Source: http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/communities-and-vulnerable-people/grants-funding-new/volunteer-grants-2011-application-guidelines?HTML
Timestamp: 2014-07-29 23:05:43
Document Index: 187406334

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 11', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 7', 'art 7', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 9', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 9', 'art 10', 'art 11']

Volunteer Grants 2011 - Application Guidelines | Australian Government Department of Social Services
Communities and Vulnerable PeopleOverview
Home » Our Responsibilities » Communities and Vulnerable People » Volunteer Grants 2011 - Application Guidelines
These guidelines will assist organisations to apply for Volunteer Grants 2011 funding
Volunteer Grants 2011 closes on Wednesday 8 June 2011 at 5pm AEST
Message from the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary Section One – Overview Of Volunteer Grants 2011
What is Volunteer Grants 2011?
Eligibility Information for Organisations
Eligibility of items
How to Apply Online/electronic applications
National Relay Service and TTY users
How Will Applications be Assessed? The selection criteria
GST status of Volunteer Grants
Acquittal of funding
Section Two - How to Complete an Application Form
Application Submission (How to submit an application)
ATTACHMENT A: Most commonly requested items for Volunteer Grants
Message from the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary
In Australia, more than five million people are recognised and valued as community volunteers. This represents one in every four Australians working tirelessly to strengthen their community and help others.
The Gillard Government continues to recognise the important role of volunteers by providing funding of $16 million through Volunteer Grants 2011. The aim of this funding is to help volunteer organisations buy much needed equipment to support their volunteers, assist in developing and maintaining the skill base of volunteers and contribute to their out-of-pocket fuel expenses.
Volunteer Grants 2011 is available to eligible community organisations that support the Government's social inclusion priorities. Preference will be given to organisations that assist disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals, families and communities and support new volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Volunteers give their time and energy to help others, often reaching out to the most vulnerable members of our society. They play a critical role in rebuilding communities affected by recent natural disasters that have hit many parts of Australia.
Volunteer Grants 2011 is just one way that the Gillard Government can thank our volunteers for their tireless work and commitment to making our community a better place. If your organisation is interested in applying for Volunteer Grants 2011, please read these application guidelines when completing the form. If you have any questions, call the toll–free Hotline on 1800 183 374.
Section One: - Overview of Volunteer Grants 2011
Volunteer Grants 2011 recognises the valuable work of Australia's volunteers and is part of the Government's ongoing commitment to supporting volunteers, assisting disadvantaged communities and encouraging social inclusion to assist vulnerable people within our society. Funding of $16 million is available to eligible not-for-profit community organisations to assist their volunteers and encourage volunteering. Applications will be prioritised according to how strongly they meet the selection criteria.
Volunteer Grants 2011 provides funding of between $1,000 and $5,000 to not-for-profit organisations to:
Purchase portable, tangible, small equipment items to help volunteers
Contribute to the reimbursement of fuel costs for their volunteers who use their own car to transport others to activities, deliver food and assist people in need
Contribute to the reimbursement of transport costs incurred by volunteers with disability who are unable to drive
Contribute to the costs of training courses and/or undertake background screening checks for volunteers.
The Volunteer Grants 2011 funding round opened on Wednesday 4 May 2011 and will close on Wednesday 8 June 2011 at 5pm AEST. The online electronic or paper-based Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Forms are the only approved forms that will be considered when assessing applications for this grant funding.
Online/electronic applications
The Volunteer Grants 2011 online/electronic Application Form and Application Guidelines are available on the Department's website. Refer to the 'How to apply' section of the Application Guidelines for further information.
Paper-based applications A paper-based, typeable PDF or Word version of the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form and Application Guidelines can be requested by phoning the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline on 1800 183 374 or by email at vg2011@dss.gov.au. Please sign and post your completed paper-based Application Form to:
Volunteer Grants 2011Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous AffairsLocked Bag 5001TUGGERANONG BC ACT 2901
To be included in the Volunteer Grants 2011 assessment process, posted paper-based Application Forms must be postmarked no later than Wednesday 8 June 2011. Refer to the 'How to apply' section of the Application Guidelines for further information.
