Applying for a grant

IMPORTANT DATES: 2026 APPLICATIONS OPEN MONDAY 6 APRIL and
CLOSE SUNDAY 31 MAY 2026

Looking to learn about our application process? You’re in the right place.

Explore below to understand more about eligibility for each funding area and how to use our online application system.

FUNDING GUIDELINES

The terms of the Wills of the Collier sisters provide the trustees with complete discretion to make decisions on what will be funded in support of the wishes of the sisters as expressed in their Wills.

Applications from eligible organisations are encouraged to focus on initiatives that are a key priority for you.

General Guidelines

The general funding practices currently adopted by the trustees are:

• To encourage organisations to seek funding that meets their own priorities, not those that may be thought to be favoured by the trustees.
• To be broad and flexible in their approach, within the scope of the focus areas.
• To fund a variety of organisations and initiatives rather than to make very large grants to fewer organisations.
• To be open to making limited multi-year grants.
• To be open to supporting organisations in collaboration with other grantmakers to maximise impact and eliminate duplication.
• To be open to supporting organisations that collaborate with other like-minded organisations to maximise impact and eliminate duplication.
• To be supportive of applications to build organisational capacity. This may include:

• staff costs
• staff training
• costs to improve effectiveness through the use of technology, and
• developing strategic capacity.

• Where funds available permit, being open to out-of-round applications for emergency relief or genuinely urgent matters.
• To limit each organisation to one application per sub-Fund.
• To limit the number of larger grants. The average grant over recent years has been in the range of $30,000 to $35,000.
• From time to time to make grants on the Trustees’ own initiative.
• Not to support the following applications:

• initiatives that only benefit an individual or an individual's family
• that seek contributions for the corpus of another grant making organisation.

Gender inclusion and equity

• Collier Charitable Fund supports gender inclusion and equity. Charitable initiatives can affect people differently because of their gender. In the case of an intiative to be gender neutral, applicants are encouraged to consider their initiative through a gender lens in order to avoid unintended inequity. (Collier also funds initiatives that are not intended to be gender neutral and are explicity directed to supporting a particular gender; for example McAuley Community Services for Women and Monash Men's Shed. Before preparing your application you may care to refer to 'Gender-wise Guidelines for Grantmakers' at www.aiiw.org.au/gender-wise. An application for an initiative intended to be gender neutral will be considered whether or not a gender lens has been applied to it.

Supporting Victorians in need

Organisations  would  normally be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) as a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) and be incorporated in, or have their headquarters in, Victoria. Preference will be given to funding that supports Victorians or activities in Victoria.

Eligible initiatives include (but are not limited to):

• Those designed to alleviate the cycle of social disadvantage and social problems within Victoria; and
• emergency relief and material aid initiatives within Victoria.

The Fund is supportive of initiatives that assist disadvantaged groups including:

• recently arrived migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
• Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and
• people living in regional, rural and remote areas in Victoria.

It is also supportive of initiatives promoting equality and fairness.

Strengthening Victorian Public Hospitals

The Victorian Government’s Department of Health and Human Services provides a list of all Public Hospitals in Victoria on its website. All hospitals on this list are eligible for funding.

Areas that we have previously supported include:

• equipment and infrastructure
• initiatives that improve patient care (including hospital-based research)
• regional hospitals that act as centres of excellence and specialised services within an area, and
• support for smaller community hospitals.

For the time being the Fund is not accepting applications under this focus area but is trialling the making of annual untied grants to Victorian Public Hospitals at the discretion of  the Trustees. 

Progressing Education & Training 
in Australia

Applications from educational organisations working anywhere in Australia are encouraged. Initiatives that may be funded include (but are not limited to):

• early education initiatives for disadvantaged children.
• improved education for indigenous, immigrant and disadvantaged communities.
• initiatives designed to educate the public.
• the improvement of educational outcomes and the completion of schooling.
• support for the delivery of vocational training programs that provide alternative education pathways, and 
• teaching, training or research carried out by universities or other tertiary institutions into any of the above areas.

Furthering Faith and Religious
endeavours in Australia

Applications are encouraged from all religions and denominations in Australia for the advancement of religion.

Understanding the diversity of religious practices and beliefs in modern Australia, the Fund supports ecumenical and interfaith initiatives.

The following are some of the areas that are currently supported:

• religious ministry;
• religious initiatives to the poor and disadvantaged;
• training for religious ministry;
• upkeep and support of ministers of religion in their ministries;
• chaplaincy and pastoral care initiatives; and
• maintenance, restoration, or improvement of places of worship.

PLEASE NOTE: Social outreach initiatives provided by churches generally do not qualify for funding as furthering faith & religious endeavours in Australia but may be eligible for funding under other focus areas covered in these guidelines.

Aiding OTHER Australian Charitable Causes

Applications are encouraged from applicants within Australia, but outside Victoria, in respect of initiatives mentioned under Supporting Victorian in Need above.

Additionally, the Fund is able to support other charitable purposes in Australia (including Victoria) outside the scope of the areas of focus referred to above.

USING OUR ONLINE SYSTEM

Our online system has been created to streamline the grant application process as well as providing the Fund with a database and reporting system that enhances the administration of the Fund. The system  holds all of the Fund’s grant distribution records since the Fund commenced in 1954 and comprises 16,508 distributions and over 3,640 organisations.

Once your organisation is registered in the system you will be able to:

Both the online application and report forms can be started, and the information will be saved until you are ready to return to complete and submit these forms.

Completing a grant application

All grant applications are to be submitted via our online system. The following are some handy tips and resources to help you apply for a grant. Please note, the Fund will accept only 1 application per organisation per focus area. 

1. Satisfy yourself that the funding you are seeking will fall within one or more of the focus areas as outlined under the Funding guidelines above and review the Fund’s grant conditions.

2. Download the sample completed application PDF below to familiarise yourself with the information requirements needed to apply.

   Download sample completed application

3. Download the application preparation document tool below. This tool will guide you step-by-step in providing the information as we need it.

   Download application preparation tool

4. Completed the preparation tool document and happy with your responses? Great! Now sign in to the system (make sure you’re registered) then copy and paste your responses into the relevant fields.

   Once you’re satisfied that all fields have been completed, submit your application.

TIP: Save as you go prior to submitting, just in case your system times out and logs you out. We also encourage you to keep a copy of this application on file.

HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION
YOU NEED?

Apply for a grant

Still have some questions?
Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions.

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If you have any queries about applying or the funding process that you can’t find answers to on this site, please email [email protected] to seek further clarification.