Since 2003, the Gardiner Foundation has proudly invested $2.3 million across 574 community organisations in regional Victoria through our Community Grants Program. This initiative, delivered in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), provided individual grants of up to $5,000, with annual program funding of up to $120,000.
This consistent support has provided significant benefits to the dairying regions of Victoria, resulting in more engaged and participative communities through empowering locals to create more vibrant, sustainable places to live and work. It leaves a strong legacy of revitalised community facilities and enduring program outcomes, enabling wellbeing and social connection across Gippsland, Southern and North Eastern Victoria.
In 2024, the Gardiner Foundation made a strategic commitment to review and revamp its Community Grants Program to serve the needs of regional Victorian dairying communities with a view to the future and enabling enterprises to sustain community development. As a result, we are excited to announce that the first grant round will launch by May 2025.
This marks a new chapter for our grants program, and we look forward to announcing new partnerships that will support and enhance this initiative.
Watch this space for more details on this exciting evolution of our Community Grants Program.