Eligible applicants must be registered organisations located and primarily operating within one of Essendon Fields’ designated local suburbs. The program is designed to support initiatives that deliver a direct and tangible benefit to the local community.

No. Support is only available to registered organisations, not individuals undertaking personal fundraising initiatives such as fun runs, fitness challenges or sponsored events.

To be eligible, an organisation’s core activities, programs and beneficiaries must be based within the eligible suburbs.

Organisations whose operations extend state‑wide, region‑wide or nationally – even if they also service the local area – are ineligible under this program.

To keep the program manageable for our small team and ensure funds have the greatest impact, support is reserved for genuinely local groups with limited access to other fundraising resources.

Larger organisations with broader reach are typically better placed to access more extensive funding programs outside Essendon Fields.

We are unable to support:

• Personal fundraising challenges (e.g., fun runs, swim challenges, fitness events)
• Fundraising for charities or causes outside the eligible local suburbs
• Organisations whose operations extend beyond the local area (state‑wide, region‑wide or national)
• Requests that do not directly benefit the eligible local community

Voucher values vary depending on the nature of the event or initiative being supported. Essendon Fields provides discretionary prizes typically ranging from $200 to $2,000.

Support may include:

• Hyatt Place Melbourne accommodation vouchers, which offer a high‑value prize suitable for raffles or auctions
• Essendon Fields gift vouchers, redeemable at any businesses across the precinct – often used to help purchase catering supplies from retailers such as Coles or LaManna

The type and value of vouchers offered are determined by the impact and purpose of the fundraising initiative within the local community.

Essendon Fields gift vouchers and Hyatt Place accommodation vouchers should be treated like cash. Lost, damaged or stolen vouchers cannot be replaced, reissued or refunded under any circumstances. We recommend storing all vouchers securely until they are needed or distributed.

No. Even if you are located in an eligible suburb, funds must be used for initiatives that directly benefit the local area to qualify for support.

The program is primarily designed to support local not-for-profit organisations, including schools, kindergartens, community groups, charities and sporting clubs that deliver a direct benefit to the local community.

Applications from registered businesses conducting fundraising activities on behalf of their members or participants may be considered at Essendon Fields’ discretion. However, priority will generally be given to not-for-profit organisations, which are the intended beneficiaries of the program.

Requests to support individual or member expenses, such as costumes, competitions, travel or participation costs, may not be prioritised depending on the volume of applications received each round. This helps ensure our limited fundraising support is directed towards initiatives that deliver the greatest benefit to local registered not-for-profit organisations.

We encourage groups with broader operations or fundraising reach to explore government, corporate or large charity grant programs that may better suit the scale and scope of your work.

No. While we welcome applications from eligible organisations throughout the year, all requests will be assessed as part of the next scheduled funding round.

The Fundraising Support Program operates to published application and distribution dates, with vouchers issued three times per year. This approach helps our small team manage a high volume of requests, administer the program fairly, and plan funding allocations across the year.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide vouchers earlier than the published distribution dates, even if an event or fundraising activity is taking place before then. If your event falls before the next voucher release date, we encourage you to apply for the following round.

For upcoming dates and application deadlines, please refer to the information published on this page.