Reaching people and communities at the margins in Australia

Applications for the Mary MacKillop Today Community Grants Program 2025 will open at 9:00am on Monday 12 August and close at 5:00pm on Friday 20 September 2024.

Eligible organisations/Sisters of Saint Joseph ministries may apply for grants up to $10,000 to deliver small, life-changing projects that provide opportunities for life-long learning in Australian communities. The grants program aims to reach those at the margins by improving equity in quality education, achieving economic independence and active community participation and engagement.

The Community Grants Program began as a response to ‘on-the-ground’ work done by the Sisters of Saint Joseph with vulnerable communities. In 2024, the program awarded $165,000 in small grants to 17 recipients in urban, regional and remote communities. Of this amount, $50,000 was allocated towards applications received from the Sisters of Saint Joseph and Associates, while $115,000 was allocated to applications from other community organisations.

Of the 17 grants offered in 2024, six programs are run in rural/regional/remote communities and the programs cover a range of ages from primary school children to seniors and also intergenerational. First Nations and Refugee/Asylum Seeker communities as well as neurodiverse children on the Autism spectrum were represented in the grants offered and they are supporting communities across Australia.

This year the application process has been made easier with a save for later function that allows applicants to type in the grant information on the online form directly and save to complete later if needed.

To find out more and to read the Community Grants Guidelines for 2025 – please click on the link: Australia: Community Grants Program – Mary MacKillop Today