Community War Memorials Fund - Round 1 2024/25

The Community War Memorials Fund (CWMF) provides funding to support the conservation of community war memorials across NSW.

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Key information

Status: Closed
Grant amount: Up to $10,000
Application opened: 25 April 2024
Application closed: 24 July 2024, 11:00 pm

Program objective

The purpose of the CWMF is to help conserve, repair and protect war memorials across NSW to support community commemoration, by funding projects that follow best practice conservation principles and processes. The CWMF is targeted at organisations who are responsible for the management of war memorials in NSW.

This program is administered by Office for Veterans Affairs.

Eligibility

Who can apply

An organisation can apply to the CWMF if:

1. It is one of the applicant types listed below

2a. It is the owner of the war memorial, or

2b. It has received the endorsement of the owner of the war memorial to undertake the project and apply to the CWMF.

For the purposes of the CWMF, the owner of the war memorial is the entity who owns or manages the land on which the war memorial is located, or the building in which it is housed, also known as the landowner.

Eligible applicant types

Incorporated not-for-profit community organisations
NSW local councils (and their section 355 committees) operating under the Local Government Act 1993
Incorporated organisations that are registered and approved as not-for-profit bodies by NSW Fair Trading
Not-for profit companies limited by guarantee, registered in NSW (must have ACNC registration and/or DGR status)
Indigenous Corporations (must be registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations)
NSW Local Aboriginal Land Councils
Religious organisations operating in NSW
NSW non-government organisations established under their own Act of Parliament
NSW Government agencies who own or are responsible for a war memorial, including government schools, are eligible to apply to the CWMF.

Types of projects funded under this grant

Applications to the CWMF must align with and be submitted under one of the below category descriptions:

Category A - Engaging heritage or other relevant specialists (such as engineers) to produce reports relating to the repair, protection and/or conservation of existing war memorials.
Category B - Physical works relating to the repair, protection and/or conservation of existing war memorials.

Note: The CWMF supports projects for existing war memorials. Applications cannot be submitted for the construction of new war memorials.

Funds, including any interest earned, can only be used for expenses/activities directly associated with the grant. Your application must clearly outline your proposed expenditure in relation to the amount of funding you are applying for. If you are unsure if your project may be eligible, please contact OVA by email at veteransgrants@veterans.nsw.gov.au.

Examples of eligible expenditure include:

Category A - Obtaining heritage specialist advice for a war memorial (for example, a condition assessment report, a Conservation Management Plan, or arborist advice for war memorial trees)
Category B - Physical conservation works to a war memorial including restoration, repair, maintenance, and preservation (for example, regilding inscriptions, treating metal corrosion, repairing damaged elements, specialist masonry cleaning, repainting the exterior of a war memorial hall or repointing mortar joints)
Category B - Work to improve the accessibility of war memorials (for example, access ramps) (maximum $2,000 excl. GST)
Category B - Relocation of war memorials for public safety, where expert recommendations have been provided (Note: a war memorial should be preserved in its original location if possible and relocation should be a strategy of last resort, where imminent threats cannot be otherwise controlled)

Who can’t apply

Individuals

Types of projects not funded under this grant

You cannot use a CWMF grant for projects or activities that:

do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Program Guidelines
do not align with best practice heritage conservation principles and processes
have already started or have been finished
relate to war memorials that are not recorded on the NSW War Memorials Register
are for building/construction work (excluding conservation works to war memorial buildings)
are of a commercial nature that is for profit
go towards paying existing debt or budget deficits
go towards paying permanent salaries/wages
fund the same project twice (for example, two different organisations cannot apply for funds for the same program or activity)

Examples of ineligible expenditure include:

Constructing new war memorials
Replacing existing war memorials (applications for replacing missing or broken elements on existing war memorials are accepted)
Applications for adding new plaques, service badges, artworks, plinths/walls or new names will only be considered when they are sensitively added, with respect to the heritage values of the war memorial and its precinct
Constructing or installing seating for war memorials
Maintaining or replacing standard metal flagpoles (applications for historic or significant flagpoles are accepted)
Ongoing groundskeeping or regular landscaping maintenance
Installation of new electrical infrastructure (applications for conservation-focused or urgent electrical work are accepted, for example urgent rewiring at a war memorial hall for safety concerns)
Work to individual graves (we recommend you refer to the Australian Government’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs website for information on commemorating war dead)
Costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation
Council approval costs for works to war memorials
Ongoing expenditure related to war memorials, such as general cleaning for war memorial buildings

OVA’s Anzac Community Grants Program can provide support for these types of projects:

Projects relating to the display of military memorabilia, such as constructing or installing cabinets inside a war memorial hall
Costs for events held at war memorials
Creating or installing interpretive signage at a war memorial
Temporary equipment hire, such as audio visual equipment for commemorative services

