Thrive Community Grants

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Bank of Melbourne Foundation Thrive Community Grants offer up to $50,000 to support the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people via opportunities to connect and participate in community life. Grants support smaller, local charities engaging with children and young people facing the greatest barriers to reaching their potential.

Thrive Community Grants

About the grant

Each year, Thrive Community Grants provide smaller, local charities with one-off grants of up to $50,000 to assist children and young people to connect with friends, family and the community, participate in activities that build resilience, develop new skills, enrich lives, and create a sense of belonging. Our support is focussed on children and young people experiencing discrimination and disadvantage (see our Priority Groups).

What we do fund

We invest in charities that support the direct involvement of children and young people to:

  • Foster individual learning and interests through education, training or skills development
  • Develop independence, engage in society and join the workforce
  • Create connections and build relationships with others
  • Feel they belong to a wider community, social or cultural group
  • Build resilience, self-awareness and confidence
  • Have the practical things they need to participate and develop as active members of the community
  • Have a positive sense of identity and culture
  • Have a say about things that matter to them

What we don't fund

  • Charity works outside Australia
  • Initiatives outside of VIC
  • Sponsorship or fundraising activities
  • Residential camps, except where that is the core purpose of the applicant organisation
  • Research
  • Individuals
  • Initiatives for adults

Eligibility

  1. Organisation is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR-1 status) and registered with Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC)
  2. Organisation can provide recent, audited financial statements, signed by the auditor
  3. Organisation has an annual gross revenue of less than $5 million
  4. Organisation receives less than 60% of its annual revenue from federal, state or local government funding, where income is above $1million per annum
  5. Proposed initiative is located within VIC

Next grant round

The next Thrive Community Grants round will open for applications in May 2025.

Selection Criteria and Funding Guidelines

For further details about our Thrive Community Grants, including selection criteria, please read our Application Guidelines. (PDF 57KB)

Additional Information 

  • For grants supporting initiatives in NSW/QLD/ACT/WA see St.George Foundation 
  • For grants supporting initiatives in SA/NT see BankSA Foundation
  • Auspiced applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis
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Bank of Melbourne Foundation acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay respects to Elders past and present and celebrate the diversity of First Nations peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to the lands and waters of Australia.

Bank of Melbourne Foundation is part of St.George Foundation. Donations to St.George Foundation are administered by St.George Foundation Limited as trustee for St George Foundation Trust (ABN 44 661 638 970). St George Foundation Trust is a Public Ancillary Fund, endorsed by the ATO as a Deductible Gift Recipient.

Currently, St.George Foundation adopts the Westpac Group Speaking Up Policy in dealing with whistleblowing disclosures. A copy of that policy can be viewed here. Some aspects of that policy may not be applicable in the operational environment of St.George Foundation. As such, St.George Foundation adopts the Westpac Group Speaking Up Policy to the extent reasonably possible.