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Collage of various historical images" woman with car, Indigenous art, lifesavers, Victorian graphics

Images clockwise from top left: 
Mrs Fisher and Mrs Vaughan with a Red Cross float entered in the ‘Back to Brim’ parade, Easter 1983, image courtesy of the Australian Red Cross Society (Heritage Archives); Port Phillip Farmers Society Medallion awarded for Ploughing, 1859, image courtesy of Melbourne Royal; C.A. Nobelius Catalogue of Fruit Trees 1910, image courtesy of Emerald and District Museum; Members of the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club in training with a surf reel, 1939, image courtesy of the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club; Walka Board Minyma Kutjara copyright Francine Kulitja 2020 (from the Maruku Arts Collection).

Community Heritage Grants -
2024 Round is now closed

The Community Heritage Grants 2024 Round is now closed. All applicants will be notified in September to October 2024. Please read the Guidelines (PDF, 479kb) for further information.

What are the Community Heritage Grants?

The Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program supports community organisations to look after Australian cultural heritage collections. Since 1994, this program has provided more than $8.9 million dollars in funding to over 1,650 projects across Australia.

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; the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive and the 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).

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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).

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SmartyGrants Applications for the 2024 Round have now closed

Training projects

Organisations may apply for training projects at any time.

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.


How do we learn 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:

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 here, 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.

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National Library of Australia logo, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts logo, National Film and Sound Archive logo, National Museum of Australia logo