Capacity Building and Participation Program

Small Grants 

Grants of up to $5,000 per year for one or two years to strengthen the organisational capacity of small multicultural organisations, including multicultural seniors organisations and community language schools.

Medium Grants

Grants up to $75,000 per year for one or two years to support community knowledge and skills building projects which benefit multicultural and faith-based communities.

Priority groups include: 

• regional communities,
• refugees and asylum seekers,
• young people,
• women,
• seniors

Prevention of Family Violence Stream

Grants of up to $75,000 per year for two years are available for community capacity building projects supporting multicultural and faith-based communities to prevent family violence. Initiatives under this stream could include programs that support the prevention of family violence and all forms of violence against women (including gender equality initiatives).

Note: organisations are eligible to apply for, and may receive, grants under both the Small and Medium Grants categories. 

• Community organisations or local government authorities partnering with community organisations can apply for up to two years funding.
• The Small Grants Category includes support for multicultural seniors groups and community language schools.
• Given the complexity and sensitivity of family violence prevention, applications for funding for these initiatives require organisations to meet specific criteria (see the program guidelines below).

The Small Grants Category supports :

• the establishment and operation of Community Language Schools, including materials and teacher professional development
• day to day organisational running costs including rent, lighting, heating, catering, utilities, telephone, stationery and postage
• purchase/hire of minor office equipment, kitchen equipment and other equipment for community capacity building activities
• provision of community information sessions/seminars; activities or outings, including seniors clubs
• community transportation costs

The Medium Grant Category funds a broad range of initiatives to build the capacity of:

• a specified multicultural or faith-based community (for example: the Vietnamese community in Brimbank or the South Pacific Islander community in Victoria)
• multiple multicultural communities working together on a common priority (for example: partnership project with multicultural youth to develop social media tools which promote gender equality)
• a defined priority needs group (for example: women, seniors, young people, or asylum seekers/refugees

Note: initiatives must be community driven, responding to needs identified by communities themselves.

Applications must be submitted online via DPCs Online Portal when the funding round is open.

Download and read the full program guidelines for more information about eligibility and application processes:

2018-2019 Successful grants

2017-2018 Successful grants