Albury Wodonga Connected Communities

Grant Applications

The Connected Communities program is a Bendigo Bank initiative.

Albury Wodonga Connected Communities aim to assist in providing grants for local projects.

These projects will enhance the prosperity of a broad range of local not-for-profit community organisations.

Applications should clearly demonstrate the social benefits of the project for the organisation’s own members and/or the broader Albury Wodonga Community.

Albury Wodonga Connected Communities Grants

How it works

Ongoing funding for Albury Wodonga Connected Communities Ltd (AWCC) is provided by Bendigo Bank as commissions paid on selected accounts of customers who have elected to support the AWCC.

These commissions are paid as part of the Bendigo Bank’s community engagement budget and are made at no cost to the customer.

The commissions received from the Bendigo Bank form the funding for AWCC Grants.

AWCC has its own board of directors, made up of local community representatives who make the decisions on how the money is allocated.

Approved Grants are awarded to local organisations.

Grant Application Eligibility

Applicants must be a community group or not-for-profit organisation within Albury, Wodonga, or surrounding areas.

Grant Rounds open twice a year. Online applications are available during the Grant Found periods.

Dependent upon the location of your organisation, your application may be referred to another Connected Community or Bendigo Community Bank.

Applicants must hold an ABN.

Applicants must hold an appropriate public liability insurance policy.

Grant applications must fit into one of the following grant categories:

Youth

Arts & culture

Community Events

Health and Well Being

Sport

Community Services

Environment

Disabiity

Grant Application Procedure

Grant applications are open twice yearly (grant rounds are advertised on our web page and social media accounts).
Organisations are limited to one Grant Application in each financial year.
Grant Applications will be referred to the grants sub-committee who will assess whether the application meets the eligibility criteria. The sub-committee reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant.
Decisions by the Board regarding a Grant Applications are final, and correspondence will not be entered into.
Applications will be decided within 30 days of the closing date and all applicants will be advised of the outcome.
Applications for Gold or Platinum Grants must be submitted with a detailed project plan and will be assessed and approved by AWCC’s full Board of Directors.
Prior to receiving payment, the successful grant recipient must, within 45 days:
• Provide a Tax Invoice
• Invite an AWCC board member to attend your next meeting to discuss the grant
• Share details of your successful grant on social media, tagging AWCC’s Facebook page. AWCC will tag the successful recipient in return on our Facebook page
• Open a Bendigo Bank account if an account is not already held to receive funds. AWCC’s intention is to provide each Organisation’s funding within 60 days.
• Failure to adhere to the above four points will see the grant approval withdrawn.
Successful grant applicants must provide AWCC with a written report detailing the outcome of your project and the activities which promoted AWCC.

Ineligble Organisations

The following types of organisations are considered ineligible for funding.

If profits do not go to a community group or a non-for-profit organisations.
Activities which promote discrimination, violence, anti-social behavior, political or religious views.
Projects not considered to benefit the communities of Albury, Wodonga, or surrounding areas, as determined by the AWCC Board.
Organisations who receive direct income from electronic gaming machines.
Requests to cover the cost of wages or salaries.
Applications from Federal and State Government bodies or institutions.
Applications from individuals.
Organisations who have received funding from AWCC in the past 12 months.
Grant applications received after the closing period

Albury Wodonga Connected Communities Grants

Giving back to local communities

All over Australia, the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank have established more than 200 Community Companies, some as ‘Community Banks’ and others as ‘Connected Communities’, whose contributions to local communities has recently exceeded $165 million and growing every year.

Since establishing Albury Wodonga Connected Communities Ltd in 2017, we have given away over $250,000 to local community groups and organisations.