New South Wales is a place where everyone belongs and has the chance to thrive. We are stronger because of our diversity, and together we are building a society that works better in harmony. Our cultural diversity gives us a creative and competitive edge on the world stage.

The Multicultural NSW Celebrating Diversity Grants Program invests in community projects, events and activities that foster community harmony and celebrate cultural diversity as a precious part of our identity and way of life.

There are two categories of grants under the Celebrating Diversity Grants Program:

1. Celebrating Diversity: Events

Each year the NSW calendar is filled with events that celebrate our cultural diversity. Festivals and events bring communities together, showcase the benefits of cultural diversity and promote social cohesion and community harmony.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for Celebrating Diversity: Events.

The total pool amount available in the Multicultural NSW Celebrating Diversity: Events Grants Program is $800,000, awarded over two funding rounds per financial year.

2. Celebrating Diversity: Projects

Community harmony happens when communities from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds work together on projects that make a difference.

Grants of up to $40,000 are available for 12-month projects than can make a lasting positive impact on social cohesion at the grassroots level.

The total pool amount available in the Multicultural NSW Celebrating Diversity: Projects Grants Program is $600,000, awarded in one funding round per financial year.

Celebrating Diversity Project Grants support collaborative relationships with Government and partnerships between community, non-government, educational organisations and the private sector.

Multicultural NSW encourages applications for projects that focus on any or all of the following areas:

• Seniors
• Youth
• Women & Girls
• Regional Communities

The Multicultural NSW Celebrating Diversity Grants Program aims to foster community harmony and celebrate cultural diversity as a precious part of our identity and way of life.

Celebrating Diversity: Events – aim to support festivals and events that bring communities together, showcase the benefits of cultural diversity and promote social cohesion and community harmony. Celebrating Diversity: Events aim to attract everyone to share in the celebration of cultural diversity.

Celebrating Diversity: Projects – aim to support new projects and initiatives that bring communities together and make a lasting positive impact on social cohesion. Celebrating Diversity: Projects aim to build community capacity at the grassroots, foster cross-cultural engagement and support the participation of migrants and new arrivals in society.

• Celebrating Diversity Grants (Events and Projects) aim to support grassroots communities and are awarded to non-profit sharing community organisations only.
• Celebrating Diversity Grants aim to support multicultural Events and Projects in localities across New South Wales.
• Celebrating Diversity Grants (Events and Projects) align with Multicultural NSW strategic priorities and initiatives.

Multicultural NSW supports community organisations as key partners in delivering the strategic priorities and initiatives of the Agency.

All Celebrating Diversity Grant applications (Events and Projects) must address one or more of the Agency’s strategic priorities:

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1. COMMUNITY

• Embracing a shared and active commitment to cultural diversity by sustaining wide-reaching, accessible and robust relationships.
• Increased community participation and engagement at grass-roots, online and cross-sector collaborations.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2. LANGUAGE

• Cultivating participation through language for all the people of NSW.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3. CAPABILITY

• Utilising cultural diversity as an asset to improve social cohesion and community harmony.
• Enhanced communication, coordination and capability across private sector, local communities, and government on priority issues.

To be eligible for grant funding an organisation must:

• be a non-profit sharing organisation
• be located within NSW
• confirm past and current funding sources for the past three years
• have acquitted all prior grants
• demonstrate how the Event or Project will address Grant Objectives
• demonstrate how the Event or Project aligns with Multicultural NSW’s strategic priorities and initiatives
• demonstrate how the Event or Project will measure outcomes
• demonstrate that the Event or Project is cost effective and viable with an accurate budget
• have all appropriate insurances and licenses
• for Celebrating Diversity Events, confirm other funding sources that are contributing the total event budget
  submit an application online through the Multicultural NSW approved SmartyGrants portal before the closing date with all aspects of the application form completed
• deliver the project within 12 months of receiving the grant
• promote the Multicultural NSW and NSW Government funded event or project on their website and social media platforms.

The following activities are excluded from receiving grant funding:

• party political activities
• celebration of national or independence days with the exception of key Australian days including ANZAC Day, Australia Day, Clean Up Australia Day and NAIDOC day
• religious festivals, rituals, events or promotions, except multi-faith events which involve people from more than one religion
• activities that are dependent on recurrent annual funding
• applications that seek support for supplementing, increasing or continuing ongoing service delivery or for funding the core business of the organisation
• projects that duplicate existing services
• building works (including maintenance) and equipment purchases
• media productions that have not been endorsed by Multicultural NSW prior to publication or broadcast
• commercial or fundraising activities.

A detailed budget is required to be submitted with the grant application. In-kind contributions are also to be identified in the budget. Multicultural NSW strongly encourages co-contributions from applications towards the projects/events. It is unlikely that the project will be funded if there is no co-contribution.

