Grant Rounds
ANNUAL GRANT ROUNDS
In 2026 the Foundation will conduct the following Grant Rounds:
- one Small Grants Round in August 2026. The Foundation’s Small Grants Round targets smaller grassroots community organisations AND organisations that haven’t worked with the Foundation before. Maximum grant request in this round is $25,000. You can view the full Guidelines for the Small Grants Round here.
- two Community Grants Rounds in June 2026 and December 2026. The Foundation’s Community Grants seek to support organisations in achieving stronger and longer term impacts. Minimum grant request is $50,000, requests can be multi-year . You can view the full Guidelines for the Community Grants Rounds here.
You can also see information on our eligibility requirements, including our Focus Areas here.
All potential applicants in these grant rounds are required to meet with the Foundation before applying for a grant. Please note that there are cut off dates for these meetings for each Grant Round. To arrange a meeting, please email the Foundation.
SPECIAL GRANT ROUNDS
In addition, in 2026, to mark its 10th Anniversary, the Anthony Costa Foundation will conduct a series of special grant rounds as part of the Strength in Community Grants Program.
This special series of grant rounds is designed to strengthen and sustain the not-for-profit sector by supporting capacity building at the individual, organisational and sector level. This special one-off Grants Program, is underpinned by an additional $1 million allocation and reflects the Foundation’s commitment to building resilience and capability. Developed in close consultation with current grantees through feedback sessions and individual discussions, the Grant Round framework addresses capacity building needs across three streams: individual, organisational, and sector. By supporting targeted training, leadership development, operational infrastructure, and collaborative changemaking, the Foundation aims to empower organisations and their leaders to deliver on their mission and drive lasting impact across the community.
Individual Capacity Building Stream
The first stream to launch is the Individual Capacity Building stream. In 2026 the Foundation will conduct:
- three Individual Capacity Building Grant Rounds in April, August and December 2026. The Individual Capacity Building Grants seek to support the professional development of current and emerging leaders within the not-for-profit sector. Designed to address gaps in leadership, governance, strategic planning, impact measurement, and people management, this stream provides support through Individual Capacity Building Grants, workshop series and masterclasses. Maximum request is $5,000. You can view the full Guidelines for the Individual Capacity Building Grant Rounds here
- To assist potential applicants, the Foundation will host an online information session for each of the three rounds. Watch the Information Session recording here and download the Information Session Slides here.
You can also see information on our eligibility requirements, including our Focus Areas here.
If you have questions about the Individual Capacity Stream we encourage you to attend an information session (if you are unable to attend in person, you can view a recording of the session above). You can also contact the Foundation via email with questions.
Organisational Capacity Building Stream
The Foundation’s Organisational Capacity Building Stream has now launched. The Stream is designed to help not-for-profit organisations strengthen their capability, effectiveness and long-term impact through a structured assessment process and access to tailored support.
The Organisational Capacity Building Stream seeks to help organisations:
- Better understand their current capabilities and challenges
- Identify priority areas for development
- Access tailored support to strengthen their effectiveness and impact over time
Working in partnership with Benefolk, a national capacity building and professional services intermediary specialising in the social sector, the Foundation has implemented a two-stage process comprising:
Stage 1: Organisational Capability Assessment
In August and September 2026, organisations are invited to participate in a facilitated capability assessment workshop. Delivered through both in-person and online formats, the workshop introduces a structured diagnostic tool that helps organisational leaders reflect on their organisation’s strengths, challenges, priorities and future opportunities.
Participating organisations will:
- Complete a structured capability diagnostic across key areas such as strategy, governance, financial sustainability and organisational effectiveness
- Receive a tailored report highlighting their organisation’s capability strengths and development needs
- Gain insight into broader sector trends and capability challenges
- Contribute to a shared understanding of organisational needs across the Geelong/G21 region
- Identify opportunities to strengthen their organisation’s effectiveness and impact
Participation in the capability assessment workshops is open to all not-for-profit organisations serving the Geelong/G21 region. Organisations do not need to be Anthony Costa Foundation grantees, nor align with the Foundation’s funding focus areas, to participate.
If you were unable to participate in the in person or online sessions related to the diagnostic tool you can contact the Foundation via email for more information. Please note an EOI cannot be submitted if you have not utilised the diagnostic tool.
Stage 2: Expression of Interest (EOI)
Eligible organisations that participate in the capability assessment process, i.e use the diagnostic tool, are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) seeking support to address capability priorities identified through their assessment.
Through the EOI process, selected organisations may receive funded support tailored to their needs. Support may include:
- Deep Advisory Support: A tailored, multi-disciplinary engagement designed to help organisations address complex or strategic challenges such as governance, strategy, leadership or financial sustainability.
- Light Advisory Support (Expert Bar): Short, targeted access to specialist expertise to address a specific issue, challenge or question.
The aim of both approaches is to build organisational capability, confidence and resilience, enabling organisations to achieve greater impact for the communities they serve.
You can view the full Guidelines for the Organisational Capacity Building Grant Round here.
You can download a word version of the EOI to assist in preparation here.
If you have questions about the Organisational Capacity Stream we encourage you can contact the Foundation via email with questions.
Below are current dates related to our 2026 Annual Grant Rounds and Special Grant Rounds:
| Round | Information Session | Application Open | Last Meeting Date | Application Close | Funding Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength in Community Grant - Individual Stream - Round 3 | Please see recording link above | Friday 11 September 2026 | NA | Friday 30 October 2026 (note the deadline has been extended to this date) | December 2026 |
| Strength in Community Grant - Organisational Stream - EOI | Thursday 17 September 2026, 10am-12pm (this session will take you through the Springback Diagnostic Tool, to actually complete the tool and to learn about the EOI process | Friday 18 September 2026 | Organisations must utilise the program's Springboard Diagnostic Tool to complete the EOI | Friday 30 October 2026 (note the deadline has been extended to this date) | December 2026 |
*Please note grant round dates may be subject to change, please check dates regularly if planning to apply.