The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (the Department) can only enter into a funding agreement with an organisation that is a legal entity. If an organisation is not a legal entity, an eligible sponsor organisation may apply for funding on its behalf. Eligible organisations must be Australian not-for-profit organisations whose volunteers' work supports families and/or communities in Australia and are legal entities, such as but not limited to:
Incorporated Associations – incorporated under State/Territory legislation (commonly have 'Association', 'Incorporated' or 'Inc' in their legal name)
Incorporated Cooperatives – incorporated under State/Territory legislation (commonly have 'Cooperative' in their legal name)
Companies – not-for-profit proprietary companies or public companies, incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001
Organisations established through a specific piece of Australian or State/Territory legislation (for example, many public benevolent institutions and churches)
Organisations that may not be eligible to apply and may not be funded include but are not limited to:
For-profit organisations, partnerships, research foundations, professional associations or statutory authorities
Organisations that are not legal entities
Local Government entities, except where a Local Government sponsors a not-for-profit organisation with volunteers in the following circumstances:
where an organisation is not a legal entity in its own right, and
the Local Government entity is the only or most reasonable option to sponsor the organisation in the community
Australian and State/Territory Government departments, except where a State/Territory Government educational institution sponsors the local parents & friends/citizens association in the following circumstances:
where a parent association/committee is not a legal entity in its own right, or
on behalf of a school council/board whose legal status is linked to the school's governing body, such as a State/Territory Government school
If you are not sure about your organisation's legal entity status consult your Treasurer or Financial Officer. Alternatively, phone the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline 1800 183 374 for assistance with any queries.
Organisations sponsoring non-legal entities
Organisations may sponsor a maximum of 20 Volunteer Grants 2011 applications. Should
a sponsoring body sponsor in excess of 20 applications, only the first 20 applications will be assessed by the Department and this decision will be final.
An unincorporated group or organisation that does not have a separate and specific legal existence generally cannot, in the name of the group and independently of the members of that group, own or hold property, sue or be sued or enter into legally binding agreements, such as funding agreements. Accordingly, the Department can not enter into a Funding Agreement with an unincorporated organisation.
If your organisation is not a legal entity, an eligible organisation can apply on your behalf. The sponsoring organisation must be an eligible not-for-profit organisation that has the necessary legal entity status to enter into a funding agreement with the Department and to administer the funding on your behalf. For example, if you are part of a larger organisation, the parent or head office organisation may be able to apply on your behalf. Note: An organisation that is a legal entity is not eligible to be sponsored and must apply in its own right.
Eligible sponsoring organisations must be Australian not-for-profit organisations whose volunteers' work is aimed at supporting families and/or communities in Australia.
Sponsoring organisations must have a direct connection or relationship with the organisation they are sponsoring, with full agreement to apply, or the application may not be eligible. Where possible, the sponsoring organisation should be located in the same State or Territory as the sponsored organisation. A sponsoring organisation can also apply for a grant in its own right.
Organisations can apply for small equipment items, a contribution to the reimbursement of fuel costs of their volunteers, transport costs incurred by volunteers with disability who are unable to drive, and the cost of training courses and background screening checks for volunteers.
All items requested in a Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form must be eligible for funding or the application may not be considered. A list of the most commonly requested eligible items is at Attachment A. You are not required to list specific brand names or model numbers when applying for item funding.
Small equipment Small equipment items must be portable, tangible and for the primary benefit of the volunteers.
Eligible small equipment items may include:
Computers, air conditioners and barbeques
A set or package of small, individually low-cost closely related items, such as a range of gardening equipment
Set-up items essential to the initial use of the main equipment item (e.g. if purchasing a barbeque, a gas bottle can be included)
Part funding of an eligible small equipment item that costs up to $10,000
Installation costs for eligible items
Delivery/freight for eligible items Items that are not eligible include, but are not limited to:
Already funded from other sources
Primarily for the benefit of the organisation, members, clients or participants and not the volunteers (e.g. mobile phones, sporting equipment for participants, travel, toys, musical instruments, kayaks, tents, backpacks)
Already purchased or not reasonably costed
Vehicles and powered boats, including motors (ride-on mowers are acceptable), e.g. cars, tractors, speed boats
Buildings, permanent fixtures and renovations including plumbing, kitchens, hot water systems, shipping containers and fencing (except air conditioners, stoves (portable), small demountable garden sheds, and water tanks)
Conference and function costs
Consumables, including food, books, paper, sunscreen, maps, cleaning products, toners, soil and the refilling of gas bottles
Service charges, including additional or extended warranties, maintenance, plumbing and other labour costs (except on approved purpose-built items such as a trailer for lifting wheelchairs)
Subscription fees (e.g. magazine), internet connection fees, mobile phone charges
Advertising, logos and banners, display boards, sign-writing or branding costs for items not approved under the program
Leasing or rentals for equipment, including hire costs of venues, transport and equipment
Bedding, sleeping bags and blankets (other than fire blankets), hydration packs
Clothing, uniforms, hats, helmets, boots
Administrative costs and staff costs
'Pooling' of grant funds between organisations to purchase an item
Items not permitted in your local area under Local Council rules and regulations.
Contribution to the reimbursement of fuel costs
A contribution towards the reimbursement of fuel/petrol costs is available for an organisation's volunteers who use their own cars to transport others to activities, deliver food and assist people in need.
