Poverty and Disadvantage Small Grants Program

Poverty and Disadvantage Small Grants Program is sponsored by Sidney Myer Fund & The Myer Foundation. This program supports strategies to benefit Australian communities by alleviating the negative effects of poverty and disadvantage, demonstrating new ideas, and strengthening communities' abilities to deal with these issues.

Sidney Myer Fund & The Myer Foundation Addressing the causes as well as the symptoms of poverty and disadvantage has been core to the Sidney Myer Fund’s grantmaking since its establishment in 1934. It reflects Sidney Myer’s own charitable endeavours during his lifetime, including substantial gifts to welfare agencies and providing a Christmas Dinner for more than 10,000 people at the Royal Exhibition Building in 1930.

Over time the approach to grantmaking has evolved, including a reframing towards inclusion and equality,and seeking to maximise impact by providing multi-year support and coalescing around a specific focus area in each strategic period.

Inclusion & Equality Program grantmaking In line with The Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Fund’s strategic pillar of enabling organisations , the Inclusion & Equality Program makes multi-year grants to support the general operations of organisations whose work aligns with the focus area.

With the available budget is it anticipated that a maximum of three grants will be awarded each year, with grant commitments extending over up to five years. The Inclusion & Equality Program welcomes enquiries from organisations whose work aligns with the focus area. Should your organisation’s work align with the focus area please send a brief email to admin@myerfoundation.

org. au. To date in the current strategic period, grants have been made to the following organisations: Council of Single Mothers and Their Children Karinya Young Women's Service Women's Property Initiatives McAuley Community Services for Women Single Mother Families Australia The grantmaking focus area for the FY24-28 strategic period is Supporting low-income families to thrive in secure housing.

This focus area recognises the intersections between housing and homelessness, low income, lack of employment, and the demands of caring for children.

The Program will seek to support organisations whose work seeks outcomes at the level of individuals, families and community, through program and service delivery, alongside support for policy change, for wider, longer-term impact Grants might be made in a number of ways, including to an organisation that combines program delivery with policy dialogue and advocacy, or to an organisation focused on program delivery or policy dialogue and advocacy alone.

Where a grant is made to an organisation engaged only in either program delivery or public policy dialogue and advocacy, a complementary grant might also be prioritised. During the FY19-23 strategic period grants were awarded to organisations whose work focused on improved transitions from education to further education and employment for Aboriginal young people and young people from refugee backgrounds.

Centre for Multicultural Youth River Nile Learning Centre Multicultural Youth South Australia Seed Foundation Australia Aurora Education Foundation in the FY24-28 strategic period the Sidney Myer Fund will support community and small grants through multi-year committments to intermediary grantmakers.

Small grants for applicants in rural and regional Australia are currently available through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal’s Strengthening Rural Communities program. In metropolitan areas the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association’s Supporting Stronger Communities program makes grants up to $10,000 available to local communities through the neighbourhood and community house network.

A grant to GiveOUT supports GiveOUT Day , Australia's annual day of giving to LGBTQIA+ charities, groups and projects.