Current funding policy

The terms of the Wills give the Trustees complete discretion in making their decisions on what they fund or choose not to fund in support of the Designated Purposes.

General funding guidelines

The general funding practices currently adopted by the trustees are:

1. To fund a variety of organisations and initiatives rather than making very large grants to fewer organisations – see Annual Grants
2. From time to time consider funding multi-year grants.
3. Being prepared to support organisations that collaborate with other grant-makers to maximise impact and eliminate duplication.
4. To support organisations to build their capacity (build organisational capacity). This includes:
   • Staff costs;
   • Costs to improve effectiveness through technology; and
   • developing strategic capacity.
5. Not to support the following:
   • initiatives that only benefits an individual or an individual's family;
   • contribution to the corpus of another grant making organisation.

Funding guidelines by fund

The information below indicates some of the areas that are supported under each of the Funds.

Fund 1: Public Benevolent Asylums and Institutions in Victoria

Organisations supported under this Fund will 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.

Initiatives supported under Fund 1 include (but are not limited to):

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

The Fund is also supportive of initiatives that assist:

• recently arrived migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; and
• people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Victoria.

Fund 2: Public Hospitals in Victoria

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 to apply for funding under Fund 2.

Areas of focus include:

• equipment and infrastructure;
• initiatives that improve patient care;
• regional hospitals that act as centres of excellence and specialised services within an area; and
• support for smaller community hospitals.

Fund 4: Public Educational Purposes in Australia

The areas of focus under this Fund are:

• early education initiatives for disadvantaged children;
• education and training for the young;
• core education and completion of schooling;
• improved education for indigenous, immigrant and disadvantaged communities; and
• teaching, training or research carried out by universities or other tertiary institutions into any of the above areas. 

Fund 5: Religious Purposes in Australia

Religious purposes must be for the advancement of religion.
The Fund does not discriminate between religions or denominations.
Having regard to the diversity of religious practices and beliefs in modern Australia, the Fund supports ecumenical or interfaith initiatives.

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

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

Fund 7: Relief of Poverty in Australia, the Australian Red Cross, the education of children of deceased or incapacitated Sailors, Soldiers or Airmen or any other charitable purposes not otherwise provided for in any of the previous categories

Initiatives supported under Fund 7 are encouraged from applicants outside of Victoria and include (but are not limited to):

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

The Fund is also supportive of initiatives that assist:

• recently arrived migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; and
• people living in regional, rural and remote areas in Australia.