On 1 September 2021, Responsible Wood launched its Community Grants Program. This is program’s second year, following the successful 2020/21 program.
The aim of the program is to support local communities develop, design and implement small community-based projects in their local area in conjunction with their local Responsible Wood certified forestry company.
Community Grants are awarded for collaborative, community-based projects, activities or events that connect communities to certified forests and forest growers.
The key benefits of this program are; supporting Australian communities to better access and enjoy their local sustainably managed and certified forests; and providing an opportunity to build community connection through planning, completing and benefiting from community projects. Funding available per project is between $2,000 and $15,000.
Experienced forester and external relations manager Megan Graham will administer the community grant program. She said that she’s excited to see what ideas will be proposed in this round of funding. As, in the first year of the program, she was really pleased with the number, quality, and creativity of applications from across Australia.
This year, she is anticipating some applications from Men’s Sheds to build picnic facilities for their local forests to help people have a more enjoyable forest visit or from a bush walking or Mountain bike clubs to build or restore walking or bike tracks or trail head facilities within their local forests. Landcare groups could also apply for a grant to improve forest health through revegetation, weed removal or pest control. However, the scope for the community projects really is open and she encourages communities to think about their needs and develop a project idea and apply by Oct 31.
Applications will only be accepted from local community groups, not-for-profit organisations, registered charities or schools or education institutions. An independent judging panel will assess and judge all of the applications.
For all of the grant information, please visit the dedicated Community Grants web page and direct enquiries to [email protected].
The key dates include:
- 1 Sept – 30 Oct applications are open.
- Nov 15, applicants will be notified of their application status
- Nov 15 – May 30 2022, projects are developed and completed
Further information
- 2021 Application Form – Small Grants Program
- Community Grants Eligibility Checklist
- Community Grants Judging Checklist
2020/21 Successful Grant Recipients Details
| Community Group | Project | Region |
| Ballarat Region Treegrowers | 21st century drop slab hut project | Ballarat, Victoria |
| Gravity Enduro SA | Intermediate mountain bike (MTB) tail at Bennetts forest reserve | Athelstone, South Australia |
| Birdlife Australia | Field days for bird count survey | TBC |
| Nature Glenelg Trust | Connecting to Country through Boandik Cultural and Biodiversity Education in the Limestone Coast project | Mt Burr swamp, South Australia |
| Butchulla Indigenous Industries Group | Mabi Project – Cultural burning and coastal rejuvenation | Poona, Queensland |
| Cycle Tumbarumba | Trailhead facilities for Mason’s Hill Mountain Bike Trailhead | Tumbarumba, New South Wales |
For media inquiries, please contact: Jason Ross, Marketing and Communications Officer, Responsible Wood, tel: +61 7 3359 1758, [email protected]
