Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $1,000 to $150,000
- Application opened: 24 March 2025
- Application closed: 28 April 2025, 4:00 pm
Program objective
The Aboriginal Community Safety Grants supports the First Action Plan 2023-2027 under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. It aims to strengthen services for victim-survivors and increase funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, in line with Closing the Gap Priority Reform areas.
The Aboriginal Community Safety Grant projects are to assist with:
- self-determination by empowering Aboriginal communities to lead and deliver services,
- early intervention of Domestic Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV),
- primary prevention of DFSV,
- healing and recovery for victim-survivors,
- responding and creating safety for Aboriginal individual, families, and communities.
Eligible projects will need to contribute to, at least, one of the following outcomes:
- Implement age-appropriate, culturally safe programs that support recovery and healing from trauma, and address violence-supportive behaviours early.
- Reduce family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children.
- Develop and uplift local, culturally informed practices to inform long-term solutions for safety and violence reduction.
- Enhance the capacity of services to provide trauma-informed, connected, and coordinated responses, supporting long-term recovery, health, and wellbeing.
- Promote safety and wellbeing for Aboriginal individuals, families, and community members.
- Support education and awareness to address and prevent DFSV.
- Implement, research and map activity for primary prevention initiatives and responses for Aboriginal communities.
Artwork, titled "Brighter Ways" by the talented Kaurna and Narungga artist, Charmaine Mumbulla.
This program is funded and administered by Department of Communities and Justice.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible to apply for the grant program you must be:
- a not-for-profit Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) which includes
- Indigenous Corporations (must be registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations);
- the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC);
- Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC);
- National Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), or
- an Aboriginal specific organisation or sole provider (at least 50% owned and run), or
- Aboriginal business working with Aboriginal communities in NSW, or
- a not-for-profit non-Aboriginal organisation partnering with a lead ACCO or Aboriginal business.
And one of the following organisation types, in a partnership with an Aboriginal organisation (for non-Aboriginal agencies):
- incorporated organisation registered and approved as not-for-profit body by NSW Fair Trading
- not-for profit company limited by guarantee, registered in NSW (must have ACNC registration and/or DGR status)
- religious organisation operating in NSW
- NSW Local Council operating under the Local Government Act 1993
- NSW non-government organisation established under their own Act of Parliament.
Other Eligible Applicants
- An Aboriginal sole trader or business with an ABN and the primary business activity relates to delivering services to Aboriginal communities - also noting the project must not be profit making in nature.
- A not-for-profit unincorporated Aboriginal community group (can only apply for Category 1).
- A not-for-profit unincorporated Aboriginal community group in partnership with a not-for-profit subcontracting organisation if applying for Category 2 or 3 funding.
Mandatory Eligibility Criteria
Applicants or their partnering organisation must:
- address the NSW National Redress Scheme sanctions.
- not have outstanding acquittals with DCJ.
- be an organisation based in NSW for projects to be carried out in NSW.
- maintain adequate and current insurance cover including, but not limited to; Workers Compensation Insurance, Professional Indemnity Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance.
- have public liability insurance of at least $10 million per claim or be willing to purchase it. For the purposes of the project, it can be included in the project budget as part of the administration costs.
Who the grant is targeted towards
The NSW Aboriginal Community Safety grant program will provide grants to support projects focusing on the following Aboriginal groups:
- Women and girls
- Victims/survivors of domestic/family violence
- Victims/survivors of sexual violence
- Children and young people
- LGBTIQA+ (Brotherboys and Sistergirls)
- Elders
- Rural and remote communities
- People who use violence
- People with disability
- Men and boys.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Projects must take place within NSW, and applicants must deliver a service to Aboriginal communities within NSW.
When the project can start and end
The project should be started by 30 June 2025 and the project must be completed by 30 June 2026.
Most recent recipients
What was approved
Approved for Balmuun Gangaa Aboriginal Corporation
Balmuun Gangaa Aboriginal Corporation will nurture the physical, spiritual, emotional, and economic prosperity of Aboriginal children. BGAC will provide a pathway to education through culture, mentoring, leadership, language, discipline, respect, confidence, self-esteem, sand building character. Our goal children and young people to safely, connect back to family, culture and country.
