SMALL GRANTS

Community Strengthening

GSF’s Margaret Attwood Grant Round seeks to support small grass roots projects that deliver big impact for our community!

Applications to the Margaret Attwood Grant Round open annually, generally in March or April. Funding may be awarded to not-for-profit organisations for projects that positively impact the people they support; address an immediate or unmet need; and meet the GSF funding criteria; and align with our vision. Funding criteria can be viewed here. The local projects that were awarded funding during the 2025 grant round include -

Strengthening Goulburn Valley Families

A grant was awarded to Caroline Chisholm Society for its Strengthening Goulburn Valley Families program. Funds will support operations and its material aid program including the provision of nappies, prams, formula and clothing from their premises in St Andrews Road in Shepparton.

Family Health Information Sessions
GV Afghan Women's Association received funds to provide programs to educate Afghan women on Western Healthcare systems specifically regarding Autism and Menopause which are often misunderstood or unrecognised as symptoms and therefore often attributed to spiritual or behavioural causes rather than medical conditions. These sessions will be held in culturally safe spaces supporting families to acquire awareness and support.

Talk Talk Play!
GV FamilyCare's Talk Talk Play program is a free weekly intervention program to support two- and three-year-old children with delayed language. The program educates families and puts in place strategies to encourage practice in a fun, supportive environment, facilitated by speech pathologist and early childhood professionals.

Swimming Lessons
The Hunter Boyle Swim Program will provide swimming lessons and provision of equipment and water education and safety to local Shepparton families who otherwise would not have access.

Essential Equipment Upgrade

Shepparton Access received a grant to support a cool room for its dedicated hospitality training facility, Eco Cafe. This unique social enterprise provides meaningful hospitality training and employment opportunities for local people with a disability.

2024 Grant Round Recipients

GV Afghan Youth Association
Development and delivery of its Ramadan Ifta Dinner in 2025 to share the tradition of coming together at Ramadan in the spirit of community unity, generosity and celebration of diversity, food and culture.

Shepparton Foodshare
To purchase much needed food staples in short supply due to the vital local service experiencing an unprecedented need for food relief.

Crazy Ideas College
To conduct its 2025 Shepparton Social Innovators program that sees young people supported to voice their ideas, uncover great ideas for our community and to feel confident about making their mark on the world.

Umoja Empowerment Group
Provided support to the groups ‘Clean People Connecting Hopes’ project that aims to improve community inclusion and increase opportunities for refugees.

Horses For Hope
Supported upgrades required to create a welcoming and warm accessible therapy space for its Equine-Assisted therapy that brings humans and horses together in a healing environment.

2023 Grant Round Recipients

Shepparton Festival
Shepparton Festival held an outdoor photography/multimedia exhibition telling the lesser-heard stories of people in Greater Shepparton impacted by the 2022 floods.

Umoja Empowerment Group
Umoja engaged professional training across governance, finance and project development.

Kialla Golf Club
The Golf Club undertook electricity connection upgrades required following the floods.

Neighbourhood House Murchison
Funds supported IT and computer classes for 1.5 hours per week for the Murchison community.

Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project
Funds supported the work in activating Mobilising Mooroopna – Building Stronger Together.

ASHE
Funds contributed to the delivery of its annual ASHEFEST event.

Crazy Ideas College (CIC)
CIC utilised the funds for its Shepparton Social Innovators Program that was delivered in secondary schools in Greater Shepparton.

Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District
Ethnic Council completed digital literacy and safety training for non-English speaking people from CALD communities.

GV Seniors Association
Funds supported the association’s work to overcome loneliness, social isolation and develop friendships and fun through an event during Senior’s month at the Queens Gardens.

Rotary Club of South Shepparton
Funds contributed to the second stage of development and construction of an intergenerational play space for young children at Tarcoola.

Wise Well Women
Funds supported the continuation of the professional development for Community Health Educator (CHE) trainees that puts recent training in to practice.

South Shepparton Community Centre
Funds enabled the Community Centre to host free community lunches as an access point to connect people into services including mental health and wellbeing advice, hearing checks, legal advice and aging well.

If you would like to make a contribution to place based projects such as these via our annual grants program, see below the many ways you can contribute and support the work that we do in our community -

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