Our Mob Our Media Our Message - Gambling Harm Prevention Grants

A woman and child eating lunch at their kitchen table.

Funding to support the creation of culturally relevant social media content about gambling harm, developed in partnership with young Aboriginal people.

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Key information

  • Status: Closed
  • Grant amount: Up to $150,000
  • Application opened: 8 September 2025
  • Application closed: 20 October 2025

Program objective

The grants aim to:

  • empower Aboriginal young people to start conversations about how gambling affects them and their communities
  • raise awareness about gambling harm among Aboriginal young people
  • support the development of engaging, culturally meaningful and community-informed social media content
  • build community capacity to co-design and deliver awareness campaigns about gambling harm
  • learn how social media campaigns on this issue can make a difference.

This program is funded and administered by Office of Responsible Gambling.

Eligibility

Who can apply

To be eligible for this grant program, applicants must:

  • Deliver services to Aboriginal communities within NSW, and
  • Propose a project that will be delivered entirely within NSW, and
  • Be a not-for-profit organisation that falls within one of the following categories:
    1. Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) - including Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs), Indigenous Corporations registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), Local Aboriginal Land Councils and members of the Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) or the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).
    2. Other Aboriginal not-for-profit organisations - Aboriginal-specific organisations such as community groups, cultural centres, or youth organisations that are not ACCOs but deliver programs or services for Aboriginal communities.
    3. Non-Aboriginal not-for-profit organisations - organisations with a strong track record of delivering culturally safe programs in collaboration with Aboriginal communities. These organisations must provide recent letters of support from Aboriginal organisations, respected community members, or Aboriginal workers demonstrating community support for the proposed project.
  • And be incorporated as a not-for-profit entity through:
    • NSW Fair Trading (incorporated association), or
    • Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC, company limited by guarantee), or
    • ORIC (for Aboriginal corporations).

Organisations that are also registered charities with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) may include their ACNC registration as supporting evidence, but this does not replace proof of incorporation.

Applicants must also:

  • have no outstanding obligations relating to previous funding received from the Office.
  • 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.
  • confirm that all staff, contractors, and volunteers will hold a valid NSW Working with Children Check (or obtain one before project commencement) if the project involves direct contact with people under 18.

Types of projects funded under this grant

Funded projects must create social media content that educates and raises awareness about gambling harm among Aboriginal young people. This could include video, infographics, posts, or other digital media, to be shared via platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook.

Projects must be grounded in genuine engagement and co-design with Aboriginal young people and incorporate culturally safe and appropriate practices. This may include consultation with elders, community leaders, local service providers, or cultural advisors.

To be eligible, projects must:

  • have a primary focus of raising awareness about gambling harm among Aboriginal young people
  • engage Aboriginal young people to co-design the messaging and the delivery of the campaign
  • start before 1 July 2026 and be completed by 30 June 2027.

What can’t you apply for

The following activities and expenses will not be funded:

  • research proposals, feasibility studies or academic research
  • salaries or payments to individuals not directly involved in delivering the project
  • travel costs that are not clearly connected to the project’s implementation
  • international activities or campaigns targeting audiences outside NSW
  • any activity of a commercial nature that is for profit
  • existing debt or budget deficits
  • capital works, including building works
  • purchase of vehicles
  • business as usual costs or general operating expenses
  • programs or activities that encourage gambling or the consumption of alcohol
  • the same project twice (e.g. two different organisations cannot apply for funds for the same program or activity).

What your application needs to include

Download the sample application form (PDF 210.89KB) to see all the sections that need to be addressed in the applications portal. 

You can also download the full program guidelines:

Watch the Our Mob, Our Media, Our Message - Applicant Information Session:

52:01

Our Mob, Our Media, Our Message - Applicant Information Session

This session provides an overview of the grants program, including the consultation with community and evidence on gambling harm in NSW and its disproportionate impact on Aboriginal communities.

The Writing a Strong Grant Application workshop was delivered on Thursday 25 September 2025. The session guided participants through the key steps in preparing a clear and competitive grant application, including how to plan and structure proposals, what assessors look for, and common pitfalls to avoid. It also provided tips on presenting ideas effectively, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring applications meet program requirements.

For those who were unable to attend and would like further information or to request a copy of the presentation slides, please contact Jess Morris, Strong Spirit Aboriginal Services at Jess@strongspiritservices.com

 

1

Address the assessment criteria

This is an open and competitive grants program. All submitted applications will be assessed and scored against the assessment criteria by an independent assessment panel.

Eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Project relevance, quality and impact (20%)

The application should explain how the project will develop culturally relevant and impactful messaging about gambling harm. Applicants should highlight how their approach ensures the project is authentic, community-driven and capable of reaching and engaging Aboriginal young people.

Assessors will consider:

  1. The applicant’s understanding of co-design and its role in developing authentic, community-driven messaging.
  2. How cultural safety and the voices of Aboriginal young people will inform content development.
  3. How the content will be tailored to reflect local language, tone and cultural context.
  4. How social media will be used to reach the target audience.
  5. The likely reach, engagement and impact of the project.

Strength and depth of engagement and relationships (20%)

The application should describe the organisation's relationships with Aboriginal young people and stakeholders, including Aboriginal organisations, Elders and community members.

Assessors will consider:

  1. The extent of the applicant's ongoing collaboration with Aboriginal stakeholders, including Aboriginal young people.
  2. Details of how these relationships will support project delivery and cultural relevance.
  3. How existing or emerging relationships have shaped the project’s design and intent.
  4. Who will be involved across the project life cycle (e.g. governance, co-design, delivery, evaluation).

Viability (20%)

The application should demonstrate that the project can be delivered on time and within budget, and that the project team (including any delivery partners) has the skills and experience to support success.

Assessors will consider:

  1. The applicant’s capacity to manage and deliver the project.
  2. The applicant's resourcing and internal support structures.
  3. The project team’s experience working with Aboriginal communities, particularly young people or in culturally responsive content development.

Evaluation and sustainability (20%)

The application should explain how the project will evaluate its impact, reach and effectiveness.

Assessors will consider:

  1. The tools and methods the applicant will use to measure reach.
  2. How evaluation will capture meaningful feedback from Aboriginal young people and other stakeholders.
  3. How learnings will be documented, shared and used to inform future projects or strategies
  4. How outcomes will be sustained, scaled, reused, or embedded in other programs or community-led efforts.

Value for money (20%)

The application should explain why the project represents good value for money, including how the proposed costs are proportionate to the project's expected reach, outcomes and impact.

Assessors will consider:

  1. The cost-effectiveness of the applicant's approach compared to alternatives.
  2. How the budget maximises reach, scale and/or sustainability.
  3. Any co-contributions or in-kind support that increase value.
  4. Why the project is the best use of grant funds to achieve the intended outcomes.
2

Supporting documentation

You must provide documents that demonstrate your organisation's eligibility and, where relevant, community support.

Applicants must submit the following documentation:

  • evidence of your organisation's not-for-profit and incorporation status, such as:
    • certificate of incorporation (e.g. NSW Fair Trading, ASIC)
    • ORIC registration certificate (for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations)
    • your organisation's Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • up to three (3) letters of support (required for non-Aboriginal organisations, optional for others). These should be recent and clearly demonstrate community support and cultural credibility for the proposed project. Letters may come from:
    • Aboriginal organisations
    • Elders or respected community members
    • Aboriginal workers or cultural advisors
  • certificates of insurance (including, but not limited to Workers Compensation Insurance, Professional Indemnity Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance).

You may also provide additional optional documentation, such as:

  • evidence of project partner support
  • examples of similar successful projects your organisation has delivered.

 

After the application is submitted

Staff of the Office of Responsible Gambling will assess all applications against the eligibility criteria. An independent assessment panel will then assess eligible applications against the assessment criteria.

Funding decisions will be made by the Responsible Gambling Fund (RGF) Trust. Decisions will be based on the assessments of the applications by the independent assessment panel. Partial funding may be offered where an application includes ineligible activities or budget items.

Decisions made by the RGF Trust are final and there is no right of appeal. RGF Trust decisions will be recorded in writing, including any reasons for the decision and any departure from the recommendations of the assessment panel. 

Notification of outcome

After the assessment process is complete, applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.

Applicants who are not successful may request feedback.

Information about the grants awarded will be published on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder no later than 45 calendar days after the grant agreement takes effect. 

Funding conditions

Successful applicants will be required to:

  • enter into a funding agreement with the Office of Responsible Gambling (PDF 459.91KB)
  • deliver the project as approved, including achieving key milestones
  • comply with reporting requirements, including progress and final reports
  • provide an evaluation report upon completion of the project
  • publicly acknowledge funding received from the Office of Responsible Gambling.

Support and contact

Applicants can contact the Office of Responsible Gambling Grants team for assistance:

Phone: (02) 9995 0992

Email: info@responsiblegambling.nsw.gov.au

Website: gambleaware.nsw.gov.au

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