Wyndham City Council operates the Community Association Establishment Grant scheme to provide support to newly established community groups who are planning to become incorporated associations. The scheme provides $150 to assist with the costs of incorporation and setting up. In addition, groups are eligible for $350 worth of free access to Council-owned community facilities around Wyndham for a period of up to 12 months.
To be eligible for a Community Association Establishment Grant groups must:
- Be unincorporated, but plan to become an Incorporated Association within the next 6 months;
- Operate as a not-for-profit community organisation;
- Not directly receive income from the proceeds of gaming machines;
- Be considered a new group (not split off from an existing group);
- Be based in Wyndham and with a majority of members from within Wyndham;
- Have membership open to all members of the community or a widely recognised section of the community (e.g. youth, senior citizens, people with disabilities, people sharing a common language, culture, or heritage, etc.);
- Not be primarily established to promote political or religious beliefs (groups with a common religion who also share other common characteristics such as language, culture, or heritage may be considered eligible, provided that they have open membership, do not enforce or encourage adherence to specific beliefs, and do not serve religious purposes or exist to promote that religion);
- Not have already received an Establishment Grant or any other monetary grants from any government agency or philanthropic foundation; and
- Be committed to ongoing service to members and/or the wider community.
Groups are required to become incorporated within six months of approval of their Community Association Establishment Grant.
Applications are received at any time throughout the year and will normally be evaluated within 2 weeks.
For further information or application forms please contact:
Matthew Bulloch
Community Projects Officer
Wyndham City Council
(03) 9742 8136
funding@wyndham.vic.gov.au
www.wyndham.vic.gov.au
Staff from Council's Community Development Unit can also provide information, advice, and training on establishing community groups and the incorporation process.