Council simplifies grants process

Townsville City Council is launching a new simpler, faster and better grants program.

The new program – Townsville City Grants and Partnerships – will be open to community organisations and will streamline the application process and shorten assessment time frames

The new program has three main grant categories – economic, social and environmental.

Community and Cultural Development Committee Chair Cr Colleen Doyle said the grant categories align with Council’s corporate goals.

“We have a focus on developing, supporting and building our community,” Cr Doyle said.

“Economic grants will develop a prosperous city, social grants will support a city for the people and environmental grants will build a clean and green community.”

Council appointed independent experts KPMG to review the grants program in 2018. Feedback was sought from community organisations who had previously applied for Council grants.

Community organisations applying for grants of less than $5000 should know the outcome within four weeks.

The Mayor’s Community Assistance Grant provides grants for less than $500 and the Councillors’ Discretionary Grants offers grants of up to $250.

Mayor Jenny Hill said Council has changed the application forms and assessment criteria to make the program simpler, faster and better.

“We’ve listened to the feedback and we are using new software to manage the grants process,” Cr Hill said

“People applying for smaller grants will welcome the new system as they’ll only need to answer a few questions.”

The new Townsville City Grants and Partnerships will begin tomorrow.

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