Council is always interested in hearing from local community groups and organisations who would like to partner with Council and discuss any ideas or visions they have for the region. Council may provide assistance with sourcing external grant funding including with assisting with your preparation of a grant application where applicable. We endeavour to provide community groups with advice on grant programs that meet their needs as they become available.
Grant Guru / Grant Funding Finder
Never miss a grant opportunity again by signing up with Grant Funding Finder!
Council has partnered with one of Australia’s most powerful grant search engines to bring to local businesses and organisations a FREE one stop search engine for business, event and community grants. Grant Funding Finder gives you access to one of Australia’s most comprehensive and up to date funding databases, making grants accessible and easy to find.
Grant Funding Finder features advanced filtering which allows you to narrow down your search by activity, industry, and current & future grants to suit your needs. The website also has other invaluable information and tips for making grant applications.
Community Grants Open:
Taralga Wind Farms Community Fund
Upper Lachlan Shire Council advises that the Taralga Wind Farm Community Fund funding round is open for applications and will close at 5.00pm on Friday 29 May 2026.
The Taralga Wind Farm Community Fund aims to support initiatives that strengthen the local community through projects that contribute to neighbouring communities within 20kms of the wind farm.
The Guidelines and Application Form are available below:
Applications may be submitted by post to: PO Box 42, Gunning, NSW, 2581 or emailed to [email protected].
For more information, please call Council on (02) 4830 1000 or email [email protected].
Application close: 5.00pm on Friday 29 May 2026.
How to apply
Click HERE to apply
Collector Wind Farm Community Fund
Upper Lachlan Shire Council advises that the Collector Wind Farm Community Fund funding round is open for applications and will close at 5.00pm on Friday 29 May 2026.
The Collector Wind Farm Community Fund aims to support initiatives that strengthen the local community through projects within 10kms of the wind farm.
The Guidelines and Application Form are available below:
Applications may be submitted by post to: PO Box 42, Gunning, NSW, 2581 or emailed to [email protected].
For more information, please call Council on (02) 4830 1000 or email [email protected].
Application close: 5.00pm on Friday 29 May 2026.
How to apply
Click HERE to apply
Rye Park Range Wind Farm Community Fund
Upper Lachlan Shire Council advises that the Rye Park Wind Farm Community Fund funding round is open for applications and will close at 5.00pm on Friday 29 May 2026.
Rye Park Wind Farm is owned and operated by Tilt Renewables.
The Rye Park Farm Community Fund aims to support initiatives that strengthen the local community through projects that contribute to neighbouring communities within 20kms of the wind farm and in the Upper Lachlan Shire Council local government area. At least 20% of the fund will be allocated towards educational needs.
The Guidelines and Application Form are available below:
Applications may be submitted by post to: PO Box 42, Gunning, NSW, 2581 or emailed to [email protected].
For more information, please call Council on (02) 4830 1000 or email [email protected].
Application close: 5.00pm on Friday 29 May 2026.
How to apply
Click HERE to apply
2025–26 Volunteer Grants Round
The 2025–26 Volunteer Grants program, delivered by the Australian Government through the Department of Social Services, supports community organisations that rely on volunteers by helping remove barriers to participation and promoting volunteering opportunities.
Grants between $1,000 and $5,000 are available to eligible not-for-profit organisations that depend on volunteers to deliver their work.
Volunteer Grants, funded by the Australian Government, provide practical support to strengthen volunteer-led activity in communities across Australia.
Applications close: Friday 29 May 2026
How to apply
Click HERE to apply
Community Building Partnership (CBP) Program
This program aims to provide grant funding to local community organisations and councils to strengthen the wellbeing of NSW communities through small local infrastructure projects.
Grants between $10,000 and $100,000 are available.
Local councils and council committees under section 355 of the Local Government Act 1993 are required to provide a matched cash contribution equal to the grant amount requested.
A total funding pool of $41.85 million is available. There is a maximum of $450,000 grant funding available in each electoral district.
The application is a two-stage process:
- Expression of interest: Opened 20 April and closes 8 May 2026, 5pm AEST
- Full application (by invitation only): Opens 29 June and closes 17 July 2026
Each EOI must include only one project location, one project category, and one funding approach.
Eligible Activities
Eligible projects include:
1. Capital works
- Construction of new community infrastructure.
- Upgrade (refurbishment, repair and maintenance) to existing community infrastructure.
- Any project component that requires fixed installation and would require permission from the owner of the building/land to commence works. No requirement to provide donor workout copy. This applies even if the organisation is the owner and/or other project components are freestanding equipment.
2. Equipment
- Vehicles that do not require registration (e.g. tractors, utility task vehicles (UTVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dragon boats, golf buggies, dinghies, powerboats or sailing boats less than 5.5 m long or with an engine less than 4.0 kW.
- Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Applications are limited to one package up to $3,000 per application, per project location, and will be deemed ineligible if it is for more than one AED package at one project location.
3. Vehicles
- Purchase or modification of vehicles that require registration.
- On-road vehicles such as cars, buses, trucks, and trailers.
- Off-road or on-water vehicles such as motorised rescue vehicles and boats.
Eligible projects must be able to meet the following criteria:
- Be delivered in the NSW electoral district for which funding is sought.
- Be fully delivered by 24 January 2028.
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.
Main Assessment Criteria
The main assessment criteria include:
- Strengthen community wellbeing by delivering local infrastructure that will facilitate
- Deliver value for money
- The organisation’s capacity
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of the assessment criteria.
Community War Memorials Fund
Application open: Saturday 25 April 2026 at 9am.
Application open: Thursday 25 June 2026 at 11:00pm.
Eligible organisations including local councils and community groups are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $15,000 to conserve, repair and protect local memorials.
The Program Guidelines are available here. We encourage you to read the Guidelines to determine if your project is eligible.
How to apply
Applications to the 2026/27 Community War Memorials Fund will open online on 25 April 2026 at https://veteransnsw.smartygrants.com.au.
In the meantime, we recommend you review the important documents and resources listed below, including the Program Guidelines.
Local Priorities Stream Active Regional Communities Package
Application open: 13 April 2026
Application close: 22 May 2026 at 4:00pm
The purpose of the Active Regional Communities Package is to enhance the liveability, resilience and long-term sustainability of regional NSW by investing in community events, infrastructure and locally driven activities that strengthen social cohesion, support community participation, and improve the amenity of regional places.
The program comprises of 3 Streams that provide targeted and proportionate investments to achieve the objective of the Active Regional Communities Package. The Streams enable funding to support a wide range of projects that work together to attract and retain residents and workers essential to regional economic success and provide communities opportunities needed to thrive and adapt to economic or environmental change.
Apply here
Veolia Mulwaree Trust
Applications open: 11 May 2026
Applications close: 3 June 2026
The Veolia Mulwaree Trust holds three funding rounds each year. The second funding round of 2026 will open for applications on Monday 11th May 2026 with applications closing at 5pm on Wednesday 3 June 2026.
Two funding programs are available:
- Donation program for small projects valued at $1,000 and under
- Grant program for projects over $1,000
The program guidelines and application forms may be previewed below and available to complete when the funding round opens.
Apply here