Volunteer Grants support the work of local community organisations by reducing barriers for volunteers and increasing participation in volunteering.

Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 will be available to assist eligible not-for-profit community organisations that rely on volunteers.

The 2025–26 Volunteer Grants Opportunity is open for expressions of interest. Please note that the guidelines for this year's round have changed from previous rounds.

Category 1 Grants can be used to purchase communication or insurance items that will benefit any of the organisation's volunteers.

Category 2 Grants may be used to purchase items or services to assist volunteers or volunteer-run activities from the following cohorts:

• The well-being and development of children (under 18).
• 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
• Women experiencing gender-based discrimination or disadvantage in specified areas.
• Eliminating racial discrimination and promoting understanding, tolerance and friendships amongst racial or ethnic groups (activities specified).

The grant funding must be spent on activities or items that directly benefit the work of the volunteers, not for the benefit of the organisation.

The organisation must operate within the Federal Division of Holt and have a minimum of 40% volunteers.

You will need to review the guidelines before submitting your Expression of Interest, which you can access on the Grants Connect website by clicking Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

I encourage all the eligible groups across the Holt electorate to apply. To submit an expression of interest, please click here.

The EOI must be submitted by no later than 5pm, Friday 20th March 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact my office via email, Cassandra.fernando.mp@aph.gov.au