Introduction

This fund aims to fulfil community need by providing a quick turnaround for funding and provides an option for the community to access funding outside the Community Grant timeline. This scheme supports the delivery of outcomes that have positive impacts on the wider Wellington community. Eligible projects submitted under this program will be assessed within two weeks.

We understand that there are circumstances where the community may need some financial assistance to complete a project, run an event or undertake some maintenance on their facility. This grant is provided to support minor initiatives that encourage partnerships, celebrate an occasion and assist with maintenance of community assets.

Overview

Not for profit community groups operating in the Wellington Shire can apply for a Quick Response Grant of up to $2,000. There are three minor community funding categories (Events, Projects and Facilities) and individuals can apply for up to $500 under the Individual Sponsorship category.

The grants are open all year round. Applications must be received 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your project or event.

Categories / Funding Available For / Funding Amount
Minor Community Facilities / Minor Capital Works – kitchen upgrades, water tanks, building extensions, storage, accessibility improvements, shade shelters etc. / Up to $2,000
Minor Community Projects / Projects that have a benefit to the community – Arts initiatives, accessible equipment, equipment, community gardens, community development programs, defibrillators, cultural projects etc.
Minor Community Events / Community Events – festivals, mardigras, activities, open days, fun days, forums, garden parties, celebrations and anniversaries etc.
Sponsorship / Participation costs - Funding for costs associated with attending and participating in a recognised activity or event. / Up to $500

Projects Grants

This grant aims to support a broad range of community initiatives and provide financial assistance to projects that are important to the community.

Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate a community need that will be filled through receiving the funding and show a community benefit through project outcomes.

Funding can be used for costs associated with running, coordinating and delivering the project. Equipment purchases are also considered under this fund.

Criteria – Quick Response Grant Scheme - Minor Community grants for Events, Projects & Facilities

After reading the funding guidelines, and prior to completing the application form, you are encouraged to contact the Grants Officer (contact details available on page 4) to seek feedback on your proposal, this will ensure that you are applying in the correct funding category, and your application meets the funding guidelines.

  1. Grants are available to not for profit community groups operating in the Wellington Shire.
  2. Projects must service the residents of and be administered in the Wellington Shire
  3. Applicants will be eligible for one Quick Response Grant from each of the funding categories over a 12 month period. This period is based on receipt of your previous successful grant application.
  4. Applicants must be incorporated bodies or have an established legal entity:
  5. If your organisation is not incorporated or doesn’t have an ABN you will be required to provide the details of an auspice organisation. The auspice will receive the grant funding on your behalf and will ultimately be responsible for the acquittal.
  6. If your organisation is incorporated but does not have an ABN, a ‘Statement by a Supplier – Reason for Not Quoting an ABN’ form must be completed and attached. This form is available from the Australian Tax Office website.
  7. A $3 to $1 contribution is required for all applications. Council will provide $3 for every $1 contributed by the applicant i.e. if you are applying for a $2,000 grant you must contribute $667.
  • The contribution can be in-kind support, volunteer labour or monetary. If the contribution is listed as in-kind support or volunteer labour please complete the applicable table on page 5.
  1. Unsuccessful applications will be ineligible to apply for the same project in the future, unless otherwise advised.
  2. You will be notified in writing of the outcome of your grant. You are welcome to contact the Grants officer for further feedback.
  3. Application forms must be completed and returned 3 weeks prior to the commencement date of your project. You will be notified in writing of the outcome of your grant 10 business days after the submission date. Once you received confirmation it can take six working weeks for the funding to arrive in your bank. Applications will be accepted a maximum of 3 months prior to your project.
  4. Applications deemed to be for commercial benefit will be considered ineligible. This will be determined on a case by case basis. This will include applications where the main beneficiary is a business/es.
  5. Applicants who have previously been successful in receiving council funding will need to have completed all acquittals and have previously complied with council requirements.
  6. Applications must be completed in full and have sufficient evidence to make a reasonable assessment of the application. Applications must be on a current and correct form.
  7. Applicants must not already be receiving substantial financial support from council. This will be determined on a case by case basis. If in doubt contact the Grants officer using the details listed on the last page of the guidelines.
  8. Applicants who are under agreement to receive no further financial contribution from Council are ineligible to apply.
  9. Funding must not be regarded as a recurrent commitment from council. There is no guarantee a recurring project, activity or event will be funded in the future. Funding is limited.
  10. Successful applicants will be required to sign a Funding Agreement, which includes the conditions of grant funding. You may also be asked to comply with additional conditions
  11. Council may reduce the amount allocated to you if the if the funding applied for is considered unsubstantiated, excessive, or if you have previously received funding.
  12. Funding must be returned if the project is not completed in line with the Funding Agreement. Any excess funding must be returned.
  13. Council encourages the sharing of resources in the community as a way of creating partnerships. If Council is aware of an alternative option to you, they will recommend it as an alternative to funding.
  14. You are required to acknowledge Wellington Shire Council’s support of your project as specified in the Funding Agreement.
  15. The grant must be fully expended and acquitted within 6 months after the grant confirmation is received.

