Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Capacity Building and Participation Grants Program?
The Capacity Building and Participation Grants Program is designed to build the knowledge and skills of multicultural and faith-based communities across Victoria. This program supports everyone, regardless of background, to fully participate and contribute to everyday life in Victoria. The program seeks to strengthen the participation, inclusion and contribution of priority groups including regional communities; refugees and asylum seekers; young people; women; seniors; and other diverse cohorts.
Who can apply for funding?
- Community organisations or local government authorities partnering with community organisations can apply for up to two years funding under the Small Grants Category (up to $5,000) or the Medium Grants Category (up to $75,000), which includes a Family Violence Stream.
- The Small Grants Category includes support for seniors groups and community language schools.
- Given the complexity and sensitivity of family violence prevention, applications for funding for these initiatives require organisations to meet specific criteria.
- The Small Grants Category supports :
- the establishment and operation of Community Language Schools, including materials and teacher professional development;
- day to day organisational running costs including rent, lighting, heating, catering, utilities, telephone, stationery and postage;
- purchase/hire of minor office equipment, kitchen equipment and other equipment for community capacity building activities;
- provision of community information sessions/seminars; activities or outings, including seniors clubs; and
- community transportation costs.
- The Medium Grant Category funds a broad range of initiatives to build the capacity of:
- a specified multicultural or faith-based community (for example: the Vietnamese community in Brimbank or the South Pacific Islander community in Victoria); or
- multiple multicultural communities working together on a common priority (for example: partnership project with multicultural youth to develop social media tools which promote gender equality); or
- a defined priority needs group (for example: women, seniors, young people, or asylum seekers/refugees.
- It is important to note that the initiatives are community driven, responding to the needs identified by communities themselves.
- The Guidelines and information on applying is available at
- Read the program guidelines carefully and contact MASC if you are unsure about your organisation or project eligibility prior to starting an application.
- Start your application early to ensure that you have adequate time to collect supporting documentation, and engage with potential partners, etc.
- Ensure that your project aligns with the program objectives.
- Be clear about the nature of your project – if the assessor cannot form a clear picture of what you plan to achieve, it will reduce your chance of success.
- Demonstrate the demand, community need and benefit of your project. Show how it will impact culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
- Demonstrate your organisation’s capacity to deliver the project – describe relevant expertise, skills, qualifications and experience.
- Spend time researching and planning out your budget properly – it is a major component of your application.
- Our grant rounds are highly competitive and there are always more worthy projects that apply than we have funds to support. Applicants are strongly encouraged to secure other funding sources and financial partners for their projects.
- Applications that display strong collaboration and focus on women, youth, regional Victoria or new and emerging communities are highly regarded.
- Projects that support inclusive participation of the broader community and promote intercultural and interfaith partnerships are strongly encouraged.
Yes, however MASC cannot guarantee that all applications will be funded.
Can I submit a late application?
No, due to the volume of applications received, MASC is unable grant extensions or accept late applications.
Specific Questions Small Grants
Issue / Question / Response
Reduce funding / My organisation received 20% of the amount that I requested last year. Should I apply for more funding in a larger stream this year? / MASC receivesa high number of applications for all grants programs. The majority of applicants received a small contribution to their project and not the full amount requested.
Eligibility / I am confused and I do not know if my group is eligible to apply? / Please read the guidelines carefully. If you are still not sure, you can contact the grants line for assistance. They will need the group name and the sub-category that your group is planning to apply.
Specific Questions Medium General Grants
Partnerships / Do we have to partner with another organisation? / Most organisations will need to have some partnerships in place to demonstrate a collaborative approach between the applicant, specified groups and other service providers; and that the project will be effectively delivered by the applicant.
New/existing project / Does it have to be a new project?
We have previously been funded by DPC MASC for CPBP medium stream, can we apply again? / No, it doesn’t have to be a new project. If you feel your existing project fits the guidelines, you would need to demonstrate how a new grant would build on, expand, or differ from the existing funding you have previously received. Please note that activity undertaken before 1 July 2018 cannot be funded.
More than one grant / Can one organisation apply for a general grant as well as a family violence grant. / Yes, you can apply for more than one of the medium grants if you have projects you think fit the funding intention and criteria. However, multiple applications will not guarantee success. We strongly recommend working on one strong application.
