Funding
Community Sponsorship Program
The Community Sponsorship Program enables Council to work in partnership with our community to build a vibrant, connected, and liveable Hawkesbury.
Council’s Community Sponsorship Program provides financial assistance to support Hawkesbury based community organisations or individuals wanting to undertake activities that address key strategies and directions within Council’s Community Strategic Plan.
A great place to find information about additional funding that is currently available from a wide range of funders is Council’s Community Grants and Support page.
There are three categories within the Community Sponsorship Program.
You can only apply once for Participation funding in a financial year and only once for Resilient Hawkesbury funding in a financial year.
Resilient Hawkesbury
Council may provide funding to community programs that help to build a connected, healthy, inclusive and resilient Hawkesbury.
- Maximum funding of $3000.
Participation
Financial assistance may be provided to support the participation of residents who have been selected to represent the Hawkesbury in Regional, National, or International sporting competitions and cultural events. The level of contribution is
- $150 for individuals and
- $750 for a team of five or more.
Access to Community Facilities
Not for Profit Community Groups located in the Hawkesbury or providing services to the Hawkesbury, can apply for financial assistance for
- Subsidy of 50% of the cost of hiring a Council or Community Facility up to a maximum contribution of
$750.
Sponsorship Rounds and Application Criteria
When to Apply
There are three Funding Rounds of Community Sponsorship open each year.
March | Open 1 March | Close 31 March |
May | Open 1 May | Close 31 May |
October | Open 1 October | Close 31 October |
Applications for Community Sponsorship can be made at any time online and will be held over until the next Funding Round is open.
Community Sponsorship Strategy
Hawkesbury City Council’s Community Sponsorship Strategy outlines the framework that is used by Council to determine eligibility for funding under the Community Sponsorship Program.
It is recommended that all applicants review the Community Sponsorship Strategy prior to submitting a Community Sponsorship Application , noting the
- Eligibility Criteria, and
- Assessment Criteria Matrix.
Assessment
After each advertised round, a Council report will be prepared, listing applications that have been submitted. This report will include each application’s appraisal against the Eligibility Criteria and Assessment Criteria. The ‘assessment score’ will determine if the application is eligible for funding. To ensure your application scores as highly as possible on the Matrix, please review the Criteria and Matrix details as listed in the Community Sponsorship Strategy.
The Report will be submitted to Council within two Council meetings following the Round closure date, for review and determination by Council.
If you would like more information on the Community Sponsorship Program or assistance to apply for this funding, please contact our Community Planning and Partnerships Team by phoning (02) 4560 4444 or email council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au
Council’s Community Event Sponsorship
Information on Council’s Community Events Sponsorship can be found at
Hawkesbury City Council Events Sponsorship page or contact Council’s Event Team on (02) 4560 4444 or email council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au
Community Grants and Support
A great place to find information about additional funding that is currently available from a wide range of funders is Council’s Community Grants and Support page.
Frequently Asked Questions
General questions about the Community Sponsorship Program (CSP)
- When will we find out if our application is successful? When will we receive the funds?
A report will be submitted to Council within two Council meetings following the round closure date, for review and determination by Council. You will be notified as to the success of your application after the council meeting. Funding to the successful applicants will be processed subsequently. - We received CSP funding in a previous round in the same financial year – can we apply again i.e. twice or three times in any given financial year?
No. You can only apply once for CSP funding in each category, in each financial year i.e. You can apply once for Resilient Hawkesbury, once for Access to Facilities and once for Participation in each financial year. - We received CSP funding last financial year – can we apply again this financial year?
Yes. - Can we apply for funding to run a series of activities?
Yes. You may want to run a series of workshops or get help to establish a weekly group. You can apply under the CSP, however there is no funding obligations of Council beyond the successful round. There are no on-going commitments on behalf of the Council for any CSP funding. - Can we apply for more than one category under the Community Sponsorship Program? i.e. Participation and Resilient Hawkesbury? Or Resilient Hawkesbury and Access to Facilities?
Yes. - I am not contributing any funds from the organisation. Will that affect the outcome of my grant?
The CSP funding aims to provide for activities where applicants are providing a clear financial or in-kind contribution. There may be instances where Council still chooses to fund activities without in-kind contributions. - Can a for-profit organisation apply?
To apply for the Resilient Hawkesbury or the Access to Facilities grants you must be a not-for-profit organisation or conducting a not-for-profit activity within the Hawkesbury region. - Do we need an ABN?
Yes. You must be either an Incorporated Association or a Registered organisation with an ABN to apply. Individuals cannot apply. If you are an individual and want to apply, you must be auspiced by an organisation. Please contact Council staff for more information on auspicing and to find out about organisations within the local area that may consider auspicing individuals. - Can we apply if our organisation isn’t based in the Hawkesbury but the program benefits residents in the City of Hawkesbury?
