Community Grants Program

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Council currently offers a series of small community grants each year.  

Two grant rounds are offered each financial year which is limited to Council's yearly budget. This is currently $50,000 across the three grant funds. To better understand each of the grants, Guidelines have been created which outline the types of events, projects or activities which may be eligible for funding and the types of organisations that can apply. It is important that the Guidelines are read prior to making an application.

The Community Development Officer is available to talk through any questions you may have regarding the application process and/or your proposed activity, project or event - call (02) 6655 7300. 

Applications for Round 1 of Council's 2024/25 Community Grants Program will open on the 16 April, 8:00am and close on the 14 May 2024, 5:00pm.

Creative Placemaking Fund

The Creative Placemaking Fund is a small grant program that aims to invigorate and activate public spaces through art by taking a unique and creative approach that encourages participation in arts and cultural activities. These activities may include invigorating street furniture, public sculpture, murals, laneway transformation or musical performance. The Creative Placemaking program is open to all members of the community. 

Creative-Placemaking-Fund-Round-1-2024-25.pdf(PDF, 3MB)

Community Support Fund

The Community Support Fund is a small grant program that aims to support local community activities that achieve broad community benefit. Open to not-for-profit organisations and registered charities, eligible projects and activities might include programs for seniors or youth or small infrastructure projects or equipment to support community activities.

Community-Support-Fund-Round-1-2024-25.pdf(PDF, 2MB)

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

The Community Event Sponsorship Fund is a small grant program that supports local community events. Open to incorporated not-for-profit organisations and registered charities, events should aim to foster partnerships between community organisations, target regions outside the Shire and be innovative and creative.

Community-Event-Sponsorship-Fund-Round-1-2024-25.pdf(PDF, 7MB)

 

How to apply

Applications can be made through Council's online grants management portal.

Apply now

Previous grant recipients

2023-24 - Round 2

 

Grant Fund

Organisation

Activity

$

Community Support Fund

Gleniffer Community Association  

 

Digital Piano Purchase

$1,000

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Bellingen River Agricultural Society Inc

 E J Mantova Memorial Art Prize 2024

 

$2,202

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

 

Bellingen River Agricultural Society Inc

Bellingen Show 2024

$3,000

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

 Arts Council of the Dorrigo INC  Dorrigo Easter Art Exhibition "Being Here Now"

$2,500

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Bellingen Improvised Music Collective Inc

BIMCI 2024 Music Performance Season

$2,000

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Dorrigo Chamber of Commerce

 Dorrigo Dahlia Day

$1,130

 

Creative Placemaking Fund

The Art Space Urunga  Brush Strokes

$2,391

Creative Placemaking Fund

Hayley Egan

MotherSong Picnic

$1,000

 

Creative Placemaking Fund

 Paul Hayes

 

Urunga Originals

$3,000

Creative Placemaking Fund

 Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival Incorporated

Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2024

$2,385

 

 

2023-24 – Round 1

 

Grant Fund

Organisation

Activity

$

Community Support Fund

Bellingen Community Playgroup / Playgroup NSW

 

Bellingen Community Playgroup Renewal Project

$1,000

Community Support Fund

Bellingen Community Arts Council

One Enchanted Evening

$430

Community Support Fund

Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival

Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival Schools Program

$2,500

Community Support Fund

Country Women's Association of New South Wales - Urunga Branch

Upgrading the meeting room furniture at the Urunga CWA rest rooms

$1,255

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Bellingen Muse

 

Bellingen Muse

 

$2,000

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Camp Creative

 

Camp Creative Scholarship program

$1,500

 

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Housing Matters Action Group Inc

Housing Forum - Working together to unlock housing solutions

$1,500

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Urunga Business and Community

URUNGAlights

$4,000

 

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival Incorporated

Festival fencing

$2,500

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival

Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2024

$2,000

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Country Women's Association of NSW - Dorrigo

Senior's Week Sconversation

$500

 

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Taranta Festival Inc

Taranta Festival

$1,500

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Bellingen Youth Orchestra Incorporated

2023 Schools Concert

$2,000

Community Event Sponsorship Fund

Bellingen Community Arts Council

Bellingen Shire Arts Trail Weekend

$1,748

Creative Placemaking Fund

Anneliese Hauptstein

Spray It Loud: Amplifying Youth Voices through Stencil Art

$2,650

Creative Placemaking Fund

The Bellingen Valley Historical Society

Display Cabinets for Bellingen Museum

$2194

 

