Yarra Community Grants Program

What is the purpose of our grants?

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 seven funding streams:

• First Peoples Partnerships
• Healthy Communities
• Local Economy
• Creative City
• Environment, Conservation and Climate
• Safe Neighbourhoods
• Connecting Yarra (new, for small grants only)

We have a new stream, called Connecting Yarra.  They are small grants only, up to $4,000.

The Connecting Yarra stream supports small, community-led groups to meet regularly for ongoing group activities such as shared meals, music, games, conversation groups, informal learning activities, information sessions, gentle exercise programs or outings.

These activities provide simple, low-barrier ways for people to come together, build relationships and reduce loneliness, particularly for people who may experience social isolation or barriers to participation.

Groups must meet on a regular and ongoing basis, such as weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and provide consistent opportunities for people to connect in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Activities may also include informal recreational, learning, or support activities, where the primary purpose is participation, social connection, and belonging rather than structured training, formal education, competition, or skill development.

See the 2027 Yarra Community Grant Guidelines for further information [ PDF, 1.11 MB] . 

2027 Yarra Community Grant Information Sessions

• Wednesday 22 July 2026, 5pm - 6pm.   
  • Online Webinar. Register to attend.  

  • The recording will be added to our website afterward.

     

• Wednesday 29 July 2026, 6pm - 7pm.   
  • In person. Register to attend. 

  • Venue: Learning Bank 124 Victoria Street, Richmond.

     

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.