Home
Home
Community Investment
Program
Information & Guidelines
What is the Community Investment Program?
What Organisations or
Projects is the Program
likely to support?
How does the Process work?
We’re so pleased you’re interested in finding out more about our Community Investment Program. This information is designed to help community organisations determine the criteria when applying for Community Investment funding and to clearly define the process, requirements and expectations. We hope it answers some of your questions and helps you prepare an application for consideration.
Before you start:
It may take around 15 minutes to complete your application with the required information. We recommend you have the information handy as the online form cannot be saved as a draft for submission at a later date.
Draft Application Template:
You can download a Word document to help draft your Application (optional use). Please note this is a tool only for drafting and does not replace the online form.
What is the Community Investment Program?
The Community Investment Program is an initiative of Community Bank Buninyong and is focused on connecting, coordinating, leveraging and leading within our community. At last count, we’d put over $1.9 million back into meaningful local community projects.
The program seeks to act as a catalyst to drive community outcomes through the development of partnerships, the corralling of funding partners and the enabling people with great ideas and passion for making things happen in our local area.
At the core, we’re all about enabling organisations to make significant impact in the local community we all love. The objectives of the Community Investment Program are essentially to enable and facilitate.
You can apply for support under the Community Investment Program as (01) Community Gold Cards or (02) cash funding.
Our key priorities include supporting:
Impactful and meaningful community involvement within our local area while strengthening partnerships with the Community Bank
Activities that promote community and individual resilience
Projects that provide added value from community and partner efforts,
Innovative community activities that provide a catalyst for changing social behaviour / practices.
As a locally based organisation, we are focused on supporting geographic areas we have a close affinity with.
What Projects or Organisations is the Program Likely to Support?
The Community Investment Program mirrors our purpose of building connections, facilitating conversations and leveraging the resources of our community partners. The types of organisations we typically support (but are not limited to) include community interest groups or organisations, sporting clubs, schools, and/or community service projects.
But please don’t let this limit your creative thinking…. we like to be surprised with innovative ideas and projects that we can proudly support.
You should consider applying for Community Investment funding if:
You represent a not-for-profit, for-purpose or community focussed organisation.
Have a meaningful project or cause for funding.
Can demonstrate the proposed community benefits and impacts of the proposal.
Please note: applications cannot be made by an individual or on behalf of an individual for personal reasons. Applications can only be accepted on behalf of an approved club, group or organisation.
The aim of the Community Investment Program is to achieve impact widely across many industry sectors. There is however a focus on
Capacity Building
Community Events
Disability & Disadvantaged Communities
Community Facilities & Infrastructure
Disaster Mitigation & Relief
Education & Learning
Environment & Sustainability
Indigenous
Research
Well-being
Sports & Recreation
Ready to Apply?
Youth
Step 1
Develop your Project
Talk to relevant industry organisations and a Community Bank Buninyong Director or staff member for guideance during this stage
Step 2
Complete the Online Application
Be prepared before starting the application form as it cannot be saved as a draft
Step 3
Allow 2 to 6 weeks for review & assessment
Applications are accepted year round, but not assessed in December or January. Urgent applications may not be considered due to the timing of meetings.
Step 4
You will be notified of the outcome
You will be notified by email whether your application was successful, unsuccessful or requires more information or development.
How does the Process Work?
The first part of the process is to determine your suitability in applying for Community Investment funding (above).
Initially it’s important to broadly discuss your project with potential partners/agencies/industry bodies to ensure you understand what other organisations are doing in the same space to avoid duplication, what legal or regulative requirements you need to meet, and/or or funding models you may be eligible for. We’ve had instances of our Community Investment funding developing into other successful avenues of funding for much more impactful project outcomes.
Similarly, talk to us to determine if your project meets the criteria and to ensure you understand what information is required to submit an application. You need to have a pre-application discussion with a Board or staff member before submitting your application. Applications can be submitted all year round, however will not be assessed during December and January.
Community Bank Buninyong is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors with a dedicated Community Investment Team (also voluntary). This group will consider your application and if necessary (based on the level of funding) submit to the Board for consideration. The Board meet monthly and therefore applicants should allow 6 weeks for assessments to take place. Applications without adequate timing plans may not be considered.
The actual process itself is quite simple as shown below:
Step 1
Develop your Project
Talk to relevant industry organisations and a Community Bank Buninyong Director or staff member for guideance during this stage
Step 2
Complete the Online Application
Be prepared before starting the application form as it cannot be saved as a draft. Also, indicate if you're after Community Gold cards or cash funding.
Step 3
Allow 2 to 6 weeks for review & assessment
Applications are accepted year round, but not assessed in December or January. Urgent applications may not be considered due to the timing of meetings.
Step 4
You will be notified of the outcome
You will be notified by email whether your application was successful, unsuccessful or requires more information or development.
Step 5
If successful, complete the Agreement and Tax Invoice
If successful, you will be asked to sign a Community Investment Agreement and supply a Tax Invoice for the project (or milestones as agreed)
Step 6
Submit Acquittal & Impact Story
You will be required to supply information to demonstrate the project has been completed and enable us to share the story.
Please note:
It is a requirement of accepting Community Investment funding that you share with us the successes, challenges, outcomes and impacts of your project (content and images). This helps us share the impact of the program to a wider audience with the intention of building a better community story and encouraging other organisations to consider applying too.
A formal Community Investment Agreement must be signed for the approval process to be considered complete.
Formal invoices to accounting standards must be submitted for funding to be paid. This includes on approved stationery with all company details including ABN if applicable. Funding will not be paid to an individual.
IMPORTANT
Before You Start
PLEASE NOTE APPLICATIONS ARE NOT ASSESSED IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY.
The online Application Form cannot be saved as a draft. Consequently, it’s best to be fully prepared first. You can view the questions in the Application Form below.
It’s recommended to have all this information in the checklist before commencing the Application Form.
your organisation's
administration & contact details
all the project details
your project budget
project partner details
supporting documents for upload
Checklist
Have More Questions?
Not a problem. The best way to speak to us is to pop into the branch, call or email:
Branch:
401B Warrenheip Street, Buninyong
Phone:
Email:
We'd Love Your Support Back!
We really don’t ask for much, but we’d love your support back by simply….
Following us on Facebook and Instagram and encouraging your organisation’s members and associates to do the same. This is the best way we can tell our story, share your story and give each other a shout out at the same time.
We love collaborating with our Community Investment participants so remember to tag us in your project updates and tell everyone! Just get content approval first however by emailing: