Anzac Day Proceeds Fund

The program guidelines include further information about the objectives of the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund, eligibility and assessment criteria and activities that can and cannot be funded.

Download the program guidelines before you apply:

Projects must demonstrate direct welfare to veterans and/or their dependants to improve the wellbeing of veterans and their families in impactful ways.

Funding priorities

We will prioritise projects that supports the veteran community by funding a range of wellbeing-related activities and projects that:

• target veterans who are women, First Nations, LGBTIQA+ and/or from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) and veterans with disability
• veterans who have experienced negative impact of service to their mental health
• focus on post-1990 Australian Defence Force operations
• can be sustained beyond grant funding
• create and expand collaborative partnerships.

Available funding in 2024-25

Organisations can submit more than one application. Please note the following:

• for state-wide organisations that deliver welfare or wellbeing services, or that support veterans across Victoria, the total value of all Anzac Day Proceeds Fund applications in this round must not exceed $150,000 (excluding GST).
• for sub-branches or regional organisations that deliver services or support veterans in a specific area or region (not state-wide), the total value of all Anzac Day Proceeds Fund applications in this round may not exceed $50,000 (excluding GST).
• previously funded applicants are not guaranteed to receive funding in this or future grant rounds. They are not guaranteed to receive the same amount of funding.
• you may be offered a smaller funding amount than applied for and we may ask for a revised project plan and budget.

Activity period

This grant round supports activities that take place between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.

• projects should be completed within 12 months of the project approval date.
• you cannot apply for funding if your project starts before 1 January 2025.

To be eligible to apply for funding through the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund:

• your application must be submitted by an eligible organisation (refer to the ‘Who is eligible to apply for a grant?’ section)
• your organisation must have no outstanding reports from previous or current grants funded via the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (the department)
• you must be seeking funding for an eligible activity (refer to the ‘What can the grant money be used for?’ section).

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?

To be eligible for this program, your organisation must have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN).

If you do not have an ABN, you must provide written advice from the Australian Taxation Office that no withholding tax is required from the grant payment.

Your organisation must also be:

• a company incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 and registered as not-for-profit through the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), or
• an organisation incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012, Corporations Act 2001(Cth) or equivalent state legislation.

If your organisation is unincorporated, you can arrange for an incorporated organisation to act as an auspice on your behalf. Refer to the ‘Auspice applications’ section.

Alternatively, unincorporated organisations are eligible if they are:

• a government entity, for example a local council
• a social enterprise with a clearly stated purpose or mission that specifically relates to the welfare and wellbeing of veterans. Social enterprises must attach their constitution with their application.

Social enterprises are defined as:

• having an economic, social, cultural or environmental mission consistent with a public or community benefit
• derive a substantial portion of their income from trade
• reinvesting the majority of their profit/surplus in the fulfilment of their mission (at least 50 per cent).

In addition to all of the above, to be eligible, your organisation must:

• demonstrate that its principal objective is to provide welfare or wellbeing services or supports to the ex-service community in Victoria
• be financially solvent
• be based in Australia (funded projects must be delivered in Victoria).

Who is not eligible to apply for a grant?

Organisations that cannot apply include:

• state and federal government departments
• individuals and sole traders
• public companies limited by shares (unless the foundational document can prove not-for-profit status)
• commercial enterprises
• registered public and private primary and secondary schools, preschools, TAFE institutes and universities. They can, however, act as an auspice for an unincorporated community group
• organisations that have failed to comply with the terms and conditions of previously awarded grants from any departmental grant program
• groups whose projects are the responsibility of another Victorian Government department
• hospitals and health service organisations.

Examples of projects we might fund include:

• direct welfare services, programs or assistance that is targeted to the veteran community
• welfare for those in the ex-service community who are socially or geographically isolated, for example, the cost of providing access to activities
• health and wellbeing programs and activities for veterans and/or their families
• education and school expenses for veterans’ dependants, for example school uniforms, books and excursions
• operating costs for the provision of welfare, for example, the costs of providing transport for shopping, social activities and welfare needs
• communication projects by electronic distribution methods only
• equipment related projects that directly correlate to the support and metal wellbeing for veterans and their families (specific project/program may include camping and recreational equipment, uniforms for veteran sports competitions, instruments and coffee machines).

What cannot be funded?

Ineligible projects include:

• purchase of vehicles (for example, cars and buses)
• activities and projects located outside Victoria
• capital works on buildings
• branded material
• commemoration and education activities
• heating and utility costs
• community education programs
• ongoing staffing, administrative, advertising, office or equipment costs (for example, IT equipment, white goods)
• postage and printing (including newsletters, flyers, pamphlets).

