Community Grant Program

Have an idea to make our community a better place, but need the funds to bring it to life? Apply for a community grant.

Border Trust is the Community Foundation for the Albury Wodonga Region. We activate the power of giving by connecting the generosity of our donors with local community groups and not-for-profit organizations, funding projects that create positive change and lasting impact.

Annual Community Grant Program

 The Border Trust Community Grant Program considers applications from local, community based, not for profit organisations for projects that address areas of the highest need within the community. We take the time to understand local needs and to measure the impact that we, with our donors and grant recipients, make across our five Impact Areas:

  • Disaster Recovery, Resilience and Readiness
  • Climate Resilient Communities
  • Community Leadership
  • Community Connection and Wellbeing
  • Community Equity.

Submit your Expression of Interest

Local not-for-profit organisations can submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) at any time throughout the year. EOI closing dates are 30th August and 28th February, annually.

In 2026 our annual Community Grants Program has been streamlined to allow local not-for-profits to tell us about their project at any time throughout the year by submitting an Expression of Interest (EoI). This EoI approach aims to be more flexible, with six month reviews.

The EoI process is simple.

We require a little information about your organisation, details on the local issue you are tackling, how your organisation or project will tackle the issue, anticipated outcomes and the amount of funding you require.

When reviewing your EoI, we might ask you for further information or request a completed budget (download Budget template)  for your project. If successful, we’ll ask the Head of your Organisation to confirm the details and authorise the application.

Border Trust is working hard to build a stronger, more resilient region through the Community Impact Fund to create a reliable source of funding that allows us to respond quickly to emerging challenges, support innovative projects and invest in solutions that have lasting impact.

Depending on demand, we may not be able to support all requests, however we will keep your project in mind as new donors and granting partners emerge.
Please note, that grants of up to $5,000 are generally awarded, with larger amounts of $10,000+ provided as funds allow.

Granting Partners

Our Community Grant Program is comprised of funds pooled together from a variety of donors and partners, including:

Eligibility

To be eligible, your organisation must:

  • Be a not-for-profit community-based organisation which functions for charitable purpose
  • Operate for the benefit of communities within the Local Government Areas of Albury, Federation, Greater Hume, Indigo, Towong and Wodonga
  • Have a registered ABN or Incorporated Association Number
  • Meet any other specific eligibility requirements as noted in our Guidelines.

Key Dates

Local not-for-profit organisations are invited to tell us about their project at any time throughout the year by submitting an Expression of Interest. Annually the closing dates for EoI submissions are: 3oth August and 28th February. Contact:  admin@bordertrust.org.au

The support you need to get the grant

All community organisations are invited to participate in our free grants workshop series running from July.

Please follow us on our socials and website for further information.

Online Workshops include:

  1. Grant Preparation & Writing 30 July 2026 12:30 – 1:30pm  Book here
  2. Prepare to Pitch 27 August 2026 12:30 – 1:30pm Book here
  3. Pitch Practice 17 Sep 2026 12:30 – 1:30pm. Book here.

2026 BIG Give Annual Showcase

On 3 June at Border Trust’s Annual Showcase we celebrated the incredible impact made possible through local giving.

We proudly celebrated the awarding of $580,565 in community grants to support community initiatives across the six LGAs of Albury, Wodonga, Indigo Shire, Federation, Towong, and Greater Hume.

Since 2005, Border Trust has distributed $6,320,019 to help turn life-changing ideas into reality. It’s a true celebration of locals caring for locals, working together to build a stronger, more connected community.

Details here: 2026 BIG Give Event  

All the latest Community Grants news