Eligible fuel costs include:
All motor vehicle fuels, including petrol, diesel and gas
Fuel costs must be for the benefit of the volunteers who use their own cars when carrying out their volunteering work
Fuel costs that are not eligible include:
Not reasonably costed
Fuel to operate the organisation's equipment, vehicles or machinery
Fuel for buses or tractors
Fuel used by paid staff, members or participants of the organisation.
Contribution to the transport costs of volunteers with disability
A contribution towards the reimbursement of transport costs is available for an organisation's volunteers with disability, who are unable to drive.
Eligible transport costs include:
All transport costs, including taxis, and public transport
Transport costs must be incurred by volunteers with disability who are unable to drive
Transport costs that are not eligible include:
Already funded from other sources e.g. State and Territory governments
Transport costs for personal travel
Transport costs incurred by paid staff, members or participants of the organisation.
Contribution to the reimbursement of training costs
A contribution towards the cost of training courses is available to assist volunteers obtain skills and qualifications needed in their volunteering roles. Training courses may include, but are not limited to, mental health issues, first aid, leadership, communication skills, governance and/or working with vulnerable people. Recognised courses leading to a Statement of Attainment, Certificate or Diploma are preferred.
Eligible training costs include, but are not limited to:
Structured courses delivered by a Registered Training Organisation or a qualified trainer, involving individual or groups of volunteers
Units of competency within a qualification or training package
Nationally recognised courses, usually leading to a Statement of Attainment, Certificate or Diploma
Training costs that are not eligible include, but are not limited to:
Travel to and from training
Training for paid staff, members or participants of the organisation
Training materials and books, other than those included as part of the funded courses.
Contribution to costs of undertaking background screening checks of volunteers
Funding is available for background screening checks of volunteers. These checks are often mandatory and/or desirable when engaging volunteers, particularly when the volunteers are working with children or vulnerable people.
Eligible background screening costs include, but are not limited to:
Police checks and Police Certificates
Working with vulnerable people checks
Not eligible background screening costs include, but are not limited to:
Not reasonably costed.
The Volunteer Grants 2011 online/electronic Application Form and Application Guidelines are available on the Department's website. All completed online applications must be received by Wednesday 8 June 2011 at 5pm AEST.
Applicants must have Adobe Reader v7.0.5 or later to use the electronic Volunteer Grants 2011 PDF Application Form. The latest version of Adobe Reader can be downloaded for free from www.adobe.com/downloads. Applicants using other PDF Reader software (e.g. Foxit) or who experience technical difficulties displaying or using the electronic PDF Application Form should call 1800 183 374 or email vg2011@dss.gov.au.
During the application period there may be short, scheduled outages to the online application facility. Notification of these system outages will be on the Department's website.
Online application forms should not be printed, completed and submitted because this may result in important information not appearing on the printed version of the electronic application form and the application may not be able to be assessed.
A paper-based, typeable PDF or Word version of the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form and Application Guidelines can be requested by phoning the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline on 1800 183 374 or by email at vg2011@dss.gov.au. The typeable PDF or Word version allows you to type your information into the form, and then print a copy. Please sign and post your completed paper-based Application Form to:
To be included in the Volunteer Grants 2011 assessment process, posted paper-based Application Forms must be postmarked no later than Wednesday 8 June 2011. Do not send additional documents, attachments or equipment quotes with your application. The Department reserves the right to request further information, if required. Faxed applications will not be accepted.
The Department uses the National Relay Service (NRS) to ensure Department contact numbers are accessible to people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
To access the Volunteer Grants Hotline:
TTY users - phone 1800 555 677 then ask for 1800 183 374
Speak and Listen (speech-to-speech relay) users – phone 1800 555 727 then ask for 1800 183 374
Internet relay users - visit the National Relay Service website and ask for 1800 183 374.
A 'questions and answers' facility for Volunteer Grants 2011 is available. You can email questions to theVolunteer Grants Team at vg2011@dss.gov.au or call the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline on 1800 183 374. The Department will respond to questions within five working days.
Note: A list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers is available on the Department's website. Responses to questions of interest to all applicants may be added to the list during the application period.
A help facility in the form of hover boxes also provides useful information to assist applicants complete the online/electronic Application Form. Section Two of these Guidelines provides information on how to complete the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form.
Volunteer Grants 2011 funding is limited to $16 million and applications will be assessed and prioritised according to how strongly they meet the selection criteria. Applications will be ranked on the following selection criteria:
Preference will be given to organisations that did not receive Volunteer Grants funding in 2010. However, organisations that were affected by the recent natural disasters will not be disadvantaged.
Organisations whose volunteers work with disadvantaged communities will be given priority based on the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA).
Organisations located in regional, rural or remote areas will be given priority.