Yes. - What are the community priorities in the Council’s Community Strategic plan?
The current priorities of the Council’s Community Strategic plan are to partner with the community and service providers to build a connected, healthy, inclusive and resilient Hawkesbury. - What is an auspice arrangement? How would an auspice arrangement benefit me?
An auspice arrangement is when an organisation provides support and guidance to another smaller organisation, group or individual. An auspice organisation might offer support with your grant application, assist with insurance cover for activities, or manage the grant funds on behalf of the smaller organisation, group or individual.
If you would like to know more about an auspice arrangement or would like help to find an auspice organisation within the Hawkesbury, please contact the Community Planning and Partnership team at Hawkesbury City Council. - Whose bank account details/ABN/GST details should we provide under payment details?
Provide the details of the organisation who will be managing the funds. For Resilient Hawkesbury and Access to Facilities categories, the bank account details must not be that of an individual. - We can’t apply online, can we still apply?
Yes, we can arrange for a form to be posted to you, and you can return that form by post. Be mindful of closing dates and allow plenty of time for Hawkesbury City Council to receive your application. - Will our information be available for the public to access?
If you apply for the CSP, there is certain information that will be included in the agenda for the Council meeting for review and determination by the Councillors. The agenda, attachments, and the minutes are available on the website for everyone to view. For the participants category, the applicants name, sport and recommended amount are included in the reports. For the Access to Facilities category, the applicant, proposal and recommended amount are included in the reports. For the Resilient Hawkesbury Category, the applicant, proposal (a short description of the program that is being put forward) and the recommended amount are included in the report. The Assessment Matrix for each Resilient Hawkesbury applicant is included in either the report, or in an attachment, irrespective of the whether the applicant is successful or not. - We have another question – what can we do?
For more information on the Community Sponsorship Program, please contact the Community Planning and Partnership team at Hawkesbury City Council.
Questions relating to the Resilient Hawkesbury Category
- How do you decide who will be funded? How do you decide how much money each project will receive?
All applicants are required to complete an application form and where required, provide supporting documentation. Each grant application is assessed on the Eligibility Criteria and Assessment Matrix found in the Community Sponsorship Strategy document. - How much money can we apply for?
The maximum funding in this category is $3,000. - Can we use donations and other grants for a project funded by Resilient Hawkesbury CSP?
Yes. In the application form, you can highlight how you will pay for the project, including through other donations and grants. We may ask for more information on the donations or other grants, as we need to guarantee that partial funding of the project will guarantee project delivery. - We applied for the Event Sponsorship Program through Hawkesbury City Council? Can we also apply for the CSP?
Yes. However you will only be eligible for funding from either the Event Sponsorship funding or the Community Sponsorship Funding for any project in any financial year. - Why is there are a word limit in the answer fields?
In the application form for Resilient Hawkesbury, you are given 500 characters to answer each question. We understand that this may feel like a low number of characters, however, we want short and concise answers, and as it is the same for all applicants, we can fairly assess each application. - Why is there a question about part-funding in the application form?
The Community Sponsorship Program receives many applications for each round. Sometimes Council can only part-fund an application, based on the number of organisations that are assessed as eligible and the funds available. If your organisation cannot guarantee project delivery with part-funding, it is important that we are aware of this. This may impact the outcome of your application.
Questions relating to the Participation Category
- How much money can we apply for?
The funding for this category is up to $150 for individuals and up to $750 for a group of five or more. - If the event date is before a funding round, are we still able to apply and receive funding?
Yes. If you apply for the Participation funding outside of a round and the event date has already occurred before the next round opens, the application will be considered in the next round. - Do we have to provide proof of cost of the competition or event?
Yes. We will only provide funding for the amount that the competition or event cost, up to $150. If you did not spend $150 on the event, we will not provide funding of $150. We will only provide funding for costs incurred. - How do you decide who will be funded?
Financial assistance will be provided to support the participation of Hawkesbury City residents who have been selected to represent their community in regional, national and international sporting competitions and cultural events. To be eligible an applicant will be required as part of their application to provide the following:- the name, date and location of the competition or event
- a letter from their coach or the organisers of the competition or event confirming their selection and confirming the amount paid for the competition or event.
- if an applicant is under 16, their parent/guardian will need to counter-sign the application
Questions relating to Access to Community Facilities Category
- How much money can we apply for?
Financial assistance will be provided to subsidise half (50%) the cost of hiring a Council or community facility with a maximum Council contribution of $750. - How do you decide who will be funded? How do you decide how much money each project will receive?
To be eligible an applicant must be a not-for-profit community group located in the Hawkesbury or providing services to the Hawkesbury. As part of their application applicants will need to provide the following:- the name of the facility being hired
- confirmation of their not-for-profit status
- a copy of a current public liability insurance
- a written quote for the cost of hiring the community facility
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