Since 1839, Elders has been intrinsically linked to regional, rural and remote communities. Today we continue to play an important role, not just in the agriculture sector, but in the investment, sustainability and prosperity of local communities across Australia.
Our Community Giving Project is one of the ways we give back and invest in our communities.
How does it work?
The Project supports initiatives that provide sustainable, tangible and long-term benefits with positive outcomes for Australian rural, regional and remote communities. In turn this builds capacity, longevity, liveability and connection in the regions in which we operate.
Based on six distinct pillars, the project offers a total of 12 grants, with two tiers of funding at $10,000 and $20,000 per grant.
Each application must align to at least one of the following pillars.
In addition to the six pillars above, there will be two People's Choice grants, for a maximum of $10,000 each. This open criteria grant will be voted for by Elders employees.
Key dates
- 12 March 2024 – applications open
- 10 May 2024 – application close
- Mid-July 2024 – successful applicants will be announced.
Things you should know
We suggest you download and view the Project guidelines and Project Terms and Conditions. as these outline eligibility requirements and how your application will be assessed.
To be eligible, applicants:
- must be a not-for-profit organisation with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate (unincorporated organisations may be auspiced by an incorporated organisation and must provide a letter from the auspice organisation confirming that the auspice arrangement is valid and current)
- must not be affiliated with a political party or union, or take an overtly political stance in the focus of their work
- may have a religious basis, but any program or initiative must not incorporate religious teaching into the delivery of the program or initiative
- should declare if you are seeking funding for the same initiative elsewhere. It will not hinder your application or possible success
- must be able to provide a Certificate of Currency for public liability insurance (where applicable).
Applications will not be accepted from entities that:
- do not align with Elders’ brand and values
- only benefit an individual
- are against the law, hazardous or dangerous
- already have significant competitors or brand saturation
- require on-going financial support or investment.
FAQs
We welcome applications for projects which align to a pillar and have wide reaching and long-term impact in your community. We encourage innovation and creativity – the opportunities are endless!
No, we will only be accepting applications from regional, rural or remote locations.
There are 14 grants available, two per pillar including the People’s Choice category.
No, you are only able to apply and receive one grant per round.
There is one grant round per year.
When applications are open, you will be redirected to a platform called SmartyGrants. SmartyGrants is a hosted grants management application that allows grantmakers to receive and manage applications, and is Australia’s most used grant administration system.
You will need to demonstrate the following:
- The rationale for the initiative/project and who will benefit, with reference to the pillars.
- A clear positive community benefit and be a fair and unbiased initiative.
- A business case and activation plan outlining budget, timelines, objectives and intended outcomes.
- If available, documentation to support the initiative/project including letters of support, petitions etc.
- Consider and outline the relevant permits, approvals, insurances etc required for the initiative.
- Declare if you are seeking funding for the same initiative elsewhere. It will not hinder your application or possible success.
- Secure the required and necessary insurances in place to provide and/or deliver the initiative.
- Ensure that you meet all criteria prior to submitting your application, as incomplete and ineligible applications will not proceed to the next round. We will not follow up on any missing documentation after an application has been submitted.
It will take approximately six weeks for all applications to be reviewed, with successful applicants announced in July.
Successful applications will be notified via phone and email, with a subsequent contractual agreement issued to confirm the grant.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.
Unfortunately, no. You can imagine the number of applications we receive, so it’s not possible to provide feedback on every application. We encourage you to reapply the following grant round.
Once due diligence is complete and you accept and sign the grant offer letter, you will receive your funding within 30 business days.
Applications will go through several assessment rounds. Through an unbiased process, applications will first me assessed in eligibility and completeness of application. They will then be assessed by subject matter experts, with successful applications moving to a second round. These will then be assessed by the Community Giving Project selection panel, before final due diligence is undertaken, and successful application selected.
Your application will be assessed across the following areas:
- Alignment against the elected pillar/s
- Expected outcome and impact of the initiative
- Need for the initiative within the community
- Eligibility of organisation applying
- Reputation of the organisation and ability to deliver on the initiative
- Ability to show use of funds
- Ability to measure and report on outcomes of the initiative
- Alignment with the goals and values of Elders
- Potential for success of the initiative
- Innovation and creativity.
You will be required to submit an acquittal form outlining how the funds were used and the measured impact on the community by a specified date as determined by Elders.
Your application will be housed by a third-party supplier, SmartyGrants. Please ensure you read and familiarise yourself with their Privacy Policy on their website.
If you still have questions, please email community.giving.project@elders.com.au Please note we will not be able to receive additional submission information or provide status on your application via this email. We will only answer general questions about the Community Giving Project.
Before you apply - a few tips
- We recommend you download this application form preview so you understand what is required in your application. While you can't edit the document, you can practice your answers to each question, even getting someone to review it for you to pick up errors and let you know if you need more, or less information. It's ideal when working as a group.
- Make sure you have saved digital copies of the attachments you will need to provide. This includes, but not limited to, your annual report, financial statements, letters of support – and if you are being Auspiced, you will need their details and a letter confirming the auspice agreement.
- Our application platform SmartyGrants has some great resources, including the Help Guide for Applicants and Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).
- While you are submitting your digital application, remember to save as you go - your application does not autosave. If you need to, you can save and resume later, just note your application number.
- Finally, review your application thoroughly before pressing submit, as once it is submitted, it cannot be changed.