Organisations contributing to social inclusion will rate highly. Organisations contribute to social inclusion by assisting disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals, families and communities, and by including people with little previous involvement in volunteering, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, as volunteers in their organisations.
Organisations with a smaller operating budget will rate highly.
The more volunteer staff the organisation has in comparison to paid staff, the higher it will rate.
The lower the total cost of the requested items, the higher the application will rate. All requested items are required to be eligible.
The higher the number of volunteers to directly benefit from the items, the higher the application will rate.
Social Inclusion is a priority of the Australian Government. The Government's vision of a socially inclusive society is one in which all Australians feel valued and have the opportunity to participate fully in society.
Achieving this vision means that all Australians will have the resources, opportunities and capability to:
Learn by participating in education and training
Work by participating in employment, in voluntary work and in family and caring
Engage by connecting with people and using their local community's resources
Have a voice so that they can influence decisions that affect them.
The Government has identified six early priority areas to addressing social exclusion and increasing social inclusion:
Supporting children at greatest risk of long-term disadvantage
Helping jobless families with children Focusing on the locations of greatest disadvantage
Assisting in the employment of people with disability or mental illness
Addressing the incidence of homelessness
Closing the gap for Indigenous Australians (including Stolen Generations) with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, access to early childhood education, educational achievement and employment outcomes.
In developing programs for increasing participation by these priority groups, the Government is also committed to helping Forgotten Australians, vulnerable new arrivals and refugees.
More information is available from the Social Inclusion website.
Stolen Generations: The term 'Stolen Generations' generally refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed as children from their families and communities by government, welfare or church authorities and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families.
Forgotten Australians: The term 'Forgotten Australians' refers to around 500,000 Australians or 'care leavers', who experienced institutional or out-of-home care as children in the 20th Century.
Volunteer Grants 2011 is a competitive process. All eligible applications will be assessed against the selection criteria and rated on merit. A large volume of applications is anticipated and the assessment process will take around four months.
Successful applicants will be emailed or receive a Letter of Offer by post and asked to accept the Terms and Conditions between the organisation and the Department. Funded organisations are responsible for ensuring the Terms and Conditions of the Letter of Offer are met. Funds will be made available once the Letter of Offer has been returned by the organisation and accepted by the Department. The funds can only be paid to the organisation that applied under Volunteer Grants 2011.
Volunteer Grants payments are 'GST out-of-scope' and are not subject to GST. Successful organisations will be issued with a remittance advice when the grant payment is made.
The Department may require you to provide proof of purchase and to allow the Australian Government's auditors to look at your records. Original receipts are required as proof of purchase for all items. Receipts must be retained for five years. It is the responsibility of the organisation to maintain a complete set of records for acquittal purposes, including receipts for all contributions for the reimbursement of fuel. Note: It is not necessary to send receipts to the Department, unless requested to do so. All funding must be expended by the Agreement Completion Date, as stated in the Letter of Offer. Unspent funds are to be returned to the Department.
Fuel acquittal There are four options that provide the necessary record-keeping requirements for fuel costs reimbursement funding:
Volunteers may maintain a log book for all volunteer motor vehicle trips. The log book would be sufficient proof of fuel costs incurred by the volunteers. The log book should include details of each trip (date, from/to, reason for trip) and record the kilometres travelled (meter readings).
An organisation may set up an account at a local service station and provide authority for volunteers to charge their approved fuel to the account which would be paid direct by the organisation. Account receipts would be sufficient proof of expenditure.
Copies of actual fuel expenditure receipts. Pre-paid petrol cards. Payment receipts would be sufficient proof of expenditure.
Transport costs incurred by volunteers with disability who are unable to drive
Original receipts, cab charge receipts, public transport tickets, pre-paid travel cards or a log book providing details of each trip (date, from/to, reason for trip, method of transport) are acceptable record-keeping requirements.
All unsuccessful organisations that submitted Volunteer Grants 2011 applications by the closing date will be advised of the outcome of their applications in writing by the Department, and given the opportunity to seek feedback on their applications.
Applicants: Applicants must provide all information requested and ensure the information is complete and accurate so their applications can be assessed. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. The Department will not follow up information that is incomplete, not legible or incorrect. Keep a copy of your application for your own records. If more than one application is submitted, only one application will be considered for funding.
The Department: The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs will answer requests for assistance about questions on the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form or content in the Application Guidelines, but cannot respond to queries about the status of an application.
The Department reserves the right to make a decision on an application, which is final. The Department reserves the right to amend the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Guidelines by whatever means it may determine in its absolute discretion and will provide reasonable notice of these amendments. The Department also reserves the right to mark any application ineligible if it has concerns about the genuineness of the information provided or where the application has not been submitted in the spirit of Volunteer Grants 2011.
