Community Heritage Grants
The Community Heritage Grants 2024 Round is now closed. All applicants will be notified in September to October 2024.
Who can apply for a Community Heritage Grant?
CHG is open to non-profit, incorporated organisations. The program has a strong focus on supporting local groups with limited funding who would benefit from access to professional cultural heritage expertise. Applications from Indigenous and multicultural organisations are encouraged.
Organisations progress through a three-stage journey, over multiple rounds, to learn about their collection, how to care for it, and plan for its future. Projects also aim to build the knowledge and skills of paid and volunteer staff to increase their capacity to share valuable heritage collections with all Australians.
CHG is funded by the Australian Government through the:
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts,
- National Library of Australia,
- National Archives of Australia,
- National Film and Sound Archive, and
- National Museum of Australia.
All applications are made via the SmartyGrants online platform. To view a sample application form as either a new applicant, repeat recipient or for a training project, follow the instructions below.
Applicant type | Sample application | Link to SmartyGrants platform | Closing Date |
---|---|---|---|
New applicants This includes first time applicants who have not had a CHG project in the past five years (since 2019). | 2024 Round CHG New Application (PDF, XXKB) | Applications for the 2024 Round have now closed. | |
Repeat recipients Organisations who have completed a previous CHG stage in the past five years (since 2019). | 2024 Round CHG Repeat Application (PDF, XXKB) | SmartyGrants | Applications for the 2024 Round have now closed. |
Training projects Organisations may apply for training projects at any time. | 2024 Round CHG Training Application (PDF, XXKB) | SmartyGrants | Applications for the 2024 Round have now closed. |
What can be funded by a Community Heritage Grant?
The annual round offers cash grants of up to $20,000. The first two stages support organisations to work with heritage practitioners to:
- Explain the meaning and value of their collections (a significance assessment)
- Outline the condition of their collections and create a plan to manage it (a preservation needs assessment)
In the third and final stage, organisations can apply for funding to:
- Undertake conservation and collection management activities as recommended in the preservation needs assessment
Funding is also available for:
- Collection management training projects
Further details about eligible projects are available in the CHG Guideline(PDF, 479kb).
All allocations of grants are based on the recommendations of assessors and availability of funds. No applicant can be guaranteed funding nor can any applicant be guaranteed funding to the full amount requested. Funding varies from year to year and it is not possible to fund all worthwhile projects.
More about the Community Heritage Grants program
Applicants must read the CHG Guidelines (PDF, 479kb) prior to commencing their application.
The following supporting documents are also available for reference:
- Project summary documents from previous funding rounds (PDF, 327kb)
- Conditions of Grant deed (PDF, 211kb)
- Significance assessment questionnaire for new applicants (PDF, 189kb)
- Community Heritage Grants webinar and tutorial pages are on the Trove Partner Learning Hub. (Select the 'Login as a Guest' option at the bottom left corner.)
Want to know about the Community Heritage Grants program stages and how it can support your organisation? Please watch a recording of our Q&A forum held on 11 April 2024. Select 'Want to explore the site. Login as a guest' and go to 'How to Apply'. You will learn more about the program from CHG staff and hear the answers to questions from applicants about their specific projects.
Contact the Community Heritage Grants team
For more information or to discuss your application, contact:
CHG Program Team
National Library of Australia
chg@nla.gov.au
Translating and Interpreting Service
People of non-English speaking background are welcome to apply for a grant. If you have difficulty with English, please contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) for assistance.