2025 Community Grants announced

The Sisters of Charity Foundation provides grants of up to $20,000 to incredible community organisations and programs that support people in Australia experiencing disadvantage or marginalisation.

Applications for the 2025 grant round opened on 1 July and closed 31 July 2025. In total 237 applications were submitted. Of these, 72 organisations were selected to receive $1,199,685 in grant funding in December 2025.

A snapshot of the projects

Coolamon Community is a First Nations–led charity working to give Aboriginal mothers and babies a strong, culturally safe start to life. This grant will deliver 65 baby care bundles to mothers in remote and regional communities. Each Coolamon bundle includes an ACCC-compliant safe sleep space, wraps, nappies, clothing and breastfeeding support items, and will be gifted to new and expecting mothers by trusted Aboriginal midwives.

Imagine living in a home that made you sick, having to choose between paying rent or eating, or living in constant fear of becoming homeless. That is the reality for many of the 7 million renters in Australia. Grant funding will help Anika Legal employ a community lawyer to provide free legal help to Victorian renters facing eviction, unfair rent increases, unsafe living conditions, and more.

Anika client Gabrielle said: “After months of getting nowhere with my landlord I was beginning to think I was overreacting to a number of faults in my house, namely heating that didn’t work. Contacting Anika to get some advice and legal support was super easy and super fast. I was able to have a chat on the phone to a staff member, voice my concerns and ask questions, which was followed up by timely legal advice. Suffice to say, my heating ended up getting fixed the following week without going to VCAT (the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal), and I was able to maintain a relationship with my agent and landlord which was something I was anxious about. It is amazing to have free support for tenants who have very little idea about their rights.”

People experiencing homelessness often face complex, overlapping challenges, such as poor health, addiction, trauma, mental health challenges, domestic violence etc. Research shows that addressing only one issue is far less effective than providing wraparound care that treats the whole person. The Sheltered by Grace Homelessness to Wholeness Program will support up to 20 participants with one-on-one case management and group support, plus a range of other wellness activities.

The Compass Community Care Mobile Food Pantry will help meet growing demand for accessible, dignified food relief across southeast Melbourne. While traditional services often require travel or registration, creating barriers for those already under strain, this service removes obstacles by taking pantry staples, fresh produce, and household essentials directly into the communities where they are most needed.

The Australian Afghan Hassanian Youth Association’s Driving Program for Migrant Women supports newly arrived and culturally diverse women to obtain their driver’s licence, a critical step toward independence, employment, and social inclusion. The program provides personalised, one-on-one support in Dari and other relevant languages to pass the NSW Learner Licence test. After gaining their licence, 40 women will be offered free driving lessons with qualified instructors to build confidence and practical skills on NSW roads. Additional support will assist with test bookings and procedural requirements.

In partnership with seven local churches, Stable One’s Yarra Valley Winter Shelter runs nightly with the support of around 150 volunteers who offer meals, warm beds, and a sense of community. The shelter exists to create a place of rest, care and connection, helping guests feel less alone and more supported. Grant funding helps employ a Welfare Coordinator who assists guests facing complex challenges like trauma, mental health, and housing barriers, and helps them take real steps toward a better future.

List of successful Community Grant recipients

Below are the names of each organisation that received a grant in the July 2025 round and its project or program name.