Late applications: The Department may reject any application lodged after the closing date. If an application is late, the Department may determine that there were exceptional circumstances beyond the applicant's control that meant the deadline could notbe met. The applicant will need to supply documentary evidence to support this. Any decision by the Department to accept or notaccept a late application will be final.
Complaints handling for the Volunteer Grants 2011 selection process: Complaints will be dealt with under the FaHCSIA Complaints Management System. The Complaints Management System ensures that any dissatisfaction you may have with the Department's services, decisions or policies are taken seriously and dealt with promptly. In the first instance contact:
Community Investment Branch
TUGGERANONG BC ACT 2901
If you still feel your issue or complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily, you will need to contact the FaHCSIA Complaints Team on 1800 634 035 or email complaints@dss.gov.au. The Complaints Team will work with you to satisfactorily resolve the complaint or suggest further action as appropriate.
If you are dissatisfied at any time with the handling of your complaint, you may also contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman. For more information please see www.ombudsman.gov.au.
Disclaimer: The Department and its officers, employees, agents and advisers:
are not, and will not be, responsible or liable for the accuracy or completeness of any information in, or provided in connection with, the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form and Application Guidelines
make no express or implied representation or warranty that any statement on future matters will prove correct
disclaim any and all liability arising from any information provided to the applicant, including, without limitation, errors in, or omissions contained in, that information
except so far as liability under any statute cannot be excluded, accept no responsibility arising in any way from errors or omissions contained in any information in the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form and Application Guidelines, and
accept no liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of that person, or any other person, placing reliance on the contents of the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form and Application Guidelines, or any other information provided by the Department.
Privacy: Any personal information you provide is protected under the Privacy Act 1988. It can only be disclosed to someone else if you have been given reasonable notice of the disclosure, where disclosure is authorised or required by law or is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law, if it will prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person's life or health, or if you have consented to the disclosure.
If you have questions or concerns about how your personal information is handled you can contact the Privacy Officer at the Department on 02 6244 1449, the Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992 (local call cost, but calls from mobile and pay phones may incur higher charges) or the Australian Government Privacy Officer by emailing privacy@privacy.gov.au.
Section Two: How to Complete an Application Form
This section provides information on how to complete the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form. Organisations applying for Volunteer Grants 2011 are encouraged to use the online Application Form, which has been developed to simplify and streamline the application process.
Part 1 - The organisation's legal entity and status
Part 1 seeks information about the organisation applying for funding.
Question 1 – The organisation applying for funding:
Select one option.
If you are an eligible legal entity applying for funding to support the work of your organisation's volunteers select 'Our organisation is a legal entity and is applying for funding in its own right'.
If you are applying on behalf of another organisation that is not a legal entity, select 'Our organisation is sponsoring an organisation that is NOT a legal entity'.
Question 2 – Did the organisation working directly with the volunteers receive funding under Volunteer Grants 2010?
Select one category. If the organisation was successful in obtaining funding in 2010, provide the name of the successful organisation. If you select 'Unsure' the Volunteer Grants team will check this information.
Question 3 – What is the legal name of the organisation that will enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department?
Provide the legal name of the organisation.
Question 4 – Is the organisation known by another name, e.g. trading name?
If your organisation has an abbreviated, trading or common name, provide it here. A sponsored organisation is required to provide its name and details at Part 2.
Question 5 – Is the organisation not-for-profit?
To be eligible for funding, organisations must be not-for-profit. For-profit organisations are not eligible for Volunteer Grants 2011 funding.
Question 6 – What type of entity is the organisation?
Section One of these Guidelines has details regarding the eligibility of organisations. Only legal entities can enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department. The types of eligible legal entity includes:
Incorporated Cooperative
An organisation established through a specific piece of Commonwealth or State/Territory legislation
Local Government (sponsor only) - Local Government entities may sponsor not-for-profit organisations with volunteers in the following circumstances:
where an organisation is not a legal entity in its own right; and
the Local Government entity is the only or most reasonable option to sponsor the organisation in the community.
The type of organisation that may not be eligible includes:
State/Territory Government - State/Territory Government Educational Institutions may sponsor the local parents and friends/citizens association in the following circumstances:
where a parent association/committee is not a legal entity in its own right; or
on behalf of a school council/board whose legal status is linked to the school's governing body, such as a State/Territory Government school.
If the organisation is none of the above, provide an explanation in the space provided.
Refer to Section One of the Application Guidelines for further information about eligible organisations.
If you are not sure about the organisation's legal entity status, consult your Treasurer or Financial Officer. Alternatively, the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline is available on 1800 183 374 to assist with any queries.
Question 7a) – Does the organisation have an Australian Business Number (ABN)?
If your organisation has an ABN, provide the number here.
