$16 million to support our volunteers

Applications for the Gillard Government’s Volunteer Grants are now open with $16 million available to community organisations around the country.

In launching the grants round today, Minister for Families, Communities Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin and Minister for Community Services, Julie Collins, said organisations can apply for grants worth up to $5,000.

“Our volunteers do an amazing job and these grants help them to carry out their important work,” Ms Macklin said.

“The grants can be used to buy much needed equipment or to assist volunteers with fuel costs, training courses and compulsory background checks.

“The Gillard Government’s Volunteer Grants are a way of saying ‘thank you’ to Australia’s six million volunteers for their selfless work.”

Minister Collins said that in 2012, the Gillard Government provided volunteer grants to 4,800 community organisations, which helped more than 166,000 of their volunteers.

“The Gillard Government continues its strong commitment to supporting the nation’s volunteers and the thousands of community organisations that provide the foundation for volunteering,” Ms Collins said.

“Volunteers are an integral part of our culture, heritage and daily life – more than six million Australians volunteer each year.

“They also play a critical role in emergencies, as we saw during the recent fires and floods, supporting their fellow Australians on the disaster frontline and helping to rebuild local communities.

“These grants are an acknowledgement of the invaluable work volunteers in community organisations carry out to help some of our most vulnerable people.”

Applications for Volunteer Grants 2013, of between $1,000 and $5,000, are open from 15 March until 24 April. To apply, go to http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/