International Women's Day Community Grants Program

All applicants must be primarily based in Greater Shepparton and be any of the following:

• Not-for-profits, incorporated bodies, co-operatives or associations.
• Registered charitable organisations.
• Unincorporated bodies with an auspice.
• Schools and learning institutions – only for activities that are not curriculum based and the primary benefit is for the wider community.
• Individual / Sole Traders (entity type with Australian Business Register).
• For profits, commercial entities, registered businesses.

Please review the Funding Guidelines (available for download below) for full eligibility details.

• Applicants that have received funding from this grant in the current financial year that are applying for more than one activity.
• Individuals without an ABN.
• Applicants with outstanding acquittals for grant funding from Greater Shepparton City Council (including auspices).
• Applicants with outstanding debts or arrears to Greater Shepparton City Council or in legal proceedings with Council.
• An organisation involved in legal proceedings relating to winding up its operations, or experiencing insolvency or bankruptcy.

Please review the Funding Guidelines (available for download below) for full eligibility details.

If you are a not-for-profit organisation, you can still make an application by using an auspice. An auspice is an organisation that meets our eligibility criteria and agrees to support your application.

If you’re successful, the auspice receives the grant money on your behalf so you can undertake the project work.

If you are intending to make an application using an auspice you must obtain written approval from your proposed auspice before you submit your application, and attach this to your application form.

Applicants must have Public Liability Insurance with a minimum amount of $20 million. The Certificate of Currency for this insurance will be required as part of the application process.

Applicants using an auspice would include a Certificate of Currency from the auspice organisation. A policy statement or receipt of payment is not an acceptable substitute for the certificate of currency.

Activities may require permits and approvals.  These processes are separate to the grant application process and require additional time and budget in the project plan. You do not need to secure permits or approvals before applying for the grant, however obtaining these approvals will be a condition of the funding.

You must also be able to demonstrate that you are aware of the necessary permits and approvals in your application.

If you are successful in obtaining a grant and your activity does not proceed, you must contact the Community Wellbeing Department at Greater Shepparton City Council in a timely manner to discuss the circumstances of the activity not proceeding, and organise returning the grant funds provided.

Failure to notify Greater Shepparton City Council of your activity not proceeding within the required timelines detailed above, will deem future applications for all Council grant programs available ineligible.

The objectives of these grants are to provide funding to support International Women’s Day events ran by local community groups and organisations within the municipality that:

• recognise and value the achievements and community impact that local people who identify as women make in Greater Shepparton
• celebrate and promote the contribution of people who identify as women in Greater Shepparton.

Please review the Funding Guidelines (available for download below) for full explanation of the program objectives.

Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate how their proposal aligns with the overarching aims of International Women’s Day including:

• Celebrating women’s achievements through recognising and appreciating the contributions of women in various fields, highlighting their influence and successes throughout history and in the present day.
• Raising awareness of gender inequality through shining a light on persistent issues like the gender pay gap, lack of representation in leadership roles, gender-based violence, and unequal access to education and opportunities.
• Mobilising action for equality through encouraging individuals, communities, and organisations to take steps toward creating a more inclusive and equitable world for women.
• Elevating the visibility for women-focused charities.
• Fostering solidarity among people of all genders in support of women’s rights.

Funded activities will:

• occur in Greater Shepparton within the activity timeframes stated above
• provide an inclusive, safe and accessible outcome for the community of Greater Shepparton
• demonstrate effective partnerships i.e. with other groups and/or across interest groups
• deliver value for money
• be well developed and have reasonable indicators of success for the outcomes expected
• acknowledge Greater Shepparton City Council sponsors of the project receiving funding
• celebrate, educate and encourage community participation in International Women’s Day
• recognise, value, celebrate and promote the contribution made by women in Greater Shepparton
• encourage reflection and discussion about issues affecting gender inequality

• Events and activities not scheduled within the activity timeframes.
• Events and activities to be held outside the Greater Shepparton municipality.
• Applications received after the closing date.
• Applicants who have previously been funded by Council and have failed to comply with the financial, project monitoring and/or reporting requirements.
• Projects that are clearly a duplication of an existing service.
• Fundraising activities.
• Funding is NOT available for ongoing expenses or for projects which have already commenced or have been completed.
• Projects and activities that are discriminatory in any way or contravene any legislation.

The budget must include details on all income (all sources of funding which will be used to deliver the project, including the requested amount from this grant) and all expenditure (costs involved in the project).

Income and expenditure must be equal. A sample budget table is included in the complete guidelines document available for download below. 

Please provide a copy of quotes with your application for expenses exceeding $1,000.