An ABN is not required to receive funding. However, if the organisation has an ABN it must be provided.
If an organisation without an ABN is successful in receiving funding, a 'Statement by a Supplier' form available from the Australian Taxation Office to declare the reason for not quoting an ABN must be provided, otherwise the Department is required to withhold 46.5% of funding.
Question 7b) – What is the Registered state/number of the organisation?
The Registered number of the organisation is provided by the State/Territory when the organisation is incorporated. It can usually be found on the Certificate of Incorporation or the Certificate of Registered Business Name. This will substantiate your eligibility to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department. Organisations that are unsure about their Registered state number are advised to seek this information from their Treasurer or Financial Officer. This information is also available from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission website.
Question 8 – Is the organisation GST-registered?
Select the option which applies to the organisation.
Organisations do not require GST registration to receive funding.
Question 9 – Nominate the contact person of the legal entity for this application.
This is the person who will be contacted by the Department in regard to the application.
All correspondence will be directed to the contact person. The contact person should have authority to act on behalf of the organisation.
The Department reserves the right to contact either the nominated contact person of the legal entity or the sponsored organisation. For privacy reasons, the Department will only speak or write to either the nominated contact person of the legal entity or the sponsored organisation in regard to the application.
Please advise the Volunteer Grants team in writing if the contact person and/or contact details change.
Question 10 – What is the organisation's physical business address?
Provide the physical or street address of the organisation here. The postal address should be provided at Question 11.
Question 11 – What is the postal address of the organisation?
Provide the postal address of your organisation here. If the postal address is the same as the physical address, select 'Same as Q10'.
Part 2 – Details of the sponsored organisation
Part 2 seeks information about the organisation being sponsored by an eligible legal entity. The sponsored organisation is the organisation whose volunteers will benefit from the eligible items requested in the application. The legal entity in Part 1 will be responsible for grant funding and will enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department, should the application be successful.
Question 12 – What is the name of the sponsored organisation working directly with the volunteers?
Provide the name of the sponsored organisation whose volunteers will benefit from the funding.
Question 13 – What is the sponsored organisation's physical business address?
Provide the physical or street address of the organisation here. The postal address should be provided at Question 14.
Question 14 – What is the postal address of the sponsored organisation?
Provide the postal address of the sponsored organisation here. If the postal address is the same as the physical address, select 'Same as Q13'.
Question 15 – Nominate the contact person of the sponsored organisation.
This is the person who will be contacted in regard to the application, if the contact person from the sponsoring organisation is unavailable. The contact person should have authority to act on behalf of the sponsored organisation.
Question 16 – Provide a brief description of the consultation and agreement process between the sponsoring and sponsored organisations in supporting this application.
Briefly explain the connection and level of consultation regarding the application between the sponsoring organisation and the sponsored organisation.
Part 3 - The organisation working directly with the volunteers
All questions in Part 3 must be answered or the application may not be considered for funding. Part 3 seeks information about the organisation working directly with the volunteers at the service delivery level.
If the organisation submitting this application is sponsoring an organisation that is not a legal entity, the responses should be about the sponsored organisation whose volunteers will benefit from the funding.
Question 17 – Is the (or the sponsored) organisation located in an area affected by the recent natural disasters?
Select the option that applies to the organisation.
Question 18 – Enter the postcode where the (or the sponsored) organisation's volunteer work is most active.
Provide the postcode where the volunteers are generally most active and do most of their volunteer work, at the service delivery level. This postcode may be different from the organisation's postcode.
Question 19 – Does the (or the sponsored) organisation consider itself to be Indigenous?
This refers to whether the organisation identifies itself as an Indigenous organisation.
Question 20 – Are any of the (or the sponsored) organisation's volunteers: (select as many categories as applicable)
Select the categories which apply to the volunteers, if applicable. More than one category may be selected.
Question 21 – Is the primary role of the (or the sponsored) organisation to assist any of the following groups or individuals?
Select the categories which apply to your (or the sponsored) organisation. More than one category can be selected if applicable.
Question 22 – What is the approximate yearly operating budget of the (or the sponsored) organisation?
For Volunteer Grants 2011 purposes, the budget only includes the costs and expenses associated with running the organisation, for example, salaries, utilities, rent, office expenses and insurance. The operating budget refers to the service delivery organisation whose volunteers will benefit from the requested Volunteer Grants 2011 funding.
For example, the main office of the organisation (the sponsoring organisation) has budget costs of $200,000 incorporating salaries, rent, telephone, insurance, office supplies etc. Funding for a new computer is sought to assist the charity's volunteers who work in the local shop (the sponsored organisation). Their budget is $15,000 for rent, telephone, office supplies etc. In this example, the budget ($15,000) of the local shop (the sponsored organisation) should be recorded at Question 22.
