Why we're consulting
At the council meeting in July 2022, it was resolved that the Community Grants program be reviewed in line with consultation for the annual budget.
We are seeking feedback from the community to understand how the community feel about the Community Grants program and the perceived value of the program.
What we hope to achieve
The council will review the feedback from the consultation to guide decision-making as we develop the Draft Budget 2023-2024 and aim to ensure the program is providing maximum community benefit.
Background
In providing funding through its community grants program, the council aims to provide opportunities to empower organisations and groups to drive social, environmental, cultural, and economic outcomes in the Wodonga municipality. The community grants program is strategically aligned to the Council Plan and the integrated Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.
About community grants (July 2017 to June 2022)
- Two grants rounds per year - this includes the Community Impact Grants Program, Community Partnership Grants Program and the Community Infrastructure and Equipment Grants Program.
- 199 applications were received from not-for-profit organisations and local community groups (on average almost 40 applications per year, or 20 per round).
- 121 (61 per cent) applications approved (average of 24 approved per year, or 12 per round).
- $515,000 of grants funding allocated – that’s $103,000 per year, or $51,500 per round.
- The average amount funded to each project or organisation was more than $3225
Who accesses grant funding
- Sporting and Recreation Clubs (25 per cent)
- Arts and Culture (19 per cent)
- Environmental Groups (11 per cent)
- Service Clubs (8 per cent)
- Other community organisations (37 per cent).
Why they access the funding
The organisations/groups who access our community grants program are typically:
- Small clubs or groups with lower revenues and human resource capacity;
- Group which lack resources and rely on volunteerism; and,
- Depend on local government support (that is, through grants) rather than other tiers of government often due to the accessibility of local government grants, the scale of grants, and a lack of grant-seeking skills to secure larger state/federal grants.
What does the program achieve (Jult)
- Grant beneficiaries reported an average of 112 participants (direct and indirect) per funded project. This is a total estimate of 13,552 participants and residents over the five-year period, equivalent to 31 per cent of Wodonga's population (ABS, 2021).
- Since 2018, grantees reported an estimated 32,000 volunteer hours directly related to funded projects or more than 6500 per year. The total estimated volunteer value to these organisations since 2018 was $1.5 million (or about $305,000 per year).
- The community grants program predominantly funds volunteer-dependent organisations. The monetary return provided by volunteering is significant, with the social, economic and cultural value of volunteering yielding a 450 per cent return for every dollar invested (Volunteering Australia). This means for the council’s average annual investment of $103,040 to grant recipients, the return into our community $566,715 per year.
Ways to have your say
This consultation is open from Monday, January 30 to Monday, March 6.
Anyone who lives, works, studies or invests invests in Wodonga or visits the municipality and uses the facilities, is invited to review the information provided, ask questions and provide feedback during this time.
Ways to provide feedback for consideration
- Complete the submission form below
- Email: makewodongayours@wodonga.vic.gov.au
- Have a chat face-to-face at our upcoming pop-ups at locations around Wodonga
- Send in a submission to PO Box 923, Wodonga, VIC 3690
- Phone (02) 6022 9300