Criteria –Category Specific

  1. For all equipment purchases of $500 or more please include a quote, or evidence of the item cost.
  2. If you are applying for Minor Community Projects grant and your application fits under the guidelines for Minor Community Facilities or Minor Community Events you will be asked to resubmit your application on the correct form.

What will not be funded?

  1. Funding cannot be used for the following;
  • Scholarships and Awards.
  • Funding for trophies, uniforms, prizes, wages and honorariums will require specific reasons why funding is needed for those items.
  • Projects that deliver a religious or party political message.
  • Projects located at gaming machine venues or licensed commercial venues.
  • Funding deemed to be for commercial purposes.

Please note:

  • The not for profit community group applying for the grant will be referred to as the ‘organisation’ throughout the application.
  • The applicant is the organisation, not the individual representative
  • A community group does not have to be an official or legally recognised body, it can include any loosely affiliated community members joined by interest, geography or culture etc.

Assessment Process

Please download the ‘Assessment Criteria’ formfrom the Wellington Shire Website. This should be used as a reference when completing the application form. The form will be used by the Wellington Shire Council to assess your application.

In the case that you are successful and your project has been recommended for part funding, you will be contacted prior to receiving a Funding Agreement.

Your application will be assessed by the Community Facilities Planning and Grants Officer, Manager Healthy Lifestyles and a third person in a management role from the Wellington Shire Council.

Your application will be initially assessed against the criteria and guidelines above, and then scored against the following criteria.

Section / Category - Criteria / Maximum Points
Section 1 / Planning and Capacity / 20
Section 2 / Community Outcomes / 20

Contact

For general grant enquiries or if you require assistance in completing the application form, please contact:

Community Facilities Planning and Grants Officer

Phone: 1300 366 244

Email:

1

Applicant & Organisation Details

Applicant Organisation
Title / First Name / Last Name
Position
Email
Telephone
Mobile
Organisation Postal Address (Correspondence will be sent to and from this address)
Suburb / Postcode
Is your organisation Incorporated? /  Yes No / Number
Does your organisation have an ABN? /  Yes No / Number
Is your organisation GST registered? /  Yes No

Auspice Information – If Applicable

Is a third party auspicing your application? If your organisation is not incorporated or doesn’t have an ABN you will be required to provide the details of an auspice organisation. The auspice will receive the grant funding on your behalf and will ultimately be responsible for the acquittal.

Auspice Organisation
Title / First Name / Last Name
Position
Telephone
Is your organisation Incorporated? /  Yes No / Number
Does your organisation have an ABN? /  Yes No / Number
Is your organisation GST registered? /  Yes No
Signed:Date: / /

Project Details

  1. How much are you applying for?Up to $2,000 is available.
/ $
  1. Project Title

  1. Please provide a brief description of the Project. Max 25 words. This description will be used for promotion.

  1. Please provide further detail, including specific activities or purchases.

  1. What is the planned commencement date for the project?

  1. What is the planned completion date for the project?

  1. Where is the project being held? Please list all locations if more than one.

  1. Do you have permission to use the land/property for your project?
Please attach any written permission to use land for the project /  Yes No

Section 1 - Planning and Capacity

Applicants will receive a score out of 20 for the answers to the questions below. Please refer to the ‘Guidelines and Assessment Criteria’ form.

  1. Is this an annual project? Will you be running this project again?
/  Yes No  Other______
  1. Has your organisation undergone any internal or external (strategic) planning to identity this project as a priority for your organisation?

  1. What is the role of your organisation? What is its aim?

  1. What experience does your organisation have in delivering a project of this nature?

Access & Inclusion

The Wellington Shire Council supports projects that are accessible and inclusive. Has access and inclusion been considered in the development of your project?
  1. Has access and inclusion been considered in the development of your project?
/  Yes  No
  1. How will this project demonstrate consideration for inclusion of all people especially people with a disability, their families and carers?

Public Liability Insurance

  1. Have you attached a copy of your Public Liability Insurance?
All applicable projects must provide a copy of a current public liability insurance that will be used to cover the project. /  Yes No
  1. If it has not been provided, please give a reason.

Promotion & Marketing

If you are successful in receiving a grant you will be emailed a copy of the Wellington Shire Council Logo and the requirements for acknowledging Council sponsorship.
Applicants should keep records of any publicity received for their project and take photographs of their project to be submitted with their acquittal form.
  1. How do you intend to promote and market your project to the community?