Question 23 – Select the option that best describes the type of work of the (or the sponsored) organisation.
Select one option only.
Part 4 - Nominated bank account
Question 24 – Provide details of the account nominated for the direct credit of funds.
Provide the correct BSB (bank/state/branch) Number, Account Number and Account Name.
It is important that these details are correct, including case sensitivity, as the nominated account will be used to directly credit the Volunteer Grants 2011 funding, if the application is successful. This information is verified at Part 11.
The funding will be paid into a bank account in the name of the organisation at Question 3. The Department will not make payments to third parties, individuals or personal bank accounts.
Part 5 - Requested items
Organisations can apply for small equipment items, a contribution to the reimbursement of fuel costs for their volunteers, transport costs incurred by volunteers with disability who are unable to drive, and the cost of training courses and background screening checks for volunteers. Small equipment items must be portable, tangible and for the primary benefit of the volunteers. All requested items must meet the eligibility criteria to be funded. Refer to the detailed eligibility information provided in Section One of the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Guidelines.
Question 25 – What funding items is the (or the sponsored) organisation requesting in this application? Eligible items
Enter the requested small equipment, fuel, transport, training, and background screening checks in the Item column. Show the retail cost (i.e. GST inclusive amount) of the item in the 'Total Retail Cost of Items' column. The 'TOTAL retail amount' of all items must be between $1,000 and $5,000.
Items may be selected from the list of most commonly requested items for Volunteer Grants 2011 at Attachment A, or from the drop-down list in the online/electronic form. If you wish to apply for items not listed at Attachment A or from the drop-down list, enter 'Other' and provide details of the item in the 'Details' column. All items listed 'Other' in the 'Details' column, must meet the item eligibility criteria outlined in these Guidelines.
It is not necessary to include brand or model details, or to specify the number of items
Low-cost, closely related items can be requested as a set or package, e.g. kitchen utensils/equipment. Select the set or package from the list of most commonly requested items. Detailed information about the individual items included in the set is not required.
Applying for computer equipment
For the purposes of Volunteer Grants 2011, a computer refers to a central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse and operating software. Operating software includes Windows, virus protection, or any other software required to run the computer in a basic sense.
All other software, such as Office, MYOB or other specialised software is classed as 'Computer software (non-operating)' as listed at Attachment A and should be requested as separate items. Other related items, including printers and scanners should be individually listed and costed.
Question 26 – Will the requested items/fuel help attract new volunteers to the (or the sponsored) organisation?
If the requested items will help attract new volunteers, select 'Yes' and estimate the number of new volunteers, otherwise select 'No'.
Part 6 – Paid staff of the organisation working directly with the volunteers
Part 6 seeks information about the number of paid staff and volunteers in the organisation. These answers relate to the organisation at the service delivery level whose volunteers will use and benefit from the requested items.
Question 27 – How many paid staff work for the (or the sponsored) organisation?
Provide the number of paid staff in the service delivery organisation, equivalent to full-time paid staff. For example, two part-time staff members working 15 hours per week would be equivalent to one full-time paid staff member, rounded to the nearest whole number. If there are no paid staff enter "0". Do not leave blank.
Question 28 – How many volunteers are there in the (or the sponsored) organisation?
Provide the number of volunteers.
Part 7 – How many people will use or directly benefit from the funding?
Part 7 seeks information on how many volunteers will use and/or directly benefit from the requested items.
Question 29 – How many existing volunteers from the (or the sponsored) organisation will use the requested items?
Provide the total number of volunteers who will use and directly benefit from the requested items listed at Question 25.
Question 30 – How many volunteers from the (or the sponsored) organisation will receive a contribution towards fuel costs and/or transport costs?
Provide the number of volunteers who will receive a contribution towards the reimbursement offuel costs incurred when undertaking their volunteer activities, and/or will benefit from the reimbursement of transport costs for volunteers with disability who are unable to drive.
Part 8 – Information about the (or the sponsored) organisation working directly with the volunteers
Part 8 seeks detailed information about the organisation working with the volunteers at the service delivery level.
Question 31 –How will the requested items help the volunteers in the (or the sponsored) organisation and encourage more people to become volunteers?
Briefly explain how the requested items will help the volunteers in their volunteering work. If applicable, explain how the items will encourage new volunteers.
Question 32 – Describe the work of the (or the sponsored) organisation, explaining how it strengthens your local community and helps build social inclusion and community participation.
Briefly describe the main work and focus of the organisation, including information about how it contributes to social inclusion and community participation and/or assists disadvantaged people or communities.
Question 33 – Provide a short description of the (or the sponsored) organisation.
Provide a short description of the organisation. This information may be used to provide an organisation description on the Department's website if the application is successful.