Specific Questions Medium Family Violence Stream Grants
Issue / Question / Response
Partnerships / Do we have to partner with another organisation?
What evidence do you require of our partnership? / Most organisations will need to have some partnerships in place unless you are able to demonstrate you both represent or have expertise in working with migrant and refugee communities and have existing expertise in undertaking family violence primary prevention activities with culturally diverse communities.
Financial or non- financial arrangements can be made with a partner according to your project and the relationships you need to achieve your project outcomes. Such a partnership would be evidenced through a letter of support, MOU or other documentation which outlines the role of the partner in the project. You do not have to provide this documentation on application, but need to have negotiated with your partner before applying and will be required to document any partnership if you were to be successful.
New/existing project / Does it have to be a new project?
We have previously been funded by DPC MASC for FV prevention work, can we apply again? / No, it doesn’t have to be a new project. Organisations with existing projects could apply however this year’s family violence medium grants will have a clear focus on the prevention of family violence rather than on early intervention or response approaches.
If you feel your existing project fits the guidelines, you would need to demonstrate how a new grant would build on, expand, or differ from the existing funding you have previously received. Please note that activity undertaken before 1 July 2018 cannot be funded.
More than one grant / Can one organisation apply for a general grant as well as a family violence grant. / Yes, you can apply for more than one of the medium grants if you have projects you think fit the funding intention and criteria.
Prevention / What do you mean by prevention?
What do you mean by prevention expertise? / The Primary Prevention approach to family violence seeks to directly impact the complex social conditions that drive violence in the first place. The focus is on violence before it occurs. It seeks to challenge the social attitudes, beliefs and structures that condone or promote violence in a range of settings where the inequalities and gendered drivers of violence can be shaped. This goes beyond information sessions, raising awareness and capacity building.
Secondary prevention (or early intervention) works with individuals at high risk of perpetrating or becoming victims of violence to take action to tackle social problems that are starting to emerge to reduce the likelihood of family violence occurring.
Response to Family violence (or Tertiary intervention) supports survivors and holds perpetrators to account, trying to reduce the impacts of the violence that has already occurred and seeking to prevent the reoccurrence of violence in the future.
For more information,seeChange the Story (Attachment B, Funding Guidelines)
In relation to prevention expertise we would be looking for examples of prevention work you have undertaken, any training your staff have received in undertaking FV prevention and/or any frameworks or models you have used to carry out your work.
In relation to partnerships with a prevention expert, you may wish to partner with a FV prevention worker or a prevention focused organisation.
Prevention experts can work in a range of settings including:
- Regional women’s or community healthorganisations,
- Local government (gender equity officers),
- Other organisations with a state-wide or national focus on primary prevention or health prevention
- See attachment A, funding guidelines
Co-design / What do you mean by co-design? / Co-design is about designing and delivering community services in a reciprocal partnership between funders, service providers and the people using services with the idea that this will ultimately lead to improvements, innovation and greater social impact. A key tenet ofco-designis that users, as experts of their own experience, become central in adesign process that goes beyond simple consultation.
Safe referral pathways / What does Safe referral pathways refer to?
What do we need to provide by way of evidence? / You will need to document a protocol in relation to any disclosure of violence that occurs through your project before undertaking any work directly with community members. This protocol should outline the most appropriate FV response services available to participants (whether they be state-wide, local or regional services for victims or perpetrators), and the steps staff or volunteers need to take to ensure there is a supported and safe pathway to professional family violence response services in place.
Communities and cohorts / Do we need to focus on any particular communities?
Can we work with established communities?
Can we work with asylum seekers/people on partner or student visa or any other temporary or provisional visa type? / For the FV stream, you can select any community living working, studying or spending significant time in the area in which your organisation has close links, including those from any cultural, faith or language background, visa type, any age group and those who are more recently arrived or more established.
You need to consider the readiness of any community or cohort within the community to engage in work in the prevention of FV.
You will need to consider any factors which might place participants at higher risk if they were to engage in your project and how you might reduce any of these risks and provide appropriate supports.
CBPP 2018 – 2019 Q&A1