What we look for
Education at the core
The work must be an education initiative, broadly understood. That includes practical pathways, programs reaching young Victorians outside the mainstream, and education beyond the classroom.
Grassroots organisations
We are built for smaller, grassroots organisations that larger funders tend to overlook. A modest grant can make a real difference in the right hands.
Built for the long term
We favour work that can grow over time: programs with a plan beyond a single year, led by people who intend to stay. We prefer steady, long-term partnerships over one-off grants.
The shape of a grant
Most grants fall between $5,000 and $40,000, sized to matter to a small organisation and often renewed across several years.
Grant range
Most partnerships sit between $5,000 and $40,000. We would rather give meaningfully to a few organisations than thinly to many.
A multi-year horizon
Where the fit is right, we stay. Many of our partnerships run across several years, so organisations can plan beyond a single funding cycle.
Projects and capital, not running costs
We prefer to fund specific projects and one-off capital that leave something lasting behind: equipment, a build, or a program you can carry on yourselves. We are not able to take on ongoing operating or salary costs.
Where we must say no
Like all Private Ancillary Funds, there are things we cannot fund, and a few we choose not to.
- Individuals: grants or scholarships paid directly to individuals rather than organisations.
- Ongoing operating costs: recurring salaries, rent, and day-to-day running expenses, as distinct from project or capital costs.
- Retrospective funding: activities already completed, or costs already incurred.
- Religious or political activities: proselytising, campaigning, or lobbying of any kind.
- Fundraising events and sponsorships: galas, dinners, raffles, and naming-rights arrangements.
- General appeals: untargeted requests where the use of funds is not specific.
How it works
Expression of Interest
Placeholder copy: a short note by email is all we need to begin. Tell us who you are, what the work is, and roughly what support would help. Two or three paragraphs is plenty.
Initial Review
Placeholder copy: the family reads every expression of interest. We respond to all of them, typically within X weeks, and where there is a fit, we arrange a conversation.
Due Diligence
Placeholder copy: the necessary checks, including DGR status, governance, financials, and alignment with the foundation's deed. We keep the paperwork as light as the law allows.
Decision & Grant Agreement
Placeholder copy: a clear yes or no, with reasons either way. If it is a yes, a simple grant agreement sets out the amount, timing, and what we will ask of each other.