2022-23 - Round 2

Grant fund
Organisation
Activity
$
Community Support Fund Dorrigo and Guy Fawkes Agricultural Association Inc Fence Panels for Dorrigo Showground $3,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Bellingen Youth Orchestra Inc Schools Concert 2022 $2,400
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival Inc Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2023 $2,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Arts Council of the Dorrigo Inc Dorrigo Easter Art Exhibition 2023 $1,215
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Dorrigo Chamber of Commerce Day of Dahlias $1,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Urunga Business and Community Inc Urunga Rail Centenary $1,000

Creative Placemaking Fund

Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival Inc BRWF Street Performances and Youth Activities $2,110
Creative Placemaking Fund Gumbaynggirr Wenonah Head Aboriginal Corporation Wenonah Head Indigenous Art Welcome Posts $4,500
Creative Placemaking Fund Urunga Sail Training Club Weaving the Story of Bindarray Yuruun (‘Long River’ in Gumbaynggirr language) $3,500
TOTAL $20,725

 

2022-23 - Round 1

 Grant fund
Organisation
Activity
$
Community Support Fund Mylestom Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association Activities to support seniors in Mylestom $1,400
Community Support Fund Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival Schools Program $3,740
Community Support Fund Urunga-Mylestom Chamber of Commerce Urunga Bicycle Racks $2,000
Community Support Fund Bellingen Public School P&C Association Bello Children's Fete $1,500
Community Support Fund Urunga Public School P&C Association Learning on Country with Landcare and Bellingen High School $1,700
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Bellingen RSL Country Club (trading as Bellingen Golf Club) Bellingen Shire Golf Classic $1,000 
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Camp Creative Inc Camp Creative 2023 $3,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Bellingen Improvised Music Collective Inc  Local Band Showcase at BIMF 2022 $2,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival Inc Marquees for 20th Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival $2,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund Bellingen Community Arts Council Inc (auspice organisation) Bellingen Muse 2022 - Festival Fiesta $2,000
Creative Placemaking Fund Bellingen Community Arts Council Inc Bellingen Shire Arts Trail $935
Creative Placemaking Fund Dorrigo Preschool Association Community Mural Project $3,000
Creative Placemaking Fund Urunga Public School Connecting to Gumbaynggirr Culture $3,000
    TOTAL $27,275 

2021-22 - Round 2

Grant fund 
Organisation
Activity
$
Community Support Fund  Bellingen Growers Market  Promote local musicians and performers  $1,500 
Community Support Fund  Neighbourhood Care Network Inc  SMS Bush Telegraph Emergency Alert Service  $2,000
Community Support Fund  Bellingen Valley Working Equitation Inc  Timber bridge for practice and competitions $2,000
Community Support Fund  Bellinger River Sailing Club Inc  Maintenance and repairs of the Bellinger River Sailing Club $2,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Country Women's Association of NSW - Urunga Urunga CWA Garden Function $2,035 
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Bellinger River Agricultural Society Inc  EJ Mantova Memorial Art Prize  $2,500 
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Bellinger River Agricultural Society Inc Bellingen Show $3,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Kalang River Dragon Boat Club  Kalang River Classic $1,500
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Country Women's Association of NSW - Dorrigo  'Sconversation' Seniors Week $1,090
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Dorrigo Dramatic Club Back to Eden Film Festival $3,500
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival Inc Sounds at Megan $1,200
    TOTAL $20,825 

2021-22 - Round 1

Grant fund
Organisation
Activity
$
Community Support Fund  Don Dorrigo and Guy Fawkes Historical Society  Familiarisation Day $1,000
Community Support Fund  Urunga Surf Life Saving Club  Canteen upgrade at Urunga Surf Life Saving Club $4,000
Community Support Fund  Repton Public School P&C Association  'The River' The Musical $2,000
Community Support Fund  Camp Creative Inc Improving event risk, safety and accessibility in community venues  $2,500
Community Support Fund  Neighbourhood Centres of Bellingen Shire Inc  People's Library: Voices of the Community 2021 $2,199
Community Support Fund  Housing Matters Action Group Inc Housing Matters Community Hosting Program $3,800
Community Support Fund  OzGREEN  First Aid Training for Bellingen Shire Micro Community Residents $1,500
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Arts Council of the Dorrigo Inc Dorrigo Easter Art Exhibition (DEAE) $2,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  The Grub Club Sgt. Matthew Locke MG Charity Match 2022 $4,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival Inc Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival 2021 $3,000
Community Event Sponsorship Fund  Amanda Fairbanks - auspiced by Auspicious Arts  'Everything 80s' $3,000
Creative Placemaking Fund  Kristy Holding Pop Up Art Gallery and Studio $2,000
     TOTAL $30,999