The overarching purpose of the grants program is to build stronger, more resilient, and cohesive communities. It is our vision that, by supporting local government through the NSW Social Cohesion Grants for Local Government:
- connection and belonging within local communities will be strengthened
- connection and belonging between local communities will be strengthened
- connection and trust between local communities and institutions will be strengthened
- local government will have enhanced capability to design, implement and evaluate social cohesion initiatives.
Our latest grant guideline (Round 5)
View the latest guidelines and program logic for the NSW Social Cohesion Grants for Local Government.
NSW Social Cohesion Grants for Local Government Program Guidelines (PDF 510.64KB)
Meet our previous recipients
Council | Fund | Category | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathurst Regional Council | $63,500 |
| ReConnect BathurstThis is a photographic project for the Bathurst community that partners socially engaged storytelling with community-based activities and activations to create spaces for narratives around ageing, isolation and reconnection, all areas which have been reported as areas of social cohesion need. |
| City of Canada Bay Council | $88,000 |
| Nurturing Emerging Leaders to Build Social Cohesion:This project will build capacity of emerging leaders from the LGA’s increasingly diverse community groups (Youth, LGBTQIA+ and CALD) through a leadership and mentoring program. |
Georges River Council | $66,235 |
| Anti-Racism Bystander Training:This project will deliver a tailored training package focusing on developing bystander anti-racism skills, competencies and tools for action. This project will build upon the success of the Western Sydney University and Advance Diversity Services bystander training, by expanding it in the Georges River area, which has reported an increase in experiences of racism between 2020 and 2021. |
| Hay Shire Council | $82,000 |
| Establishment of ‘Community Champion’:This project will establish a ‘Community Champion’ position to lead a youth task force, develop social cohesion resources and community capability building, including youth lead events in response to reported increase in the breakdown of social cohesion in the region. |
| Lane Cove Council | $51,979 |
| Neighbourhood and Resilience Building amongst medium-high density residents:This project will deliver a two streamed initiative to build connectedness and resilience amongst residents in medium-high density dwellings across two LGAs. One will focus on ‘neighbour building’, the other on enhancing community-led resilience. This partnership responds to the areas’ significant high-density living which brings challenges in relation to social cohesion and community resilience. |
| Muswellbrook Shire Council | $59,500 |
| Building community cohesion by connecting to local Aboriginal languages:Through delivery of Aboriginal language training this project will prioritise resilience and civic participation with local Aboriginal residents, who are reported to experience significant levels of disengagement from the local community.
|
Council | Fund | Category | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bega Valley Shire Council | $97,800 |
| Our Communities - Our Spaces, Reactivating and Rejuvenating Our HallsVolunteer lead activation of up to eighteen community halls across the LGA to bring community together around central activities based in the halls, together with the development of an action plan to guide future activation. Two-fold outcome of empowering volunteers to enhance their local places, whilst also creating enhanced civic participation outcomes for the broader community. Community Centres within the Bega Valley LGA have been identified as key locations for local community cohesion, particularly during times of disasters. In the 2019/2020 Black Summer Fires two community halls within this LGA were destroyed. |
| Byron Shire Council | $78,177 |
| Connecting: Rebuilding our VolunteersA program aimed at building resilience of local volunteer community leaders and groups through a series of events and training to enhance volunteer’s capacities to facilitate community events. This includes single workshops on areas such as volunteer management that will accommodate up to 25 volunteers each, through to a 12 week event management training program for volunteers that has capacity for up to 50 participants. |
Hornsby Shire Council | $76,046.24 |
| Community, creeks and critters – using eDNA technology to connect people, place and scienceA project to encourage local community members to become volunteer citizen scientists. Volunteers will be trained in eDNA sampling at several training events and then participate in collecting samples in their community. Volunteers would then share this information amongst the community and advocate for waterway health. In so doing encouraging further community participation. The initiative will train up to 100 local volunteers. |
| Ku-ring-gai Council | $50,000 |
| Volunteer Spirit in the Community - Let it Shine A series of activities including seminars, workshops, volunteer expos and research to increase the social awareness and engagement around volunteerism with a focus on attracting local CALD volunteers. This will include the provision of seminars in community languages (Chinese, Korean and Farsi). Council anticipates an increase of up to 500 local volunteers as a result of this initiative. |
| Port Stephens Council | $57,000 |
| Futureproofing for Vibrant Volunteers in Port StephensA two streamed project that seeks to enhance volunteerism across both local environmental management and placemaking through volunteer lead events. This is an innovative approach informed by research that suggests young volunteers are more attracted to events based volunteering. The Placemaking stream will create events across the LGA championing the council’s Place Plans as part of a Town Teams movement. The environmental management stream will also utilise event-based opportunities to engage young volunteers in areas such as bush care, fauna conservation, rubbish removal and sustainability. |
