Geoff McDonald
February 5, 2019
Applications are now open for Toowoomba Regional Council’s (TRC) latest round of community grants.
TRC Environment and Community Services Committee chair Cr Geoff McDonald said community and not-for-profit groups were welcome to apply for funding to help conduct their activities or events.
Applications must be lodged by March 1, 2019.
Cr McDonald said the current funding program covered applications for the Sport and Recreation, Event Support, Community Support, Environment, Community Economic Development, Cultural and Arts Support and Sports Tourism grants.
“Residents can call 13-18-72 to arrange a consultation with relevant staff before March 1 to discuss tailoring grant proposals,” Cr McDonald said.
“Council appreciates the difficulty smaller groups face to find money for projects, services and facilities, and is pleased to offer financial assistance to a diverse range of community and not-for-profit groups.
“Grants are one way Council can give eligible groups a helping hand to build on the sweat, toil and goodwill of volunteers.”
Cr McDonald said preference is given to applications that fulfil a range of criteria covering community inclusiveness and interaction, a willingness to encourage community partnerships, upgrading facilities or services or establishing a new service, facility or initiative.
Different funding caps apply across various grant categories.
Grant applications in each category are assessed by a panel including Councillors and TRC staff from the relevant area, and the competitive review process means that not all projects can always be fully funded.
The current grant round is expected to be presented for approval by Council at its April meeting.
Cr McDonald said Council approved more than $257,000 covering 67 applications in the previous grant round in August 2018.
“These applications covered numerous community events and activities across the region including a range of flower shows, community hall fundraisers, charity events, musical performances and activities to reduce feral pig numbers,” he said.
More information about each grant category can be found on Toowoomba Regional Council’s website
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South Burnett Regional Council has also opened the second and final round of its 2018-19 own community grants program.
Categories available under this program include Community Events Sponsorship; Community Hall Insurance grants; Elite Performance Youth Grants; Healthy Communities Sponsorship; In-Kind Sponsorship; Project/Program One-off Sponsorship; Regional Arts Development Fund grants; and School Student Awards.
The Community Grants Program Policy provides a detailed overview of each category and the criteria under which they will be assessed.
Grant applications will be accepted until February 28.
More information is available on the South Burnett Regional Council’s website
