Council expands grant offerings to support grassroot not-for-profits

Published on 14 August 2024

Council has expanded its offering of Small Equipment Grants to allow greater flexibility for local not-for-profit organisations needing to purchase essential equipment.

Organisations can now apply for grants of up to $1500 at any time to purchase equipment that supports the organisation or its volunteers – things like kitchen appliances, office equipment and computers.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the grants would allow local community groups and organisations that positively impact our region to purchase equipment when they needed it without having to wait for one of the two yearly grant rounds.

“These grants are a lifeline for clubs that need to access vital equipment,” Mayor Williamson said.

“For example, if a group’s computer breaks, it can be a huge imposition that can negatively impact the operation of the group,” he said.

“This change will allow them to quickly access funds to get a new computer without having to potentially wait for months for a new funding round.”

A total of $50,000 is available for Small Equipment Grants for the financial year.

Council has also increased the maximum funding available through its Community Impact Grants from $7500 to $10,000, with a total of $110,000 available per funding round.

These grants are available twice a year for projects that engage or connect residents, contributing to a safe, creative, inclusive, cultural, healthy and connected community.

The mayor said these grants were an exciting avenue for not-for-profits looking to embark on something new.

“These are fantastic grants that have a huge impact on our community – in the past they have funded beautiful public artwork projects, supported exciting community festivals and helped cultural groups to showcase their culture and host celebrations that attract visitors to our region,” he said.

Council is also still offering the Infrastructure and Assets Grants of up to $30,000, with $180,000 available per round and two rounds available per year.

These grants support not-for-profits, community organisations and sporting clubs to develop new or upgrade existing infrastructure/assets to contribute to a safe, creative, inclusive, cultural, healthy and connected community.

Applications for all three grants are open now.

For support to complete your application, please contact council’s Community Programs Team on (07) 4961 9434.

To view grant guidelines and commence an application, please head to Mackay Regional Council - Community Investment Grants Program.