| Ryde Shire Council | $50,000 |
| Supporting Inclusive VolunteeringThe project will support volunteerism in the City of Ryde by increasing access to volunteering opportunities for people with a disability. A series of engagement, co-design sessions and production of disability volunteer specific resources will be produced to enhance volunteers with disabilities participate as volunteers in events, as well as with other volunteer organisations within their community. |
| Wollondilly Shire Council | $100,000 |
| Empowering Volunteers to Provide Community Led Resilience & Recovery SupportProvision of training for volunteers and community leaders to support a community recovery hub, together with the establishment of a volunteer register and recovery hub toolkit. Training opportunities will focus on community recovery volunteer capability including self-care, vicarious trauma, community engagement skills, accidental counsellor, mental health first aid and psychosocial training. |
Council | Fund | Category | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballina Shire Council | $110,035 |
| Building Ballina community cohesion and resiliency through emergency management knowledge and community preparednessBuilding emergency management knowledge and developing localised preparedness plans across the Ballina communities through increasing the knowledge and trust between communities and the local emergency management institutions. |
| Bega Valley Shire Council | $50,000 |
| Housing Narratives - Voices from the thresholdsBega Valley Shire Council will facilitate a series of collaborative workshops including interviews, podcast series and a live event, aiming to destigmatise homelessness and housing stress. Harnessing the power of personal storytelling and shared learnings will build community resilience, shifting perceptions and enhancing social cohesion in the Bega Valley. |
| City of Canterbury Bankstown Council | $67,815 |
| Socially Cohesive and Just CBCityDevelopment of a social justice charter, social cohesion podcast and incorporate social cohesion activities into our NAIDOC and Interfaith Prayers for Peace events to create a more inclusive and cohesive CBCity community. |
| Georges River Council | $62,000 |
| Hurstville Museum & Gallery permanent exhibition redesign: Creating a sense of belonging for Aboriginal and multicultural communitiesHurstville Museum & Gallery is redesigning the permanent exhibition 'St George Stories’ to better reflect the region’s diverse history and changing communities. The redesign will focus on truth telling and sharing the lived experiences of local Aboriginal and multicultural communities to increase representation, understanding, communication, trust, respect and belonging. |
| Lane Cove Council | $77,930 |
| Weaving Climate StoriesThe project will bring together Youth and Seniors to increase connection and a sense of belonging while learning about climate change, leadership, and storytelling. Participants will be connected and empowered through workshops, weaving with indigenous leaders, and filmmaking. The films produced will be showcased at a local film festival. |
| Northern Beaches Council | $69,788 |
| We Belong – Intercultural Community Leaders ProgramWe Belong brings intercultural community members together to collectively strengthen cross-cultural connection and belonging on the Northern Beaches. Participants gain leadership and advocacy skills, working with Council and community partners on sustainable intercultural projects. These will be publicly launched during Harmony Week 2025 to generate positive intercultural conversations and connections. |
| Waverley Council | $61,850 |
| Culture Waves – Young people exploring and expressing their cultural narratives in an inclusive wayCulture Waves will bring diverse young people together to explore their cultural identities, express themselves, and communicate their experience to the local community through a creative project of their choice. The program will build on community assets and connections to foster long-term impact. |
Council | Fund | Category | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountains City Council | $113,281 |
| I See You – Creating Gender Inclusive and Safe communities in the Blue MountainsThis project addresses the rise in hate and harassment towards women and gender-diverse people. Activities include school workshops, bystander training, a communications campaign and public events. |
| Fairfield City Council | $91,248 |
| Committed to CohesionThe project includes films and virtual tours of places of worship, interfaith guided tours for young people, and a social cohesion e-portal offering ongoing support and resources. |
| Central Coast Council | $88,000 |
| Connected Coast: Strengthening CALD Communities on the Central Coast through engagement, capacity buildingThe project will bring local communities, leaders, and service providers together to share lived experiences, and co-design community-led events, training, and solutions to local issues, and community-led action. |
| Randwick City Council | $72,795 |
| Enhancing connections between our diverse communitiesThe project will deliver a series of “Kitchen Table Talks” – facilitated small group discussions with key community groups to discuss experiences, build relationships and foster mutual respect. |
| Parkes Shire Council | $59,596 |
| The Gugaa Red Spot Connection ProjectThe project will deliver a “Human Library” where visitors can engage with the lived experiences of people from a variety of backgrounds to assist in breaking down prejudices. |
| Waverley Council | $75,080 |
| Learn, Share, ActThis project will connect young people from Waverley and Liverpool, pilot activities that support connections between community members with different life experiences, and provide training opportunities. |