Grants and Sponsorships: Council's Community Investment Funding

Our Community Investment Grants and Sponsorships program supports local organizations by funding services, programs, events, and festivals that are inclusive, creative, and enhance community wellbeing and connection across the Peninsula.

Council’s investment empowers community-led projects, promotes volunteer participation, and supports programs, partnerships, and activities that build community capacity and resilience.

Applications are now open for projects that align with the three key themes of our Council and Wellbeing Plan:

A healthy natural environment and well-planned townships
A robust, innovative, and diverse economy
A flourishing, healthy, and connected community

If you are part of or know of an organization or community group that could benefit from our Grants and Sponsorships program, click the link below to learn more:

Grants and Sponsorships Support

To discuss your project ideas, you can contact the Program Managers for each of the Grants or Subsidy streams as listed in the attached document below or via each of the Grants Pages listed in Grants 2024 - 2025 drop down menu below.

Grants-and-Subsidies-Program-Managers-Contact-List-Update-14012025.pdf(PDF, 560KB)

Alternatively, contact the Shire's Community Development Grants Officer at CommunityInvestFunding@mornpen.vic.gov.au

For queries about SmartyGrants, contact the Grants Administration team at community.grants@mornpen.vic.gov.au

Grant Writing Workshops and Information Sessions

Sessions conducted in June, July and August have now been completed. If you need assistance, please contact the Community Development Grants Officer at: CommunityInvestFunding@mornpen.vic.gov.au or the assigned Program Manager for each of the Grants and Sponsorships Streams

Grants 2024 - 2025

Access and Inclusion Grant (CLOSED)

To provide funding to support individuals experiencing financial hardship to participate in community life and improve personal outcomes through sustainable change.

Biolinks Support Grant (CLOSED)

To support the community to establish, protect, and enhance biolinks on a landscape scale by building upon and ultimately connecting vegetation to improve habitat values and provide pathways that facilitate wildlife movement.

Business Development Grant (CLOSED)

To enable business growth and improvements

Climate Action Grant (CLOSED)

Supports projects that reduce emissions for small businesses, schools & community groups.

Community Events Grant (CLOSED)

Community groups and organisations can apply for event funding to assist with the delivery of events that benefit our local community.

Community Support Grant (OPEN)

Grants for non-profit community organisations for general grants to assist with projects which benefit the Mornington Peninsula community.

Creative Grant (CLOSED)

Community groups and individual artists interested in initiating arts and cultural activities and programs with public outcomes are invited to apply for funding.

Energy Support Grant (OPEN)

Provides rebates to eligible community members for approved energy efficiency upgrades.

Flexi Grants (OPEN)

Our Flexi Grants recognise that some community groups just need a small helping hand.

Heritage Grant (CLOSED)

To preserve and restore places listed in the Heritage Overlay in the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme

Local Area Community Capital Infrastructure Grant (CLOSED)

We invite applications from non-profit community organisations for general grants to assist with projects which benefit the Mornington Peninsula community.

Performing Arts Development Grant (CLOSED)

The Performing Arts Development Grant will invest in Mornington Peninsula-based creative organisations and individuals that seek to develop and deliver new and innovative artistic works, grow employment opportunities for creative and cultural workers, and engage communities with the performing arts.

Placemaking Grants (CLOSED)

We invite applications from non-profit community organisations for general grants to assist with projects which benefit the Mornington Peninsula community.

How to find and apply for grants and funding

Council’s Community Investment Funding is available to community groups/organisations, businesses, sole traders, schools and not-for-profit organisations that seek to build our community’s resilience. This is achieved through a collaborative partnership with the Shire where our many grants provide the opportunity for empowering our community to lead their own projects/initiatives, that address a local need and/or priority with a recognised community benefit.

The Shire’s grants focus on strengthening performing arts development, taking climate action, enhancing biodiversity, restoring our heritage buildings, making our townships vibrant through arts, culture and history as well as festivals and events. The Shire is also committed to building the capacity of our volunteers, increasing social connections and creating a sense of belonging through placemaking as well as improving the built and natural environments through our community capital. Council adopted the current Community Investment Funding Policy on 12 July 2022. The Policy identifies the principles for our grants program and the 4-year cycle of investment and renewal aligned to our Council and Wellbeing Plan.

You can watch the video Applying for a Grant

Watch the video on Alternative Funding Sources

Watch our Grant Writing Tips.

As we have limited funding, the Shire also provides a funding finder search engine, free for our community. This is a one stop shop for community groups/organisations, businesses and schools to search for other funding that is currently open to support their projects/initiatives. You just need to register to get grant opportunities sent to you with your preferences.

Learn how Funding Finder works for you(PDF, 300KB)

Further information and documents

Community Investment Funding - Frequently Asked Questions(PDF, 302KB) - answers to most queries and questions we receive.

Auspicing Agreement Form(PDF, 309KB) - organisations who will apply under an auspice arrangement need to complete and submit this form with the online application.

SmartyGrants Help Guide for Applicants(PDF, 1MB) - All applications must be submitted online via SmartyGrants. This guide will assist applicants with the process.

