Community Grants

People power is a mighty force: without volunteers and community groups putting the work in to support people and the environment, the world would stop turning! I'm proud to do anything I can to support community groups to bring people together to make our area better for all.

Here are some sources of funds for community groups and initiatives.

Funding from my office

Stronger Communities Grant

Expressions of interest are now open for the Stronger Communities 2026 programme.

Apply here.

Funding is available for community organisations to undertake projects across Ryan - with a particular focus on delivering social benefits in communities across Australia.

Grants are available between $2500 and $20,000.

These Grants are designed to:

Encourage and support participation in local projects
Improve community participation
Contribute to liveable and viable communities

Who can apply?

not-for-profit incorporated organisations
non-distributing co-operatives
companies limited by guarantee
Australian Indigenous corporations
religious organisations incorporated under legislation
an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust with responsibility for a community asset or property
a local governing body.

Note: your project must be located within the federal electorate of Ryan. (You can find your local electorate at the AEC website.)

If you are an organisation that may not be able to incorporate, including parish churches, rural fire brigades, scout groups, Parents and Citizens Associations (P&C’s) or equivalent bodies, you may be able to nominate an eligible project sponsor - who themselves must meet the above eligibility criteria. See section 4.2 of the grant guidelines.

How does it work?

Applications take place in 3 steps:

Our office will be collecting expressions of interest (EOI) about local projects in the Ryan Electorate
Elizabeth and a Community Committee will consult the EOI’s and nominate projects until the allocated funding is exhausted.
Nominated projects will be invited to complete an application by the Department through GrantConnect

You can submit an expression of interest here.

What can the funding be used for?

Grants can be used for capital purchases and projects. Spending that is not associated with a capital project (e.g. staff or volunteer education, salaries, ongoing operational expenditure) is not eligible for a Stronger Communities Programme.

Projects must support at least one of the objectives listed under section 2 of the Grant Guidelines AND must be one of the activities listed under section 5.1 of the Grant Guidelines.

Key Dates to Remember

Expressions of Interest close - 5pm AEDT, 1 November 2026
Closing date of applications - 5pm AEDT, 30 November 2026

Our Electorate Office is available to assist, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions. Further details and full program guidelines are available here.

Volunteer Grants

The Department of Social Services has an annual grant funding program which is administered by federal electorate offices. The 2025-2026 Volunteer Grants Round is now closed. Thank you to all the fantastic organisations who applied. This is a yearly grant that we expect will run in the later half of the year for 2026-2027.

Other Grants

If you find any information that’s incorrect, or know of any other opportunities we’ve missed, please let me know.

Maiwar Community Grants

Michael Berkman, Greens MP for Maiwar also offers small grants to community organisations or non-profits for initiatives within the State electorate of Maiwar.

Australia Post Community Grants

Australia Post Community Grants support projects that connect people and improve mental well being in local communities. Local community groups create positive change in countless people's lives. To help them deliver for their communities, Australia Post awards Community Grants of up to $10 000 each year to fund community led, local projects.

Applications are closed. However this is a recurring grant that we expect will come up again soon.

Lord Mayor's Better Suburbs Grants

Community Facility grants from the Brisbane Lord Mayor's Better Suburbs programme are for planning and design, or construction of community facilities, or improvements to community facilities. This is intended to 'deliver outcomes in alignment with Brisbane Vision 2031'.

Applications are now Open, and will close in early October 2026 . If you miss this round then this is a recurring grant that we expect will come up again soon.

Community Support grants from the Brisbane Lord Mayor's Better Suburbs programme are for projects which:

support Community Facility maintenance and improvement
improve community organisation governance and long-term sustainability
provide operational equipment for community organisations
enable projects and activities that respond to community needs.

The criteria for this programme exclude events, general operating expenses and purchase of single use plastics, amongst other things. Applications are now closed. However this is a recurring grant that we expect will come up again soon.

Sisters Of Charity Foundation Community Grants (Up To $15,000)

These grants are aimed at helping groups who make a huge difference to those in need, but struggle to find funding through other avenues. If your organisation provides compassion, hope and practical assistance to those in need, then you may be eligible for financial support from the Sisters of Charity Foundation. There are two rounds annually. The 2026 round has closed. The 2027 round will open mid year.

Lord Mayor's Community Fund ($250 - $10,000)

Brisbane City Council offers grants that contribute to the Brisbane Vision of a friendly and safe, active and healthy, clean and green, or vibrant and creative city. Each Council ward is allocated $36,000 for community projects undertaken within that ward. The Lord Mayor allocates $36,000 for community projects that involve multiple wards. Applications are now open, and close in June next year (or when each ward has spent their allocated budget).

Mortgage Relief Loan (Up To $20,000)

A Mortgage Relief Loan provides short-term help to people who are having difficulties with their home loan repayments due to unemployment, accident, illness, or some other unexpected or unforeseen crisis. The loan is interest free with no application fees or ongoing charges. Applications are ongoing.

Arts Queensland Grants

Arts Queensland offers multiple programs intended to drive creative employment, and grow new creative work and events that will “activate Queensland communities and showcase uniquely Queensland stories”. Each program has its own funding rounds.

Celebrating Multicultural Queensland Program (Up To $20,000)

The Celebrating Multicultural Queensland program provides two rounds of funding per year towards multicultural events and festivals across Queensland that will increase intercultural connections and support social inclusion. This program focuses on people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, people seeking asylum, and Australian South Sea Islander peoples. Applications for events held between 1 January and 30 June are now closed, however, applications for events held between 1 July and 31 December will open soon.

Searching for grants

The main providers of grants are the Federal, State, and Local Governments, as well as private organisations. There are a number of websites available to help you find grants that are relevant to your organisation or project, including:

Tips on writing grant submissions

There are also a few handy guides available to help write submissions when applying for a grant:

Community Door (QCOSS initiative)
Business Queensland website (State Government)
The Grants Hub