Community Response Fund
The 2009 Budget has confirmed $40 million in the first year for a Community Response Fund to assist those organisations facing cost and demand pressures to deliver vital social services.
The Fund is a short-term response to immediate pressures and has two key components:
- Financial Crisis Funding - for providers of community-based critical social services who are experiencing severe financial difficulty and are unable to maintain the level of their services as a direct result of the impact of the economic downturn on their non-government funding.
- Demand Funding - for providers of critical social services that are experiencing significantly increased demand for their services from families, children, young or older people because of the economic downturn. For example, this might include budget advice services dealing with more families seeking help to manage their finances.
The maximum amount of funding that will be awarded at any one time is $50,000, excluding GST. Only in very exceptional cases will the grant exceed this amount. More than one application for funding can be made but only once the current grant period has expired and funds have been fully expended. Where all other things are equal, priority will be given to first time applicants.