In addition, the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund does not support activities that:

• are funded primarily under another state, federal or local government program
• are within the responsibility of another state, federal or local government program
• have already started or have been completed (including any activities undertaken prior to the notification of the application outcome)
• are private sector projects undertaken because of a Victorian Government contract.

Please note:

• If you are unsure about whether a cost can be supported under the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund, please contact the Veterans Grants team (refer to the ‘For more information and assistance’ section) before submitting your application.
• You may be offered a smaller funding amount than you applied for. We may ask for a revised project plan and budget.

You need to submit the following mandatory documents with your application:

• evidence that your organisation’s principal objective is to provide welfare or wellbeing services or supports to the ex-service community (for example, Patriotic Fund Registration or Articles of Association)
• annual statement. Please provide your organisation’s financial information for a 12-month period. We need this to make sure your organisation is viable and financially responsible. If you are:
  • an incorporated association, submit your 2022 Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) annual statement
  • a registered charity, submit your 2022 Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) annual information statement
  • a social enterprise, submit your organisation’s profit and loss figures for the previous financial or calendar year. This must have been sighted and reviewed by two committee members or audited by an accountant.

If you are unable to attach your financial statement as submitted to either ACNC or CAV, you must attach:

• your 2021 ACNC or CAV statement
• the financial report that was tabled at your organisation’s 2022 annual general meeting. This document must show that the financial report was sighted and reviewed by two committee members.

Other mandatory documents include:

• evidence that any project income from other sources is approved and available prior to submitting your application
• auspice applications must provide a letter of support from the auspice organisation
• letters of support from other organisations, agencies or partners involved in your project.

Please note that:

• You can attach documents to your online application. Check carefully to make sure all attachments have been uploaded before you submit your application.
• If you have trouble uploading documents online, you can send them by email to Veterans Grants. Make sure you include your application number with the email. You must submit all documents before the due date.
• You do not need to provide letters of support from government officials or representatives (for example, your local Member of Parliament or councillor). We will not consider these in the assessment process.

If your organisation is not incorporated or does not have an ABN, you may still apply. You need to be auspiced by an eligible auspice organisation that has agreed to manage the grant for you.

What is an auspice arrangement?

An auspice arrangement is when one organisation assists another to fund a grant activity or event. Your community group or organisation is known as the grant recipient. The assisting organisation is known as the auspice organisation.

Please note that:

• The auspice organisation must formally agree to support your application before you submit it.
• Details of the auspice agreement must be included in a letter of support from the auspice organisation. This is a mandatory document for all applications with auspice arrangements.
• Please download and use the Accepting an Auspice Arrangement form.

• The Office for Veterans may decide to deal with the auspice organisation (instead of, or in addition to, the grant recipient). It may do this in relation to any aspect of the funding agreement.
• The auspice organisation may also be responsible for any GST requirements around grant expenditure. This is because grants paid by the department are exclusive of GST.

What are the responsibilities of an auspice organisation?

If your grant application is successful, your auspice organisation will be responsible for:

• signing the grant funding agreement, which is called a Victorian common funding agreement (VCFA)
• all legal and financial responsibility of the grant on your organisation’s behalf
• receiving and distributing grant funds under the grant agreement
• ensuring all grant activities or events are completed
• submitting final reports and financial acquittals on your organisation’s behalf by the required
  due dates.

All applications to the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund will undergo the following assessment process:

• Eligibility assessment – all applications undergo an eligibility assessment against the eligibility criteria. The eligibility assessment determines whether the application should proceed for to the merit assessment stage.
• Merit assessment – eligible applications will be assessed against the assessment criteria, based on responses you provide on the application form.
• Assessment panel – all applications are reviewed by a panel, which includes representatives from the Victorian Veterans Council.
• Ministerial approval – the Minister for Veterans makes the final decision based on the recommendations from the assessment panel.
• Application outcome – all applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.

All decisions are final. This includes decisions about any aspect of the funding application, eligibility, and assessment process, including any decision to offer or award a grant under the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund, or to withdraw the offer or cancel the grant funding agreement.

Merit assessment

Eligible applications will be assessed on merit. We will use the assessment criteria below.

We ask the questions ‘what, why, how and who’ to determine the benefits to veterans and the wider Victorian community.

