Volunteer Grants

Do you have a community project or organisation that's doing amazing work and needs an extra boost of funds?

Expressions of interest are now open for the 2025-2026 Volunteer Grants program for the Federal Electorate of Ryan, closing at 5.00pm on Sunday 5th April.

The Volunteer Grants program can provide funding to not-for-profit organisations whose workforce is at least 40% volunteers for funding amounts between $1,000 and $5,000.

These Grants are designed to: 

• help not-for-profit community organisations to support the efforts of Australia’s volunteers
• encourage, support and increase participation in volunteering
• support children’s well being through volunteering
• strengthen community functioning by supporting and increasing participation in volunteering

Who can apply? 

• Not-for-profit incorporated organisations whose workforce is comprised of at least 40% volunteers
• An unincorporated association that agrees to the primary contact on your application assuming personal legal liability on behalf of the organisation should the application be successful
• Trustees applying on behalf of a Trust

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

This year, eligible grant funding areas have been split into two categories: 

Category 1: 

• Purchase communication or insurance items that will benefit any of the community organisations volunteers, as listed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines

Category 2 (A):

• Purchase items or services for the main purpose of supporting a community organisation’s volunteers from the following cohorts:

            - Adults whose volunteering activities support children’s development and wellbeing

            - Children (under 18) as a means of supporting their development

            - First Nations People

            - Newly arrived migrants (within the last 5 years) who are not citizens

            - People with disability (within the meaning of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)

            - Unemployed people who are volunteering to increase their capacity to engage in employment.

            - Veterans and Australian Defence Force members

            - Women experiencing or at risk of experiencing gender-based violence or isolation to assist them to overcome that gender-based violence or isolation. 

Category 2 (B):

• Fund volunteer-run activities within the community organisation, for the main purpose of supporting cohorts listed in Section 5.1 of Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

How does it work?

Applications take place in two steps: 

1. Expressions of interest are made to Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP and are assessed in conjunction with a committee of Ryan locals. 
2. Selected applicants are invited to complete their application process with the Community Grants Hub.

You can submit an expression of interest here: 

Expression of Interest Ryan Volunteer Grants 2025 - 2026

Further details and full program guidelines are available here at Community Grants.

Still not sure if you’re eligible?

You can contact Elizabeth's office on 07 3378 1599 or by email at [email protected] if you would like to discuss the program or your idea with us.