Yarra Community Grants Program
Find out about our grants program, guidelines, key dates and how to apply.
2027 Yarra Community Grants Program
The Yarra Grants Program supports community-led projects that help local people and organisations turn ideas into activities, programs, events, and opportunities that benefit neighbourhoods, shared spaces and communities across Yarra.
Council encourages applications from diverse groups across the City of Yarra, including First Peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, children and young people, and people experiencing disadvantage.
Applicants are encouraged to prepare early, read the program guidelines [ PDF, 1.11 MB] and consider how their project will deliver clear outcomes for the community.
Our grants are very competitive, with the number of applications often exceeding the funding available. Please note, previous grant approval does not guarantee approval for future grant applications.
Applications are now open for the 2027 Yarra Community Grants Program (for medium and large grants).
Funding streams
There are seven funding streams:
- First Peoples Partnerships
- Healthy Communities
- Local Economy
- Creative City
- Environment, Conservation and Climate
- Safe Neighbourhoods
- Connecting Yarra (new in 2026 – for Small Grants only)
Large Grants ($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
Applications open Friday 17 July 2026, 9am and close Friday 28 August 2026, 5pm
Medium Grants ($4,001–$20,000)
Medium grants support multi-activity projects or short-term programs with moderate staffing, engagement, and evaluation needs.
Applications open Friday 17 July 2026, 9am and close Friday 28 August 2026, 5pm
Small Grants – Connecting Yarra (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.
The new Connecting Yarra stream is for small grants only, up to $4,000. This stream supports small, community-led groups to meet regularly in a welcoming and inclusive environment. It funds ongoing activities such as shared meals, music, games, conversation groups, informal learning, information sessions, gentle exercise or outings.
Activities should offer simple, low-barrier ways for people to connect, build relationships and reduce loneliness, especially for people experiencing social isolation or barriers to participation.
Applications open Thursday 1 October 2026, 9am
Young Climate Action Grants
Yarra City Council is excited to launch Youth Climate Action Fund Grants, giving young people aged 15-24 the chance to turn bold climate ideas into local climate action projects.
Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ global Youth Climate Action Fund, this initiative is part of an international effort empowering young people to design and deliver solutions to local climate challenges.
In Yarra, grants of $1,500 to $7,000 will support youth-led projects that make a positive impact locally.
Applications open Monday 17 August and close Monday 28 September 2026.
Key dates
- Grant round opens (for medium and large grants) – Friday 17 July 2026, 9am
- Applications open for Youth Climate Action Fund Grants – Monday 17 August 2026
- Applications close (for medium and large grants) – Friday 28 August 2026, 5pm
- Applications close for Youth Climate Action Fund Grants – Monday 28 September 2026
- Applications open for Small Grants – Thursday 1 October 2026
- Announcement of grant outcomes (for medium and large grants) – From Wednesday 16 December 2026
- Projects commence (for medium and large grants) – From January 2027
Guidelines
Projects funded through the program must align with these 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.
Read the 2027 Yarra Community Grant Guidelines [ PDF, 1.11 MB] for help with eligibility and detailed stream information.
The Grant Administration Guide [ PDF, 948.16 KB] offers insight into how our Grant program is administered.
Help with your application
If you require assistance submitting an application (for medium and large grants), we offer in-person appointments (with interpreters, if required), until Friday 21 August 2026, 4pm.
If you have questions or are unsure about eligibility, please contact the Grants team:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 9205 5555
- Submit your enquiry online
Tips
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 participate? 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? List of past grant recipients.
- 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.
2027 information sessions
In June and July 2026, we held multiple online and in-person information sessions about the 2027 Yarra Community Grant Program.
A recording of our online information session from Wednesday 22 July is available below.
Still need help?
Yarra is excited to provide the Yarra Grant Finder to all local businesses, community groups, not-for-profits and individuals. This site provides a comprehensive list of grant and funding opportunities available to you. Our free service means you will never miss a grant opportunity again.
Register to receive emailed alerts for new grants, save your favourites and access tips to help you apply for grants.
We offer community training sessions throughout the year to support not-for-profit and community organisations in Yarra to run as effectively as possible.
These sessions provide advice and information on how to apply for grants, managing relationships, project management, media strategies and more.
We offer resources to help with your grant application.
Look at previous grant rounds to see what programs and projects have been approved.
Sign up for our mailing list to get the latest news on Yarra's grant programs, along with opportunities for skills and training.
Related pages
Small Grants
Town Hall Subsidy Grant
Resources and Previous Grant Round Recipients