If this application is sponsoring a non-legal entity, provide a short description of the sponsored organisation.
Part 9 – Terms and conditions
The Terms and Conditions of applying under Volunteer Grants 2011 are outlined in Part 9. You must agree to these Terms and Conditions at Part 10.
Part 10 – Declaration
Question 34 – Read and complete the following declaration.
The Declaration confirms the points contained in Part 9 and Part 10 (Question 34), stating that all information is true and accurate and the requested items will not be available for private use.
For online/electronic submission, the Declaration is made by electronically accepting the conditions, completing your name, position in the organisation and date at Question 34, and submitting the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form. Paper-based application forms must be signed by a person in the organisation who has the authority to sign, and submitted by post or emailed to vg2011applications@dss.gov.au.
If you do not accept the Terms and Conditions or agree with the Declaration, the application may not be eligible.
Part 11 – Application submission
Confirm the email address and bank account details in the spaces provided. This information is repeated to reduce the chance of errors.
Electronic and Email Submission
Keep a copy of the application by clicking the 'Save' button. The Electronic Application Form will check that all mandatory fields and information have been completed. If anything is missing, errors will be displayed. All information is required to match exactly, including case sensitivity. Go back and include any missing information and resolve the errors, then click the 'Save' button again.
To submit the electronic submission to the Department's Application Website, click the 'Submit Application' button. This will result in the following outcome:
A Successful Submission Receipt will appear after the form has been submitted and processed by the Department's system. This may take several minutes. A Confirmation Receipt will also be emailed to the email address provided in the Application Form.
If an error message appears stating that there has been a problem submitting your application form please check your connection to the internet and click 'Try Again'; or click 'Email' to lodge your application form as an attachment via email. A new email will open automatically with the application form attached. You do not need to add or attach any further information to the email. Click 'Send' (once only). A Confirmation Email will be sent to the nominated email address after your application has been entered into the Department's system. This can take up to a week, depending on the volume of applications received. Do not click 'Send' more than once, as this will result in the application being submitted multiple times.
If you wish to cancel the submission and return to the application form, click 'Cancel'. If you do not receive confirmation that the Department has received your email application within a week of your email, you should call the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline on 1800 183 374 to check that the Department has received your application.
Do not post a printed copy of your electronic application. A printed version of the electronic Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Form may not completely display all answers.
Email or Postal Submission
Paper-based applications only can be emailed to vg2011applications@dss.gov.au or posted to:
Most commonly requested items for Volunteer Grants
The list below contains items suitable for Volunteers Grants 2011 funding. It is only a guide to eligible items and further information on eligibility is available in Section One of the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Guidelines or by telephoning the toll-free Volunteer Grants Hotline on 1800 183 374.
A contribution towards the reimbursement of fuel costs is listed as 'Fuel/Petrol', and includes all motor vehicle fuels. Funding towards fuel reimbursement is only to be used for volunteers who incur the costs in their volunteering work. You do not need to specify the type of fuel.
A contribution towards the reimbursement of transport costs incurred by volunteers with disability, who are unable to drive, is listed as 'Transport Costs'.
A contribution towards the cost of training courses for volunteers is listed as 'Training Courses'. Further information is available in Section One of the Volunteer Grants 2011 Application Guidelines.
Items not included on this list can be requested at Question 25 in the Application Form, if they meet the eligibility criteria, by including them as 'Other' in the Item column and briefly describing the item in the 'Details' column.
Air-conditioner/evaporative cooler (incl. installation) Ladders
Barbeque (incl. initial gas bottle only)
Background screening checks for volunteers
Mower/ride-on-mower
Bookcase (demountable)
Brooms/mops/cleaning etc (not cleaning products)
Printer/multi-function centre/fax/scanner
Public address system (portable)
Camera/digital camera
Pump (portable)
Cash register (portable)
Shed (small garden only - demountable)
Computer/laptop/external hard drive (incl. operating software)
Shelving (demountable)
Stereo/CD player (portable small audio equipment)
Computer software (non-operating)
Storage containers/units
Cupboard/cabinet (demountable/not structural)
Stove / Oven (portable)
Sunshade/sail/marquee/umbrella
Dishwasher (incl. installation)
Esky/cooler/thermos/hot and cold pack
Training courses (recognised preferred)
Transport costs (for volunteers with disability who are unable to drive)
Fuel/petrol (motor vehicle only, for costs directly incurred during the course of volunteer work)
Gardening/landcare tools/equipment/blower vac
Video/slide/data projector
GPS/UHF radio/transceiver
Washing machine (incl. installation)
Heater (movable/not structural)
Water tank (incl. installation)
Kitchen utensils/equipment
Whiteboard (portable)
Last updated: 27 September 2013 - 11:31am
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