Example projects

The below is a sample of previously funded projects:

Restoration of the rotating beacon on the historic Rocky Hill War Memorial Tower.
Conservation of the Corowa First and Second World Wars Memorial Clock including the replacement of the clock’s mechanism.
Conservation work to the Morpeth War Memorial including cleaning the monument, repointing the memorial’s stonework and repairs to its lettering.
Conservation works on two historic honour rolls at the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club including cleaning, treating areas of tarnishing and corrosion and the application of protective coatings.
Repairs to the Celtic Cross War Memorial at Christ Church in Gosford including cleaning, repointing and repainting the memorial’s inscriptions.

Most recent recipients

What your application needs to include

Prepare your application with this checklist

This checklist has been prepared as a guide to the key requirements of an application for the CWMF. You may need to undertake additional steps relevant to your particular project.

Read the CWMF Program Guidelines that are available on the OVA website.
Read the NSW Government’s Caring for our war memorials guide.
Research the history and background of your war memorial, including any heritage listings it may have.
If you are not the owner of the war memorial, consult with the owner to obtain their endorsement for your application. The CWMF defines the owner as the entity who owns or manages the land on which the war memorial is located, or the building in which it is housed, also known as the landowner.
Preview the application form on the OVA SmartyGrants website to familiarise yourself with the questions and the format before starting your application. You will likely need to consult with people within your organisation and project team for their input on some questions.
For applications for funding to undertake physical conservation works to a memorial, obtain heritage specialist advice to understand its condition and conservation requirements, such as a condition assessment. You should also give the advice/assessment to the contractors who are preparing quotes for your physical works (see below). Note: You can also apply to the CWMF for funding to obtain heritage advice.
Obtain detailed quotes from all consultants/contractors for all elements of the proposed work, which include a clear breakdown of costs, proposed methodologies, and materials. Also ask them for evidence of their skills, experience, and qualifications.
Consult with the memorial’s key stakeholders, such as the local council and/or council’s heritage advisor, and the local RSL sub-Branch. Note: If your war memorial is located on council-owned or managed property, or is listed as a local heritage item, you must consult with council prior to applying to the CWMF.
Ensure the war memorial is listed on the NSW War Memorials Register.
Take new, high-quality photos of the war memorial, which show areas related to your project. We recommend you read the NSW Government's Guidelines for photographing war memorials.
If your organisation does not have an Australian Business Number (ABN), fill out a Statement by a supplier form from the Australian Taxation Office website.

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.

Address the assessment criteria

The State War Memorials Committee uses the below criteria when conducting their assessments of eligible applications:

The project aligns with the priorities of the CWMF and its objective to protect, conserve, and repair war memorials in NSW to support community commemoration.
The applicant has demonstrated the project has a clear and sound project rationale and is reasonably likely to succeed in achieving its stated aims, based on the planning they have undertaken, the proposed resources they are accessing, the expertise they have sought, and the delivery mechanisms they propose to implement.
The applicant has provided large and clear photographs that show the condition of the war memorial and the need for the proposed works.
The applicant has demonstrated they have undertaken an appropriate level of stakeholder consultation and they have the endorsement of the owner of the war memorial.
The applicant has demonstrated the proposed work is consistent with best practice conservation principles and processes by seeking heritage specialist advice (or the application is for funding to obtain advice).
The applicant has engaged or intends to engage a contractor or specialist with suitable skills and experience to undertake the work, such as a specialised conservator, and has provided supporting evidence, such as quotes or reports.
The applicant has demonstrated the current condition of the war memorial, or its surroundings, is poor or very poor and this condition is negatively impacting its meaning, use, or functionality.
The applicant has demonstrated the current condition of the war memorial, or its surroundings, poses a threat to public safety, where applicable.

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Minister for Veterans

All applications to the CWMF received via the OVA SmartyGrants website by the closing date of each round will first be reviewed by NSW Office for Veterans Affairs staff against the mandatory eligibility criteria and for compliance with the Program Guidelines. Only eligible applications will progress in the assessment process.

Eligible applications will then be assessed by the State War Memorials Committee, which is comprised of senior representatives of the Returned and Services League of Australia NSW Branch, NSW Public Works, Heritage NSW, and OVA. All applications are assessed by two panels from these organisations.

Successful applications will be decided by the State War Memorials Committee, who make recommendations to the decision-maker. The relevant Minister endorses the recommendations of the Committee.

Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.

Anticipated assessment outcome date is 31/10/2024

Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is Within one month of outcome date

Support and contact

Email: veteransgrants@veterans.nsw.gov.au

Website: Community War Memorials Fund

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