Defence Community Organisation

Through the Family Support Funding Program (FSFP) community organisations can apply for a grant to deliver support and services of value to Defence families and the community they live in. Any not-for-profit, incorporated group can apply for an FSFP grant, provided they can demonstrate their commitment to and ability to deliver local community programs or projects with a strong focus on supporting Defence families and the Defence community.

FSFP provides funding to not-for-profit organisations to:

• Facilitate the coming together of Defence families for mutual support, education and connection with their community, and support for their overall personal and social wellbeing.
• Support Defence families to engage with each other and their local communities to minimise the challenges and enhance the opportunities that come with the unique military lifestyle.
• Empower Defence families to thrive by giving them the confidence they need to succeed in managing the Defence way of life.
• Support community capacity building by identifying and nurturing partnership opportunities to support the delivery of programs which provide a strengthened sense of community for Defence families and reduce the feeling of isolation that a posting can bring.

Funding and program guidelines

Application

Only one application per organisation will be assessed and will only be accepted by email via the FSFP group mailbox, defence.communitygrants@defence.gov.au Applications will be prioritised according to how strongly they meet the program aims and selection criteria and will be automatically assessed based on the information provided in the application form.

All applications received into the grants mailbox will be acknowledged by return email. It is advisable for groups if a response to their application has not been received within five days of lodgement, please contact the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608.

Assessment

The Family Support Advisory Committee (FSAC) panel assesses and prioritises all applications received against the set criteria and recommends to the Minister for Defence, the amount of the grants and any terms and conditions under which they should be given.

If successful

Applicants will be advised as soon as approval is known. Groups may not receive exactly what they asked for and funds will not be released until:

• Acquittal is complete
• Letter of Agreement is returned
• Good governance is being demonstrated

Variations may be sought once funding is released and anytime during the funding cycle.

More information is available at any time via email to the mailbox defence.communitygrants@defence.gov.au or through the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608.

Closing date for applications: 12 February 2020

Download: Family Support Funding Program Guidelines