For grants for Events, applicants are eligible to receive grant funding up to the amount of $10,000.

For grants for Projects, funding can only cover costs associated directly with the project with no more than 10% of the budget used for the administration of the project.

For both Events and Projects funding, no more than 5% of the budget can be used for catering.

Multicultural NSW uses the online program SmartyGrants for all grants submissions, accessible through a portal on the Grants page on the Multicultural NSW website.

Applicants are required to register with SmartyGrants through the Multicultural NSW portal in order to access the online application form. If the organisation has previously used SmartyGrants to apply for a grant with Multicultural NSW, then they will already be registered.

Attachments will be uploaded through the online application form.

The online application form includes an application checklist to help ensure all the required information is provided.

Multicultural NSW will not accept applications unless they are submitted online through the SmartyGrants portal.

Incomplete applications will not be progressed for assessment.

Multicultural NSW will provide information sessions about the Celebrating Diversity Grants Program and promote the program widely.

The following criteria and considerations are applied in the assessment of grant applications.

Application meets eligibility criteria and is not an excluded activity

Applications from ineligible organisations or excluded activities will not be considered.

Application form is complete and submitted on time

Applications that are not submitted online through the Multicultural NSW approved SmartyGrants portal before the closing date with all aspects of the application form completed (including all required supporting documentation, financial statements, insurances etc) will not be considered.

Application is appropriate to the Celebrating Diversity Grants Program

Successful applications will clearly and convincingly demonstrate how funded Events or Projects will support Celebrating Diversity Grant Objectives and align with Multicultural NSW strategic priorities.

Application demonstrates capacity to successfully deliver the Celebrating Diversity Event or Project

Successful applications will clearly demonstrate the organisation’s capacity to deliver the Event or Project within a 12-month timeframe and within budget. Applications should clearly identify resources that will be committed to ensure the Event or Project is a success. A work plan and risk mitigation strategy should be included with all applications. Celebrating Diversity Project Grants are also designed to support capacity building in new and emerging communities.

Application presents good value for money

Successful applications will clearly demonstrate value for money with a well-considered, proportionate, clearly itemised budget. The preference is for applications for projects that can have sustainable outcomes and lasting impact for the community. Projects that are dependent on recurrent funding will not be competitive.

Supporting a diversity of communities, approaches and localities

Celebrating Diversity Grants will be awarded for Events and Projects from a diverse range of community organisations, for a diverse range of activities and approaches, and in diverse localities across New South Wales. Applications are assessed in comparison to all other applications and in comparison to similar applications in terms of locality, cultural focus, and type of activity or approach.

Multiple applications

Eligible organisations can submit more than one application, for different Events or Projects, within the same funding round. However, the same organisation can only be awarded a single Event grant and a single Project grant within the same funding round.

Available funding pool

Multicultural NSW always receives more funding applications than the available total amount of funding for events and projects. Therefore, successful applications will be of a high standard based on the criteria and considerations outlined above. The limited funding pool and competitive assessment process also means that sometimes even strong applications will be unsuccessful.

Round one

Celebrating Diversity Grants - Events (funding for events from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2020)
Open for Applications from 12 August - 20 September 2019

Round two

Celebrating Diversity Grants – Projects (funding for projects running from 1 March 2020 - 28 February 2021)
Open for Applications from 28 October - 12 December 2019

Round three

Celebrating Diversity Grants – Events (funding for events from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2020)
Open for Applications from 3 February - 13 March 2020

All applications for grants are initially reviewed by a Multicultural NSW Grants Officer to ensure mandatory requirements concerning eligibility criteria, excluded activities, and required documentation have been met. The Grants Officer will provide the opportunity for the organisation to provide the required documentation if it is not included in an application submitted before the closing date. However, failure to meet these mandatory requirements by the closing date will result in the application not being processed for assessment.

Grants are awarded on merit following a rigorous assessment process. Grants are assessed by a sub-committee consisting of no less than three Multicultural NSW Advisory Board members.

The grants assessment committee makes recommendations for grant funding to the Minister for Multiculturalism. The Minister reviews and approves all grant funding under the Celebrating Diversity Grants Program.

Both successful and unsuccessful grant applications will be notified in writing. Multicultural NSW does not provide feedback regarding unsuccessful/successful applications.

A minimum of two months will be required for processing grant applications.

If a grant is awarded, the Multicultural NSW Grants Program Terms and Conditions will apply to the grant funding agreement. The successful organisation will be required to review those terms and conditions and declare in their application where indicated that they have read and understood those terms and conditions, acknowledge that an agreement based on those terms and conditions will apply to the grant and if awarded a grant, agree to comply with those terms and conditions in acquitting the grant.