Gambling can be an occasional harmless flutter at the pokies but can also, at the extreme, mean a serious addiction. Considering the controversial nature of the activity and the large profits derived from it by the gaming operators, nearly a quarter of a century ago the Queensland Government decided that the broader community should directly benefit. In this way the Gambling Community Benefit Fund was born.
The Fund is administered by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation’s Community Benefit Funds Unit. The Unit distributes approximately $54 million a year in four funding rounds to not-for-profit community groups and organisations to improve their capacity to deliver services or leisure to the community. The Fund is Queensland’s largest one-off grants program.
The Round 97 is currently open.
If you are a not-for-profit community-based group that has an ABN and operates in Queensland you can apply for grants from $500 to $35,000 from the Fund.
What can you apply for? The Fund’s guidelines explain the funding priorities:
In each round applications are prioritised from 1 (being the highest) to 5 (being the lowest). The Committee consider funding from all priorities however allocate funding to higher priorities first. Funding priorities are:
Priority 1
Applications by organisations affected by a declared natural disaster in the last 2 years
Priority 2
Applications for the purchase of equipment and/or facility improvements
Priority 3
Applications for the purchase of buses, cars, caravans, boats, tractors, trailers, large mowers, motorbikes and similar items
Priority 4
Applications for community events, training, workshops, programs and festivals
Priority 5
Applications by organisations that have received a grant or grants from the GCBF of more than $15,000 in the past two years
As you can see, the range is quite broad. What could your group do with all that extra help?
As Round 97 will close at 11.59pm on 31 May 2018, there is still time to think about it. At the ASA we are happy to help you apply to the Fund and we’re looking forward to an invite to your next BBQ!