$150,000 was approved by
Minister HarrisonDate approved
March 2025Location of the project
Coffs HarbourLocation of the recipient
Out of NSWAbout the grant
Applications approved
32
Applications received
44
Aboriginal Community Safety Grant 2025
Agency funding this grant
Department of Communities and JusticeProgram term
12 monthsWhat was approved
Approved for Bindelong Aboriginal Corporation
The Aboriginal Men’s and Women’s Culture Camps empower participants through cultural connection, resilience-building, and intergenerational knowledge sharing. These camps foster identity, positive behaviours, and healthy relationships, serving as a primary prevention strategy against violence, aligning with the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Plan 2022–2027 and Closing the Gap targets.
$150,000 was approved by
Minister HarrisonDate approved
March 2025Location of the project
Lake Macquarie City CouncilLocation of the recipient
Lake Macquarie City CouncilAbout the grant
Applications approved
32
Applications received
44
Aboriginal Community Safety Grant 2025
Agency funding this grant
Department of Communities and JusticeProgram term
12 monthsWhat was approved
Approved for Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre
Social and instructional sessions for Blue Mountains Aboriginal men and youth to enhance Aboriginal community safety through attitudinal development
$10,000 was approved by
Minister HarrisonDate approved
March 2025Location of the project
Blue MountainsLocation of the recipient
Blue MountainsAbout the grant
Applications approved
32
Applications received
44
Aboriginal Community Safety Grant 2025
Agency funding this grant
Department of Communities and JusticeProgram term
12 monthsWhat was approved
Approved for BOOMERANG TECHNOLOGY PTY LIMITED
A 12-month, culturally safe healing program for Aboriginal women impacted by DFSV, delivering weekly healing sessions, a family Cultural Immersion Day, and a two-day healing retreat, strengthening resilience, cultural identity, family safety, and community healing through Aboriginal-led, trauma-informed practices.
$140,000 was approved by
Minister HarrisonDate approved
March 2025Location of the project
SydneyLocation of the recipient
SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
32
Applications received
44
Aboriginal Community Safety Grant 2025
Agency funding this grant
Department of Communities and JusticeProgram term
12 monthsWhat was approved
Approved for Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation
The project will trial culturally safe healing activities and service collaborations identified in the co-design process. The insights gathered will outline what healing looks like in a Gumbaynggirr context. A key element will be supporting service adaptation, measuring outcomes, refining the healing model, documenting learnings and recommendations for future scaling.
$150,000 was approved by
Minister HarrisonDate approved
March 2025Location of the project
Coffs HarbourLocation of the recipient
Coffs HarbourAbout the grant
Applications approved
32
Applications received
44
Aboriginal Community Safety Grant 2025
Agency funding this grant
Department of Communities and JusticeProgram term
12 monthsWhat your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Aboriginal Community Safety Grant Information Session
We are holding four free information sessions about our Aboriginal Community Safety Grants, including a Q&A. If you want to apply for the ACS Grant, but you’re not sure how, this session will help you to plan your application.
When:
Session 1:
Date: 28 March 2025 Time: 10am – 1045am
Register here for this session
Session 2:
Date: 28 March 2025 Time: 2.00 pm – 2.45pm
Register here for this session
Session 3: Date: 2nd April 2025
Time: 10am – 1045am
Register here for this session
Session 4: Date: 2nd April 2025
Time: 2.00 pm – 2.45pm
Register here for this session
More information: grantdesignandsupport@dcj.nsw.gov.au
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Minister Harrison
Please review the Grant Program Guidelines and the Department of Community and Justice, Grants page for Service Providers
Anticipated assessment outcome date is 30/05/2025
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is 14/06/2025
Support and contact
- Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes Family Violence team TAOFamilyViolence@dcj.nsw.gov.au
- Grant Design and Support team grantdesignandsupport@dcj.nsw.gov.au.