Two new City of Casey Council grants opening later this month are aiming to help strengthen local organisations, support volunteers and build community capacity across the local government area.
The 2026 Equipment and Training Grants grants of up to $1,500 can be used to purchase essential equipment needed to provide a service, training for volunteers and group members, and specialist equipment to help make programs more inclusive and accessible.
Mayor, Stefan Koomen said the grants program was a way Council could support local clubs and groups who happily give their own time and effort to support others.
“I encourage not-for-profit community groups and organisations who deliver community programs and events to apply for these grants to support the great work they do in our community,” he said.
“In previous years, successful applicants have used the funding to deliver first aid training and leadership coaching for volunteers, buy sports, cooking equipment, and sensory tools as well as mobility supports to make their programs more accessible to people of all abilities.”
The new Casey Food Relief Capacity Building Initiative is a one-off program specifically created to support local, not-for-profit food relief organisations with grants of up to $20,000 to improve their service through the purchase of equipment, infrastructure, systems and developing volunteer capability.
“Through development of the Casey Emergency Food Relief Advocacy Statement and recent food relief roundtable discussions, we found that similar challenges exist across the sector, including storage limitation, the need for better coordination and the right systems in place to meet growing demand. A grant can really help an organisation overcome these challenges,” Mayor Koomen said.
Applications open on Monday 27 July and close on 28 August. For more information, visit https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/food-relief-initiative.
