Our Grants

Thriving People and Places

Despite the efforts of dedicated people and significant investment over many years, Australia hasn't been able to 'shift the dial' in places and within groups of people where disadvantage has persisted for decades.

Thriving People & Places is our way of acknowledging and acting on our learning that new ways of operating are needed, working alongside those experiencing the challenges, so everyone in Australia can fully participate in education and work and build the future they envisage.

We acknowledge there are many other elements of thriving communities that intersect with those detailed here, however our funds are directed to:

Working together on new approaches

These grants are about moving beyond the traditional approach to social services that sees funding for programs awarded to individual organisations to work on individual issues. This includes collaborations and systems-change initiatives.

Learning & education

These grants recognise the importance of learning opportunities in building the life you want to have.

Jobs & economic development

These grants are about the power of a job and an economy with opportunities for work and enterprise.

The diagram articulates how VFFF sees its contribution to building thriving communities - both among people and in places.

This diagram articulates how VFFF sees its contribution to building thriving communities – both among people and in places.

Examples of grants made include:

Working together on new approaches

Logan Together – towards engaging all parts of the community in tackling systemic problems of place-based disadvantage, to close the gap in rates of healthy child development in Logan by 2025 ($692,016 over three years).

Learning & education

Royal Far West – towards the Kids in Parkes initiative, a community-led response to improve health and education outcomes for children in the Parkes Shire ($376,582 over two years).

Jobs & economic development

Community Resources – for key leadership positions to consolidate five years of high growth and ensure a strong future of the organisation, which is home to multiple social enterprises that provide work to people facing barriers to employment ($335,485 over three years).

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