• Agape Outreach Inc – ‘South Tweed New Soup Kitchen: strengthening stability and social inclusion’
• All Saints Catholic College Liverpool – ‘Love Impells Us’
• Altitude Scholarships – ‘Supporting young people to reach their full potential’
• Amani Community Centre Ltd – ‘Employment Pathways for Refugees’
• Anika Legal – ‘Safe Homes for Renters: Free Legal Help for People in Crisis’
• Australian Afghan Hassanian Youth Association Inc – ‘Steering Independence: Driving Program for Migrant Women’
• Autism MATES – ‘Employability and Social Basecamp’
• Bakhtar Community Organisation – ‘Women Focus group’
• Barayamal – ‘First Nations Digital Mentorship Program’
• Blue Bow Tie Inc – ‘Practical and emotional support for male DFV victim survivors’
• Campfire Healing Indigenous Corporation – ‘Healing Circles: Women’s Wisdom, Culture & Wellbeing Program’
• Carevan Wagga Inc – ‘Food security and meal provision program’
• CareWorks SunRanges Inc – Food Support Programs’
• Coffee Brigade Brisbane Ltd – ‘Expanding our service to support more people in need’
• Compass Community Care – ‘Mobile Food Pantry’
• Coolamon Community Inc – ‘Walking With Her: Supporting Strong Beginnings for Aboriginal Mothers and Babies’
• Creativity Australia – ‘With One Voice Social Inclusion Choirs’
• Fossung Multicultural and Education Services Inc – ‘Bridging the Gap: Reignite Literacy & MathLearn’
• Fostering Hope – ‘Cuisine for Carers’
• Frankie’s Community Kitchen – ‘New dishwasher and dishwashing area’
• Got Your Back Sista Ltd – ‘Ongoing parenting program for families affected by domestic violence’
• Healing Voices Foundation Ltd – ‘Healing Voices Link Worker Program’
• Heart & Soul Group – ‘Freezer’
• Hearts of Purple Ltd – ‘Operation Family Protect’
• Hobart Clothing Hub – ‘Clothing Our Community: Sustaining Compassionate Support through Wage Assistance’
• Hoofbeats Sanctuary – ‘Go Remarkable Program’
• Hope for Our Children – ‘Bags of Hope’
• Hotham Mission – ‘WomEmpower’
• In Home Hospice Care Inc – ‘Caring Conversations: Emotional Support for Caregivers’
• Iris Alice Springs Ltd – ‘Strong Foundation Community Nutrition Program’
• Jesuit Refugee Services – ‘Foodbank Project’
• Kind Sisters – ‘Essentials Relief Bags’
• Kinship Alliance Australia – ‘Grandparent/Kinship Care Information, Support and Advice Service’
• Kor-Hajer Youth Development Organisation – ‘School Health Lunch Box Project’
• Level Up Youth Foundation – ‘Youth Voices, Stronger Communities’
• Liberation Larder Inc – ‘Kitchen Equipment’
• Little Things for Tiny Tots Inc – ‘Essential Beginnings’
• Live to Tell Your Story Inc – ‘Power Up 4 Dust Up’
• Love For Australia Inc – ‘Grocery Store’
• Mary Immaculate Parish Primary School – ‘Family Assistance Program’
• Mentor Support Network – ‘Educational Scholarship Program 2026’
• Mowana Safe Space Inc – ‘Keeping Mowana Alive’
• Ngabul Foundation Ltd – ‘Ngabul Employment Pathways Program’
• Open Table – ‘Open Pantry’
• Oz Assist Inc – ‘Assisting the Socially Disadvantaged’
• Ready Set – ‘Mobilising clothing and coaching support across Melbourne’
• Restoration Care Australia Ltd – ‘Feeding the Homeless and Disadvantaged’
• Reynard Street Neighbourhood House – ‘Seeds of Change: Growing skills, confidence, and futures for women through horticulture, training, and community enterprise’
• RISE: Refugees, Survivors and eX-detainees – ‘Drop-in Centre’
• Rise Whichway Inc – ‘Essentials Package & Yarning Group’
• Sheltered by Grace – ‘Homelessness to Wholeness Program’
• Simple Steps Solutions Inc – ‘Counselling Support for Youth’
• Southern Highlands Christian Community Centre – ‘Community Care Hub’
• St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland – ‘Give a Child a Chance’
• Stable One Ltd – ‘Yarra Valley Winter Shelter’
• Strong Mothers – ‘Working with traumatised refugee mothers and infants during pregnancy, birth, and first years of life’
• The Alfresco Community Kitchen – ‘Providing healthy meals to those in need’
• The Footpath Library Ltd – ‘Mobile library program for people experiencing homelessness’
• The Freedom Hub Ltd – ‘Rebuilding Lives: Trauma-Informed Pathways to Employment for Survivors of Modern Slavery in Sydney’
• The Reily Foundation Inc – ‘Inclusive Parenting Support’
• The Warrior Woman Foundation Ltd – ‘The Young Warrior Woman Program’
• Theodora House Inc – ‘Food Security Support for Poverty Stricken People in Local Communities’
• Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation – ‘Supporting Women to Succeed Scholarships 2026’
• Treasure Boxes Inc – ‘Crisis Relief Support for Vulnerable Children and Families’
• Turning Point Camden Inc – ‘Emergency Food Relief Pantry’
• Warrigunya Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation – ‘On Country Fencing and Cattle Project’
• We Care Connect – ‘Begin Bright Hunter: Safety essentials for a child’s first 2000 days’
• WeCare Community Services – ‘Increasing Numbers and Not Enough Food: Food Insecurity’
• Willan Foundation Ltd – ‘Establishment and development’
• Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre Inc – ‘Community Connection Support’
• World Literacy Foundation Australia – ‘Let’s Read Cairns’
• Yahweh House – ‘Purchase a new van/people mover’

How to apply for a Community Grant of up to $20,000

If your organisation provides compassion, hope and practical assistance to people experiencing disadvantage or marginalisation, then you may be eligible to receive a grant from the Sisters of Charity Foundation.

The next grant round will open in July 2026. Learn more about applying for a Community Grant.