Sample budget(PDF, 124KB) - an example of how to complete a budget

Sponsorships 2024 - 2025

Sponsorship funds are aimed at public promotion of Mornington Peninsula Shire, its agencies or programs as opposed to material contribution towards the staging of an event. This funding program is highly competitive and applicants must ensure the Sponsorships Guidelines are understood before applying.

The scope of the program does not include the receiving of Sponsorship requests for infrastructure or naming rights on infrastructure.

Sponsorship applications close on the 4 June 2025 unless funds have been exhausted prior to this date.

Theme

Value of Sponsorship

Theme 1

A healthy, natural environment and well-planned townships

Bronze Sponsorship up to $10,000 (option of 3-year period) Substantial impact for the Shire as a Local attraction

Silver Sponsorship up to $20,000 (option of 3-year period) Substantial impact for the Shire as a Regional/Local attraction

Gold Sponsorship up to $35,000 (option of 3-year period) Substantial impact for the Shire as a State/Regional attraction

Platinum Sponsorship up to $50,000 (option of 3-year period) Substantial impact for the Shire as a National/State attraction

Theme 2

A robust, innovative and diverse economy

Theme 3

A flourishing, healthy and connected community

Mornington Peninsula Community Charitable Trust (OPEN)

Mornington Peninsula Community Charitable Trust (the Trust) was established in April 2008 through a signed Deed of Gift between the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund (LMCF) and the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (the Shire).

Annual interest earned from the corpus is made available by LMCF to the Trust for distribution through recommendations made by The Trust’s Committee of Management. The Trust complies with Council’s Community Investment Funding Policy 2022 and Program Guidelines were adopted by Council in 2024.

This year the annual corpus is $12,600.00. Eligible organisations are required to have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.

Please see attached the Trust’s Program Guidelines, noting the priorities of the LMCF are listed however applications for viable projects/programs can be outside these priority areas where they benefit Mornington Peninsula Shire communities.

Mornington-Peninsula-Community-Charitable-Trust-Program-Guidelines.pdf(PDF, 6MB)

For more information you can contact the Program Manager at CommunityInvestFunding@mornpen.vic.gov.au

To apply before the closing date on the 6 May 2025, you can click the link below which will take you to Smarty Grants where an application can be completed.

Apply here

Funding Awarded 14/04/2025 - Vinnies Kitchen $5,000.00 grant approved for Food Security for Homeless Program

Awarded Grants, Subsidies & Sponsorships 2024 - 2025

To see awarded Grants, Subsidies and Sponsorships for 2024 - 2025 (YTD to 15/03/2025) click links below

Grants-2024-2025-YTD-15-March-2025.pdf(PDF, 934KB)

Sponsorships-2024-2025-YTD-15-March-2025.pdf(PDF, 532KB)

Subsidies-2024-2025-YTD-15-March-2025.pdf(PDF, 449KB)

Awarded Grants 2023 -2024

View 2023 - 2024 successful Grants recipients, their projects and funding in link below.

2023-2024-Awarded-Grants.pdf(PDF, 693KB)

2023-24-CIF-Funding-and-Community-Contribution.pdf(PDF, 303KB)

Awarded Sponsorships 2023 - 2024

View 2023 - 2024 successful Sponsorship recipients, their projects and funding in link below.

Sponsorships-Awarded-2023-2024.pdf(PDF, 510KB)

Awarded Subsidies 2023 - 2024

The Shire subsidises a number of community groups and organisations to support the delivery of essential services, community programs, life-saving, community transport, legal services and other initiatives.

Recipients of subsidies were invited to apply when subsidies opened on 13 July 2023 and closed on 7 September 2023.

Council's Community Investment Funding supports the following community groups and organisations to deliver these services.

Subsidies-Awarded-2023-2024.pdf(PDF, 446KB)

Seniors Festival Subsidy 2024

The Senior’s Festival is a major state-wide festival for and involving seniors, with an emphasis on fun and good times.

This year’s State-wide theme is ‘Explore. Engage. Evolve.’ This theme promotes:

A need to stay curious and open to exploring new activities.
Opportunities to meet new people and extend ourselves through new interests.
Discovering all the ways we can enhance our life, develop our resilience and remain happy, healthy, and productive, as we age.

We are here to help

Through our Community Investment Funding Subsidies Program the Shire will support local clubs and groups by offering a Subsidy up to $300 to be used for your Seniors Festival 2025 event or activity.

Is there something your club/group/organisation is planning to run in October 2025 specifically for older residents during Seniors Festival?

Ideas could include activities such as:

Come and try days.
An Open day
Guest speakers
Intergenerational program
Activities for older people who may not normally access your club/activity (i.e., men/women, LGBTIQA + communities, culturally diverse, older people with disabilities).
Free or low-cost activities

Subsidies for 2024 are closed.

Subsidies for 2025-2026 are yet to be determined and approved by Council. Please contact the Program Mgr if you wish to make enquiries.

Please check back on this page at a later date (approx. May 2025) for updates.

Further Program Enquiries: Laurencia.Grant@mornpen.vic.gov.au

CIF funding awarded 2019 - 30 June 2024

CIF-funding-awarded-2019-30-June-2023.pdf(PDF, 1MB)

Funding Finder

The Shire hosts Funding Finder to assist community groups/organisations and businesses to search for funding external to Council's Community Investment Funding. This is a free service, all you need to do is register.