Grants
Supporting nonprofits committed to improving the wellbeing of women and their families in need in Greater Melbourne.
Inclusivity and diversity amongst committee perspectives
Purpose Of Our Grants
We support initiatives that maximise the agency and improve the quality of life for women and their families experiencing challenging circumstances.
We do this primarily by distributing two grants annually to two bold, often smaller, nonprofit organisations striving to do outstanding work for their beneficiaries.
Our members vote to select the two major grant recipients out of six finalist organisations, with each of the four runner-up nonprofits receiving smaller grants of equal value.
$1,474,000
Awarded in grants since 2014
Our Granting Approach
Our process is characterised by interaction and engagement. We strive to be responsive and relevant to our community, emphasising collaboration and integrity.
Our key beneficiary group is women or women and their families in need who are located in the Greater Melbourne region. We welcome applications for funding the work of organisations focusing on men, if the intended outcomes are for the direct benefit for our key beneficiary group.
Throughout our grants round process, our Grants Committee strives for:
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Rigorous due diligence while maintaining confidentiality
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Member learning and development
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Democratic selection of finalists
We seek the input of members, nonprofits and our wider community to identify the most pressing challenges facing women and families in need and prioritise our granting focus areas.
2025
Changemaker
Grants Round
The Power Of Collective Giving In Action.
At the 2025 Changemaker Awards on 23 October, members who contributed to the 2024/2025 grants funding pool voted for the recipients of the two major grants:
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- One $80,000 Capacity Building Grant to support a specific program, project or initiative.
- One $45,000 Enabling Grant to support any mission-supporting funding need.
The remaining funds were evenly distributed as an $11,000 Spotlight Award for each of the four runner-up Finalists.
Read about our 2025 Changemakers here.
How our grants are funded
As a giving circle, the grants we provide depend on the total annual membership and supporter donations received by 30 June each year. For the 2024/2025 financial year, a record $169,000 was raised for our 2025 grants funding pool!
Join or renew today to build the grants funding pool for 2026!
Eligibility Criteria
DGR & TCC
Organisation endorsed as an Item 1 Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1) and a Tax Concession Charity (TCC).
Priority Beneficiaries
Our priority beneficiary group is adult women, or women and their families, in need and located in the Greater Melbourne region.
Initiatives that work with participants other than women are eligible, providing the intended outcomes are for the full benefit our priority beneficiaries.
Other Criteria
Other eligibility criteria apply, such as Finalists and from the previous year’s grant round to wait a year before applying again, organisation size limits, and ACNC reporting to be up to date at the time of applying.
2026 Grants Round Important Dates
7-23 JULY
Expressions Of Interest Accepted
Look out for our 2026 Grants Guidelines for our granting focus areas and information on how to apply, to be published in May 2026.
20 AUGUST-1 SEPTEMBER
Full Applications Accepted
Applicants shortlisted from the Expressions of Interest round are invited to submit a full application.
2 OCTOBER
Changemaker Finalists Notified
Six applicants are selected from the full applications received and invited to participate in our Changemaker Awards in November.
12 NOVEMBER
Changemaker Awards
Six Finalists showcase their organisations and their funding need, and our 2025/2026 financial year members vote on the distribution of our grants.
This is a valuable opportunity for members, guests and finalists to come together to learn and connect.
Full information for our 2026 grants round will be published in May 2026.