20225-26 VOLUNTEER GRANTS EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST NOW OPEN

20225-26 VOLUNTEER GRANTS EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST NOW OPEN Main Image

The Volunteer Grants program (program) is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to assist volunteers and encourage volunteering. Volunteer Grants support the work of local community organisations that rely on volunteers by removing barriers to volunteering and promoting awareness of volunteering opportunities.

Here’s what you need to know for the 2025-26 round:

Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 will be available to eligible not-for-profit community organisations to support the efforts of their volunteers.

The eligibility and associated expenditure for the 2025-26 Volunteer Grants round depends on the categories under which the organisation applies for funding.

Under Category 1, organisations can apply for funding to purchase communication or insurance items that benefit any of their volunteers. Examples include mobile phones, computers, software packages, electronic audio and visual equipment, internet service fees and insurance premiums.

Under Category 2, funding is for items to support eligible volunteer cohorts or for volunteer-run activities that assist volunteers and remove barriers to volunteering. This category has been expanded to improve access and reduce out-of-pocket costs, making volunteering more inclusive and accessible:


• Category 2A - Organisations can support volunteers who are children or adults whose volunteering activities support children, as well as volunteers from cohorts such as First Nations people, newly arrived migrants, people with disability, unemployed people, veterans and Australian Defence Force members, and women experiencing or at risk of gender-based violence or isolation.

• Category 2B - Funding can support volunteer-run activities focused on children’s development and wellbeing, as well as activities for the same cohorts. Two new eligible activities include supporting women experiencing gender-based discrimination or disadvantage and eliminating racial discrimination through activities that promote understanding and tolerance.

Grant applicants should ensure the funding is used to pay for items that are cost-effective and reasonably priced. 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.

You will need to review the guidelines before submitting your Expression of Interest, which you can access on the Grants Connect website here, Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
Expression of Interest forms can be downloaded by clicking here.
Please email your completed EOI to [email protected] or mail it to 427 Hunter Street, Newcastle, NSW 2300 by no later than 5pm, Tuesday 06 April 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact my office on 02 4926 1555. 
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I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which my office stands, the Awabakal and Worimi people, and pay my respects to Elders past and present.

I acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Office address: 427 Hunter Street, Newcastle, NSW, 2300 Phone: (02) 4926 1555

Authorised by Sharon Claydon MP, Australian Labor Party 427 Hunter Street Newcastle NSW