Supplementary Volunteer Grants

2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants recipients announced!

The Centre for Volunteering has awarded grants of up to $5,000 in grants to more than 200 volunteer involving organisations across NSW.  The 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants are funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

The Centre received more than 1,400 applications for grants totalling more than $5.5 million. The total funding pool available in NSW was $748,000.

“These grants make it possible for organisations to buy equipment, or can go towards things like volunteer training, background checks and transport costs of volunteers with disability,” Gemma Rygate, CEO, The Centre for Volunteering, said.

“Funding in this round is particularly important to assist organisations to transition their volunteer programs back into operation following the disruption caused by COVID-19.  Volunteers are vital to building resilient communities and these small grants will support volunteer re-engagement and help organisations adapting practices to support volunteers’ safety, as the economy reopens,” she said.

“We have been pleased to administer the grants program to support volunteers and volunteer involving organisations, and look forward to seeing the impact these grants will have on strengthening volunteering and communities across NSW,” Ms Rygate added.

The 203 organisations across NSW to receive grants funding are listed in the 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants – Successful applicants (NSW)

Insights into the 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants in New South Wales

• 1,417 applications were received with 203 applications across 203 individual organisations successful  
• $5,550,343.00 in funding applied for with a total budget of $748,000 available  
• 99.21% of the workforce of successful organisations are volunteers 
• The majority of successful organisations are from regional and rural areas  
• Community services, youth, education, sport and recreation, (respectively) were the primary organisations who applied and were successful  
• The most popular items successful organisations applied for were small equipment, adapting practices (as a result of COVID-19) and re-engagement activities (as a result of COVID-19) 

About the 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants program

The Australian Government Department of Social Services provided The Centre for Volunteering with funding to administer a 2020 Supplementary Grants program to volunteer involving organisations.

The purpose of the funding is to support the efforts of NSW’ volunteers as well as to encourage and increase participation in volunteering by on-funding grants to provide small amounts of money that organisations and community groups can use to help their volunteers.

The supplementary volunteer grants are designed to support volunteer involving organisations with a high proportion (over 40%) of volunteers to:

• Help support the efforts of Australia’s volunteers;
• Help support the inclusion of vulnerable people through volunteering;
• Encourage, support and increase participation in volunteering;
• Post COVID-19 re-engagement activities for volunteers; and
• Adapting practices to support volunteers safety in relation to COVID-19

The intended outcome of the grants is to strengthen community functioning by increasing participation in volunteering.

For more information, visit: 

• 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants Guidelines for Applicants
• 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants Frequently Asked Questions

Enquiries

For further clarification and enquiries please email grants@volunteering.com.au