Community Activation Grants

About the program

The Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program funds community level initiatives that enable participation, build capability and celebrate the role of women and girls in community sport and active recreation.

Program outcomes

The program has many outcomes:

• increased participation by women and girls in community sport and active recreation
• enhanced understanding of gender equity practices within community sport and active recreation organisations
• more women in leadership roles in community sport and active recreation
• promotion and elevation of women and girls in sport and active recreation

Eligibility

Eligible organisations must:

• be a non‑state or federal government, not‑for‑profit incorporated body
• hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN) at the time of application
• recognised regional sports assembly, state sporting association, state sporting organisations or peak body, must comply with the Victorian Government requirement for 40% women on their board or have an OWSR-approved work plan to meet this requirement
• community sporting clubs, associations and sporting organisations that are affiliated with a recognised sport and active recreation body, must have their affiliated governing body comply with the Victorian Government requirement of minimum 40% women on their board or has an OWSR-approved action plan to meet this requirement
• implement and maintain policies relating to the Child Safe Standards in accordance with the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic)
• if the funding will be used to deliver ‘services to children’ as defined in the Victorian Funding Guideline for Services to Children, be incorporated as a separate legal entity and hold appropriate insurance against child abuse. See the guidelines for more information.

To see for further eligibility requirements please refer to the grant guidelines.

The following organisations are eligible to apply:

• community sport and active recreation clubs, associations and organisations delivering sport and active recreation programs in Victoria
• regional sports assemblies
• local government authorities
• state sporting associations, state sporting organisations and peak bodies recognised by Sport and Recreation Victoria
• where there is no recognised state sporting association, a national sporting organisation recognised by the Australian Sports Commission may apply, or
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and incorporated Aboriginal associations. Aboriginal community groups that are not incorporated may apply for a grant but must have an incorporated association acting as an auspicing body to manage the funding on their behalf through a funding agreement with the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industries and Regions (DJSIR, or the Department).

For guidance with applications, Eligible Organisations located close to state borders are able to contact changeourgame@sport.vic.gov.au.

For Stream 3 – Community Leaders only, an Eligible Candidate is the individual seeking to complete the professional development opportunity.

To be an Eligible Candidate, individual(s) must:

• identify as a woman
• be aged 18 years or over
• be a Victorian resident, and
• currently hold a volunteer role in a community sport and active recreation club, association or organisation.

Funding streams

Eligible organisations can submit an application to one of the following 3 program streams.

Stream 1: Participation

Up to $5,000 or $10,000 for organisations to support clubs, associations and organisations in building, connecting and sustaining the participation of women and girls in community sport and active recreation.

To apply for up to $10,000, applicants must demonstrate that they can either achieve a greater impact through their initiative or activity or achieve multiple program outcomes.

Stream 2: Capability

Up to $5,000 or $10,000 for organisations to undertake education and training opportunities to strengthen capability and leadership in gender equality policy and practice and/or inclusion and representation of women and girls in their sport, club, association or organisation.

To apply for up to $10,000, applicants must either demonstrate that learning and training opportunities will build capability and leadership across more than 3 clubs or partner organisations or achieve multiple program outcomes.

Stream 3: Community leaders

Up to $5,000 for a woman volunteering in a community sport and recreation club, association or organisation to access professional development to develop as a community leader.

Eligible Organisations can submit more than one application to Stream 3, however, only one application per Eligible Candidate can be submitted.

Under-represented groups

Across all streams, applications are encouraged to recognise that some women and girls are affected by more than one form of discrimination and disadvantage, and that applications should seek to understand and address the barriers experienced.

Applications that engage women and girls from under-represented groups facing greater barriers to participation are strongly encouraged, including:

• women and girls who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• women and girls from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
• women and girls with a disability
• women and girls in regional and rural communities
• the LGBTIQA+ community and/or
• women and girls from low socioeconomic areas.

Key dates

Funding is available for projects commencing from May 2025.

Applications open: Wednesday 29 January 2025

Applications close: Wednesday 5 pm AEDT, 26 February 2025

Notification of outcomes: May 2025

Program guidelines

Applicants are encouraged to read the program guidelines which provide further details on the program streams and steps to apply.

2024-25 Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program Guidelines (PDF 1908.23 KB)

Application questions and guidance documents

To help you prepare the information needed to apply for funding, please see our program's application and questions guidance documents page.

Apply now

Apply for: Stream 1 - Participation

Apply for: Stream 2 - Capability

Apply for: Stream 3 - Community Leaders

Information session

We will be hosting 2 information sessions, 12pm AEDT, Wednesday 5 February and 6pm AEDT, Monday 10 February. They will outline the application process, eligibility and the difference between the streams. We'll also be taking questions in these sessions. Register to attend.

Contact information

For information on this or any other Change Our Game program please contact the Grants Information Line on 1800 325 206 for the cost of a local call (except from a mobile phone) on any weekday between 9 am and 5 pm (except for public holidays).

You can also contact the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation at changeourgame@sport.vic.gov.au.

Join the Change Our Game Mailing List

Keen to be informed about upcoming grant programs and initiatives at the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation? To join our mailing list, subscribe using the form in our website footer.

Additional information

For more information see Victorian Government funding requirements for Services to Children.