activities (First time applicants for Quick Response and Operational grants do not have to show PLI at time of applying)
  • Quotes to support your budget, i.e. for equipment hire or purchase, bus hire, advertising & promotion, flyers, posters etc.
  • Bank details for your group/organisation (so that you can receive payment)
  • For Project and Partnership applications, referees or letters of support

Please note:

In previous years, groups awarded a grant were required to supply Council with a Tax Invoice. This has changed. Council now sends a Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI) alongside your Letter of Agreement. This means you are not required to send a tax invoice to Council, regardless of whether or not you’re registered for GST.

If you have previously started an application and would like to log back in, follow the link below.

Login or Register

Community Grants are just one way Council provides support to the community. You can find out about our other programs for residents here or email communitydevelopment@hume.vic.gov.au