  1. How will you acknowledge Council’s sponsorship in the promotion of your project?

In-Kind support & Volunteer Labour

  1. Does your project include any In Kind Support or Volunteer Labour?
Where in-kind contributions have been included in the Budget you must complete the below table.
You need to explain the nature of the in-kind contribution being provided, which organisation is making the contribution and how you have calculated the value based on the commercial cost of the materials.
Rates for basic labouring work are normally calculated at $20 per hour whilst specialist contributions should be valued at $45 per hour. Costs need to be based on “reasonable” commercial rates.
If you have included in-kind support in the Budget, remember to include it in both the income and expenditure columns to ensure your budget balances.
Goods/service to be provided / Supplier / Number of Hours / Rate per hour / Total Value
$
Example / 10 x 2 metre planks of wood ($15 each) / Building Business / - / - / $150
Professional Labour for painting hall (2 people) / Painting Business / 4 / $45 / $360
Volunteer labour for painting hall (6 people) / Committee of Management / 4 / $20 / $320
Venue hire for event ($100 cleaning fee + 4 hours hire at $100/hr) / Community Hall / 4 / - / $500
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
Total
Copy this total into the Income and Expenditure tables on page 6, against item ‘Group Contribution (in kind support and volunteer labour)’ / $

Budget

  1. Please complete the budget tables below:
  • Total A and Total D must match.
  • Total B plus Total C = Total D.
  • Use the items listed to guide the budget, further items should be included.

Income
Item / $
Council Funding – How much are you applying for? / $
Group Contribution (Monetary $) / $
Group Contribution (in kind support and volunteer labour)
Include total from ‘In Kind Support and Volunteer Labour’ table on page 5. / $
Sponsorships or donations (outside the organisation) / $
Income from ticket sales or costs to participants / spectators / $
State or Federal Government Funding / $
$
$
Total Income / A $
Expenditure
The ‘Council $’ column should indicate what you are using Council funds for. This can be for the full or part cost of the expenditure item. Total C must equal the amount of funding requested from Council.
Item / Organisation $ / Council $
Example: Venue Hire
(The total cost of venue hire is $700) / $500 / $200
Group Contribution (in kind support and volunteer labour)
Include total from ‘In Kind Support and Volunteer Labour’ table on page 6. / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
$ / $
Total / B$ / C$
Total Expenditure (B + C) Should equal A / D $
  1. Have you included a quote for all council expenditure items of $1,000 or more? Must be included as a quote or evidence of item cost.
/  Yes No

Evaluation

  1. How will you evaluate the success of your project? Will you be collecting any data or comments from participants? What will a successful project look like? How will you use this information for planning of future projects?

Section 2 - Community Outcomes

Applicants will receive a score out of 20 for the answers to the questions below. Please refer to the ‘Guidelines and Assessment Criteria’ form.

  1. Does your town have a Community Plan?
Community Plans can be found on the Council Website. /  Yes No
a)Is your local Community Representative Group aware of your application? /  Yes No
b)If your town has a Community Plan, how does this project align with its objectives?
  1. Can you identify a community need (evidence, solution, community engagement) for this project? Please refer to the ‘Guidelines and Assessment Criteria’ form for information on Community Need

  1. What benefits (economic, social, skill building or facility improvement) will this project bring to the community?Please refer to the ‘Guidelines and Assessment Criteria’ form for information on Community Benefit

  1. Please list any community groups that will be involved in the event?

Group Name / Involvement
Supplier of materials, participating during delivery, involved in the planning, will benefit from the project / Have you worked with this group?
 Yes No
 Yes No
 Yes No
 Yes No
 Yes No
  1. Does the project target participation from a particular demographic in the community?

  1. Is the project open to the general public
/  Yes No
  1. Is there a cost for:
Participants;
Spectators. /  Yes No  $______ Other______
 Yes No  $______ Other______

The personal information provided on this form will be used by Wellington Shire Council for the purpose of the Quick Response Grants Scheme. The personal information will be used solely by Council for that primary purpose or directly related purposes and will not be transferred to another agency.

Checklist, Support Material & Authorisation

Support Material

Please indicate in the table below if you have attached any support material.

Support material can be included to strengthen the application. The items listed below are only suggestions, additional material may be attached.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data /  Yes No
Business development plans, feasibility studies, community plans, master plan etc. /  Yes No
Community newsletter / local newspaper articles /  Yes No
Evidence of external funding sources /  Yes No
Feedback from local Community Representative Group (CRG) /  Yes No
Land owner’s permission to use land /  Yes No
Letters of support /  Yes No
Partnership agreements with other groups/organisation /  Yes No
Permits /  Yes No
Photos, images or evidence of previous projects /  Yes No
Plans and drawings /  Yes No
Project management timeline /  Yes No
Public Liability Insurance or Certificate of Currency /  Yes No
Quotation (Must be included for all facilities applications) /  Yes No
Quote or evidence of the item cost for all council expenditure items of $1,000 or more (Mandatory) /  Yes No
Waste management plan /  Yes No
Please list any extra attachments

Checklist

I have contacted the Grants Officer (1300 366 244) about my proposal /  Yes
I have completed all relevant questions and sections of this application form /  Yes
I have attached relevant support material /  Yes
I have completed the authorisation /  Yes
I have read and understood the funding guidelines /  Yes
I have completed the budget and all the totals add up and balance as required. /  Yes
I have attached a quote or evidence of item cost for all council expenditure items of $1,000 or more. /  Yes
I have made a copy of this application for my records /  Yes
I have met the $3 to $1 funding ratio /  Yes

Authorisation