Campaspe Shire Council has recently undertaken a review of its Community Grant Program to ensure that it meets the needs of the community.
As a key outcome of this review, Council is pleased to introduce a new platform, SmartyGrants, for its Community Grants Program to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and better align with the needs of both Council and the community.
The decision to implement SmartyGrants was driven by a commitment to best practice in grants management. This cloud-based system is one of the world's leading platforms for managing grants and is designed to simplify every stage of the process, from applications and assessments to contracts, reporting and acquittals.
Mayor Cr Daniel Mackrell said the upgrade marks a significant step forward in how Council supports local initiatives.
"We are proud to be adopting a system that puts our community first.
"SmartyGrants offers clearer guidelines, improved management tools and a user-friendly experience that will make applying for grants easier and more transparent," Cr Mackrell said.
Council's Community grant program has been streamlined and will now feature different streams for which the community can apply. Community Grants will become available on a quarterly basis, opening on the first day of February, May, August and November each year.
The first stream of Community Grants to launch on the new system includes Events Grants, Equipment Grants, Junior Development Grants and Inclusive Communities Grants. Applications for these programs will open on August 1 via Council's website.
The Inclusive Communities Grants (previously known as Community Grants) allows for grants of up to $4,000 for projects, exhibitions and/or performances that contribute to the municipality; equipment Grants allows for grants of up to $2,000 for equipment for sporting and community groups that is essential to the group's operations and benefits the community; Junior Development Grants are to support young people up to the age of 18 who have been selected for State or National representation in the arts, culture, or sports; Community Event Grants allow for grants up to $1,000 for community events and up to $5,000 for regional events that support and promote Campaspe communities.
To support the changes to Council's Recovery Team grant programs, Council has also engaged the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal to run grant writing training sessions across the municipality to upskill the community. Dates for the training sessions are:
- St Mary's Parish Hall, Echuca on Monday,18 August, 6pm to 8pm;
- St Mary's Parish Hall, Echuca on Tuesday, 19 August, 10am to 12 noon;
- Rochester at Campaspe Shire Council's Customer Service Centre and Library meeting room on Tuesday, 19 August, 6pm to 8pm;
- Kyabram KCLC, 21-25 Lake Rd on Monday, 25 August, 6pm to 8pm; and
- Rushworth at Campaspe Shire Council's Customer Service Centre and Library meeting room on Thursday, 28 August, 6pm to 8pm.
"As this program comes into effect, our friendly staff are on-hand to assist groups and individuals with the platform, with computers available at our service centres" Cr Mackrell said.
