The Details
Activation Grants
APPLYING FOR GRANTS
Who can apply for an Activation Grant?
Applications are made by a Resilience Canopy trained Practitioner on behalf of the community group/members with their support. If successful, the community group, which ideally is an incorporated entity or another suitable auspicing entity, will become the ‘Grantee’ entering into a written agreement with The Resilience Canopy (a not-for-profit entity). If you do not have a Practitioner to support you on the journey, contact us to discuss your options further.
No one from our community has done the training, can we still apply?
If your community doesn't have a trained Canopy Resilience Practitioner, contact us to explore your options. We can help you find potential community members to undergo the training or connect you with a trained Practitioner who can assist you throughout the process. You can still apply to be a Canopy Community, but you must have a trained practitioner to apply for the grants.
Can more than one community can apply for an Activation Grant from a single sponsored Local Government Area?
There is no limit on the number of communities that can apply for an Activation Grant from any one sponsored Local Government Area. We will allocate the funding based on individual merit and a demonstrated commitment to applying the Six-Step model.
What should I do if I am not ready or eligible for the Activation Grant?
We encourage you to register as a Canopy Community so that we know you are ready to join the program and can explore other partner or funding avenues with you to help activate your community when the timing is right.
How long does the process for each funding round take?
Each funding round takes about four months from the time of grants opening to the time agreements are in place and the first portion of funding is available for release. The assessment process takes about three weeks. Activation Grants can also be considered on an ad hoc basis and processed promptly where urgent or special circumstances apply.
How are the grants assessed?
When it comes to assessing grants, we take a customised approach and evaluate each application on its own merit as we know each community’s resilience journey is different. Our assessment process considers several factors, including the community's willingness to commit to the Six-Step model, access to existing trained Practitioners (or willingness to train), readiness to engage, risk profile and recent events, and capacity to manage the funds.
Why do I need the support of a community group when applying for grant?
Securing the support of the community group is necessary to confirm the community's preparedness and willingness to actively participate in this community-led resilience planning. It demonstrates that you have diligently conducted preliminary assessments during the 'pre-step' to gauge community readiness, indicating that the resilience program and priorities will be driven and owned by the community.
Do I need a letter of endorsement from the community group or auspicing body that will manage the funds?
A letter of support is not required with your grant application; however, you are required to provide the contact details of the key stakeholders you have engaged with to date.
Do we need to provide a financial report of the Community Group or auspicing body with the application?
No, we do not require this level of financial information at this stage of the process.
Why do I have to identify the risk profile in the community for the application – we have not gone through this process yet?
Applicants need to demonstrate some level of risk or vulnerability to be eligible for this grant. This early assessment can be based on what you know or have observed. It does not need to be evidenced based at this stage of the process.
MANAGING THE FINANCES
How are the grants disbursed?
The nominated manager of the grant funds (Grantee) will need to enter into a legally binding agreement with the Grantor, The Resilience Canopy Limited ABN: 671 526 819. The Grantee should ideally be an incorporated Community Group and have an ABN and its own insurances. If not feasible, other options such as an auspicing entity can be explored. The grants can be drawn down in stages and subject to the terms of the agreement and compliance with reporting milestones. If the initial $5,000 is chosen, it can be accessed once the agreement is executed, and Steps 1-3 are underway. The balance will be held in Trust by us until Steps 4-5 when the Community is ready to implement their priority actions identified through the Six-Step process. The agreement is expected to be finalised within eight weeks from the notification of success.
Are the grants subject to GST?
If your organisation, business or auspicing entity is registered for GST or is required to be, you don't need to pay GST on the funding payment that you receive from us, unless you make a supply in return for the payment. In the case of The Resilience Canopy, since it is giving grants without receiving anything in return, there is no supply to the grantor and the transaction (grant) is not taxable. The transaction that is taxable is the one between the Grantee and its supplier of goods/services. It is recommended that you discuss your GST obligations with your financial services provider for further clarity.
When do the funds need to be expended?
The timeline for utilising the funds will be determined in the agreement terms. A maximum term of 36 months will apply in most cases.
INSURANCE REQUIRMENTS
Do we need Public Liability Insurance, Why?
Yes. We want to ensure that all activities are run safely and that community groups are protected from potential compensation claims if something goes wrong. Your group has a legal responsibility to provide a safe environment for participants and the public in any activity, event or service. Public Liability Insurance financially protects your group against claims of third-party property damage or injury. Should your group be found negligent or responsible for damages claimed, you are obliged to cover any costs incurred and additional legal fees. Without Public Liability Insurance, this can potentially reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. For this reason, we will not release funds to any group that does not have Public Liability Insurance or covered under an auspicing arrangement.
Where can community groups get Public Liability Insurance?
Most insurance companies and brokers offer Public Liability Insurance. Details on where to find the best insurance coverage for your community group are available online. Either visit individual insurance providers, or type ‘Public Liability Insurance for Incorporations/Community Groups’ in your search engine. If your group is auspiced, make sure you are covered by your auspicing body’s insurance policy. Specialised insurance for community groups is available through Local Community Insurance Services.
REPORTING AND EVALUATION
What are the reporting requirements?
The Grantee will be expected to provide six monthly written reports for each period during which it receives, holds, or spends any of the Grant Amount. This may include providing progress updates aligned to the Six-Step model, data and evaluation information, copies of publicly disseminated collateral, and financial reports such as reconciliation statements and copies of receipts where activities have occurred in that month. An online form will be provided to assist with reporting.
How will you measure the success of the grant funds expenditure?
As part of the overall program, we are establishing a systematic framework for collecting, analysing, and utilising data to measure the progress and impact of partners and communities. All Grantees will be required to implement some level of evaluation activities aligned to this framework to ensure accountability and delivery against the program’s objectives. The measurement strategies that need to be considered will be outlined in the funding agreement. As an example, this may include quantitative data collected through surveys and qualitative methods through the development of case studies and key learnings.
Why do we need to monitor and evaluate our progress?
Being aware of how funds are being spent and ensuring activities are on track enables you to account for the funds we have allocated and report back on the progress of your community’s resilience-building journey. It also shows us that the funds are being used for the purposes outlined in the application and so that we can report back to our funding partners.
Do we need to provide audited financial reports for the grant funds?
The Grantee will be expected to maintain a financial accounting of expenditures, including Tax Invoices / Receipts with the Grant Funds; and provide copies on request or with reporting milestones as well as a financial acquittal at the end of the agreement term. These are not required to be audited, and in most cases, can be managed simply as a separate line item within existing profit and loss accounting systems used by the Grantee.