If your organisation is registered for GST the budget item/s should be filled in with the GST exclusive amount. If your organisation is not registered for GST your budget item/s needs to be filled in with the GST inclusive amount. Please refer to the ato.gov.au  website for further details.

It is also necessary to detail the in-kind contributions, if any, that will be made to the activity in the in-kind section of the application form. An example of this table is included in the complete guidelines document available for download below. 

If you have volunteers working on the project, include their contribution at the following values:

• $25 per hour for unskilled labour
• $40 per hour for qualified trades person
• $65 per hour for machinery hire, including driver.

All applications received will go through the following assessment process:

• Eligibility checks against criteria for the funding of this program
• Panel Assessment by appointed representatives

The Assessment Panel will consider the following:

• does the activity meet the objectives and activities of the program?
• does the activity have a broad community benefit?
• is the activity well planned and feasible within the timeframes provided?
• evidence that the activity will be well supported by the community
• evidence that the activity will be inclusive and accessible for the whole community
• does the intended activity align with the following strategic documents:
  • Greater Shepparton City Council Plan

View the Council Plan and other Strategies

Once applications have been assessed by the panel, a recommendation of funding will be presented to Council’s Director – Community to provide final award of the grant funding under delegated authority.

Successful applicants will be required to:

• enter into a funding agreement and adhere to the conditions of the agreement
• spend the grant money in accordance with the conditions stated in the funding agreement and provided for in the application
• return any unspent funds at the completion of the activity, or at the end of the agreement unless prior written approval has been obtained to expend the funds in another way
• complete in full detail an acquittal form.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing and provided with an opportunity to discuss the outcome with the Program Coordinator and Grants Coordinator.

In some cases the assessment panel may consider your application more suited to one of Council’s other grant programs. If your application is more aligned with another funding program, Council will contact you and let you know.

If an application is made to an alternative funding stream within Council, only one funding application may be considered per financial year for the same activity.

If there are funds remaining in the grant pool, we may choose to offer a second round of funding. Whilst unsuccessful applicants are eligible to reapply, we would recommend revising the application prior to ensure it fits the objectives of the program and assessment criteria before doing so.

You will be required to report back to Council when your project is completed. The acquittal process is important because it enables Council to continuously evaluate the success of the program.

You must report back to Council within the timeframe provided in your funding agreement. The financial acquittal is an income and expenditure statement for the grant confirming funding has been spent on the activity in accordance with the funding agreement.

Council officers may request meetings with to check on the progress of the activity or event, or undertake an independent audit of your records as they relate directly to the grant.

It is the responsibility of the grant recipient to maintain accurate financial records for the grant and make them available in the event of an audit by the Council into the use of the grant.

An organisation that fails to submit their acquittal documents is deemed ineligible to apply for any future funding from Council, until their acquittal is completed and approved by Council.

Council acknowledges, celebrates and supports the diversity of the Greater Shepparton community, as a tool to ensure activities and programs are inclusive of all. It is therefore important applicants demonstrate a range of diversity strategies within their application.

Below are examples of ways in which you may demonstrate inclusion of all in your program/activities. Please note, these are examples ONLY and we encourage your group to develop a range of inclusion practices unique to your application.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• migrant and refugee communities
• people with a disability
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and gender diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual communities (LGBTIQA+)
• young people and seniors
• provision of accessible facilities such as parking, toilets, ramp access and accessible seating
• gender inclusion
• information available in accessible formats, such as large print, alternative language, plain English, the use of interpreters, such as Auslan for people who are Deaf
• availability of a broad range of foods
• ensuring all published materials avoids acronyms and jargon
• take religious and cultural occasions into consideration when planning .

Council Officers are available to support you with identifying, capturing and reflecting diversity within your application through contacting the Community Wellbeing Department on: 03 5832 9700.

Greater Shepparton City Council will consider the equitable reach of this funding program during the assessment and final decision-making processes. Projects should support diverse communities including:

Council has a duty to promote gender equality through the Gender Equality Act 2020.

Council’s grant program applicants are encouraged to demonstrate evidence of how their organisation considers and promotes gender equality within their policies, programs and services.

Council has declared a climate emergency and adopted a 2030 Zero Emissions target to address the causes and impacts of climate change that are already affecting our communities.

Council’s grant program applicants are encouraged to consider sustainability outcomes and the impact of their project on carbon emissions. Minimising carbon emissions i.e. by using recycled products, reducing or eliminating waste, using local products or using renewable energy, etc. will be regarded favourably.

Applications that support communities to thrive under a changing climate will be highly regarded.

You are encouraged to visit Council's website for more information on Council’s commitment to the environment.