• What is the project?
  • Describe the welfare and/or wellbeing benefit to be provided to the ex-service community.
• Why is there a need for the activity?
  • Tell us who will benefit from your project. Include estimated numbers, locations and the type of welfare/wellbeing assistance.
  • If your project is a newsletter, please include the number of issues, expected circulation and areas of distribution.
  • If your project provides welfare assistance to widows for winter utility bills, please include the number of recipients and the dollar value.
• How have you planned the project and what steps will you take?
  • When do you expect to start the activity?
  • Describe any changes to the demographic of those requesting welfare or providing wellbeing activities for.
  • Provide details of any changes to the number and type of welfare/wellbeing requests in the past two years.
• Who will manage the project?
  • Where relevant, list any other organisations or agencies that will work with you on the project and attach support letters.
  • Do you need to consult with others for this project?

• Register or log in to the Grants Gateway to complete an application.
• Application must be completed by a person authorised to submit on behalf of the applicant organisation.
• You can save your application and finish it later.
• Submit all mandatory and supporting documents with the application.
• Submit the application by the due date and time.
• Applicants receive acknowledgement of submission via email.
• Note the application number for reference when contacting us about your application.

We will give you written notification of the outcome of your application.

If you are successful, we will tell you about any specific conditions attached to the grant. We will publish details of your project, including the name, description and grant amount, on the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund website.

If you are unsuccessful, you may ask us for feedback about your application.

Successful Grant Recipients

Funding Agreements

If you are successful, your organisation must enter into a Victorian common funding agreement (VCFA) with the department. You must sign this agreement within 30 days of your funding offer. If you do not accept the agreement during this time, the grant may be withdrawn.

The funding agreement will outline:

• the grant terms and conditions, including use of funds
• key deliverables and due dates
• reporting requirements.

If you need to request a variation to the VCFA or ask for a reporting extension email veteransgrants@dffh.vic.gov.au

Payment of grant funds and reporting requirements

If you are successful, we will pay your organisation when you complete the project milestones and deliverables you agreed to in the VCFA.

We make milestone payments via electronic funds transfer once you meet the deliverables set out in the VCFA.

You must use all funds d during the activity period, as outlined in the VCFA. You must return any unspent funds to the Office for Veterans.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

• We will pay GST if the grant is funding a good or service, and if the recipient organisation is registered for GST.
• We will not pay GST if the recipient organisation is not registered for GST.
• We will not pay GST if the recipient organisation is a government entity (for example, school, local council).
• We will not pay GST if the grant is not funding a good and/or service.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) considers grants and sponsorships as taxable income. The ATO can help with information on tax, including GST. Call 13 28 66 or visit the ATO for further information.

Reports

If you are successful in receiving funding, your organisation will need to submit a final report and financial acquittal. You may also need to provide progress reports for complex or high-value projects.

Funding acknowledgement

Successful applicants must acknowledge that funding for the project came from the Victorian Government and the Victorian Veterans Council (VVC).

The VCFA sets out guidelines around promotion. These include a requirement that all activities must acknowledge support from Victorian Government and VVC. You must include the appropriate logos on any activity-related publications and websites, media releases and promotional materials, project hardware and formal event invitations.

You must formally invite the Victorian Government and the VVC to attend any official events related to the project (for example a project launch or exhibition). We will send you the acknowledgement requirements if your project is funded.

Legal responsibilities

If you apply for a grant, you must ensure the project activity follows relevant legislation, regulations, by-laws and codes. It must also meet the requirements of any Commonwealth, state, territory or local authority. It is your responsibility to know the laws and protocols that regulate your work.

To learn more about the Anzac Day Proceeds Fund, or for help with your application or grant reporting, you can:

Contact us

• Phone the Grants information hotline on 1300 366 356.
• Email the Veterans Grants team veteransgrants@dffh.vic.gov.au with your query. You can also request a call back (during business hours).

If you need an interpreter: Please email the Veterans Grants team veteransgrants@dffh.vic.gov.au to request a call back, advising us of your preferred language.

If you are deaf, hearing impaired or speech impaired: Please email the Veterans Grants team veteransgrants@dffh.vic.gov.au to request a call back and tell us the National Relay Service you would like us to use to contact you.

Access online grant resources

Visit the Applying and reporting veterans grants website for resources on:

• how to write a grant application
• how to access the department’s Grants Gateway
• common grants words and terms
• in-kind contributions
• auspice arrangements and how to know if you need one.

Subscribe to our newsletter

For updates on upcoming grant rounds, subscribe to the Veterans Grants email newsletter.